With over a century of innovation in automobiles, a groundbreaking music scene, amazing architecture and one-of-a-kind fashion labels, DETROIT has long been a place where technical possibility meets great design. Few creative communities truly match the diversity and depth of Detroit’s design roots: a fact well reflected by its designation as a City of Design by the international UNESCO Creative Cities Network. At the heart of it all, DESIGN CORE DETROIT plays a critical role in amplifying the impact of Detroit’s innovation community.
A nonprofit organization within the historic College for Creative Studies, Design Core was founded in 2010 with the mission to build Detroit’s creative economy. While creative community organizations often focus on preserving and celebrating a cultural legacy, Design Core activates design’s potential for the future. Partnerships with startup accelerators, business incubators, and growth funds are integral to Design Core ‘s suite of business platforms. Since its inception, Design Core has served over 5,000 businesses ranging from individual founders to large corporations with talent match-making, inclusive design training and professional development workshops.
Detroit Month of Design is both a flagship business platform and the largest creative festival in the midwest United States. In 2024, Detroit Month of Design featured 92 creative exhibitions across 80 unique locations throughout Detroit’s broad landscape. The fusion of technology and design was fully on display with headline events at key startup hubs including Newlab, the newly-restored Michigan Central landmark, and Black Tech Saturdays. As the event’s founder and producer for 15 consecutive years, Design Core actively engages leaders from the public and private sectors to drive innovation throughout the Month.
Design is always evolving. Technology enables new creative methods and experiences: sometimes reinventing traditions. Previous Month of Design exhibitions include generative AI concepts, urban robotics, 3D-printed architecture and virtual reality amidst a wide range of design disciplines.
The technical scope of Design Core programming is matched by commitment to inclusivity, best exemplified by the hackathon-style Design Jam. Within an action-packed two-day format, multidisciplinary teams create concepts for adaptive outdoor recreational products for people with disabilities. Each team includes a participant with the disability in focus along with professional designers, manufacturing experts, students and faculty.
As an educational platform, Design Jam teaches the essentials of innovation: deep understanding of the user, inclusion of multiple perspectives to get the best ideas, and building with a hands-on, prototyping-based approach. At the end of the process, each team will have created a prototype and received feedback from a diverse community of subject-matter experts.
In addition to Design Jam, Design Core collaborates with peer organizations in the community to create career-building opportunities for Detroit’s youth. Teaming up with Google’s Code Next and Youth Tank Detroit in 2024, Design Core delivered a multi week training course in design as part of the Youth Mobility Leadership Lab internship program. Over 60 high school students participated and applied their learning to real-world projects with the City of Detroit’s Office of Mobility Innovation and tech startups based at Newlab. These programs recognize that accelerating education in tech, design and business is fundamental to preparing Detroit’s youth for future success.
As the only UNESCO City of Design in the United States, Detroit plays a key role in creating global opportunities for business and education. Design Core integrates a hyper local network with an international community spanning over 350 cities. For entrepreneurs, educators and artists alike, this network is a powerful resource for growth. Tech startups both here and abroad tap into Design Core’s expertise to locate opportunities, connect with talent, and develop their ideas. In 2025, Design Core will lead the way in celebrating the 10th anniversary of Detroit’s City of Design designation: creating a unique opportunity to showcase Detroit’s innovation.
Innovation needs a community to thrive. As a key partner in Detroit’s innovation ecosystem, Design Core is a champion for an inclusive and future-focused world.
