The weeklong festival spotlighting design, sustainability, technology, and innovation kicks off Thursday, June 7th—and there's much to see.
San Francisco Design Week invites the public into the local storefronts and studios of some of the city's most inventive designers for immersive experiences, panel discussions, block parties, neighborhood crawls, and more. Hint: Don't miss the opening night bash.
Thursday, June 7: 3D Printing, Design and Entrepreneurship
When: 9am to 9:45am
Where: Pier 27 (Embarcadero)
Why: You're sure to swoon for the artsy-yet-minimalist style of Gantri's 3D printed modern lamps—and you'll be pleasantly surprised at their affordable price points. Meet the brand's founder Ian Yang, who'll be chatting with L.A.-based industrial designer Chris Granneberg about entrepreneurship and the future of the design industry. The two have also created a limited edition light to be raffled off during the session; proceeds will benefit the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA). // Tickets ($20) are available at 2018.sfdesignweek.org.
Thursday, June 7: Augmenting Food Interactions in the Sensory Kitchen
When: 12:30pm to 2:30pm
Where: Pier 27 (Embarcadero)
Why: If the kitchen is already your laboratory, sign up for this workshop with Google X designer Yasaman Sheri, who will teach you how to design your culinary experiences through tactile, visual, auditory, and olfactory senses. // Tickets ($40) are available at 2018.sfdesignweek.org.
Thursday, June 7: Opening Night Party on the Waterfront
When: 6:30pm to 9:30pm
Where: Pier 27 (Embarcadero)
Why: The festival will be kicked off in bright, interactive style at a fete featuring a special art installations by Color Factory creative director Leah Rosenberg and JD Beltran, Brian Singer, Purin Phanichphant, and Chloe Bensahel; as well live DJ beats, food trucks from Off the Grid, and Fort Point beers. // Tickets ($45-$55) benefit the nonprofit SF Design Week and are available at 2018.sfdesignweek.org.
Friday, June 8: Women in Leadership & Design (WILD) Lounge
When: 8:30am to 5pm
Where: Pier 27 (Embarcadero)
Why: Start the day with a brew from Wrecking Ball Coffee Roasters and then move on to fireside chats with boss women in the design field including Modsy style director Alessandra Wood and artist Chloe Bensahel. Cap the afternoon with happy hour from Nasty Women Wines. // Tickets ($30) at 2018.sfdesignweek.org.
Friday, June 8 and Friday, June 15: Studio Crawls
When: 6pm to 9pm
Where: FiDi, North Beach, and SoMa (June 8); Dogpatch, Mission, Potrero (June 15)
Why: Explore studios, galleries, shops, and startups across the city and meet with the designers behind some of SF's most notable brands and products—think Goody Silverstein, Pinterest, Studio O+A, Peak Design, Casper, Lunar Design and more. // Tickets ($15) are available for June 8 here and June 15 here.
Friday, June 8: Octavia Boulevard Block Party
When: 8pm to 11pm
Where: Patricia's Green (Hayes Valley)
Why: Leave your car at home because the streets surrounding Patricia's Green will be closed to traffic for a celebration of art with Charlie Gadekan's new 50-foot-tall installation Squared at the center—interactive controls will allow you to switch up its nighttime lighting effects. You can also explore the food trucks and vendors at Proxy. // For more info, go to 2018.sfdesignweek.org.
Saturday, June 9: Where I Stop, You Begin
When: 11am to 2pm
Where: 3361 Mission St. (Bernal Heights)
Why: Join ArtSpan for silkscreen and ikebana demos and try your hand at these fine arts. // $10 suggested donation; register at 2018.sfdesignweek.org.
Saturday, June 9: Breaking Binaries in Design
When: 2pm to 4pm
Where: Joshu+Vela, 3042 16th St. (Mission), joshuvela.com
Why: No matter how progressive the Bay Area may be, much of our lives remain shaped by socially constructed gender binaries. Grab a drink and hear Airbnb design director Andrew Schapir, Joshu+Vela founder Noah Guy, and Seeker clothing designer Ally Ferguson break it down. // Tickets ($10) are available at 2018.sfdesignweek.org.
(Courtesy of Jennifer Daley Fine Textiles)
Saturday, June 9: Weaving the Fabric of the Future
When: 11am to 8pm
Where: Jennifer Daley Fine Textiles, 1113 Lincoln Ave. (Alameda)
Why: Yes, you'll need to cross the bridge for this one, but the presentation of natural fiber fabrics (along with finger food and drinks) in an 1889 Queen Anne Victorian will be worth it. Don't miss the Q&A about forward-thinking textile development in the age of fast fashion. // Tickets ($10) are available at 2018.sfdesignweek.org.
Saturday, June 9: Design Cycle Group Ride + Afterparty
When: Noon to 3:30pm
Where: Mission Bicycle Company, 766 Valencia St. (Mission), missionbicycle.com
Why: Spend the day outside on two wheels, touring some of SF's most iconic architecture and public art. Starting at Mission Bicycle's HQ, you'll ride "nine-ish mellow miles" through the city, down to Embarcadero and finishing at SoMa's Black Hammer Brewing for the afterparty. // Tickets ($10) are available at 2018.sfdesignweek.org.
Monday, June 11: Designers That DJ
When: 6pm to 9pm
Where: Hotel Zetta, 55 5th St. (SoMa), viceroyhotelsandresorts.com
Why: The Cathedrals' Johnny Hwin will be spinning at the launch of SF artist/designer Purin's interactive installation created specially for Hotel Zetta for SF Design Week. There will also be a VR room experience, seven-story street art installation, and cocktails and bites, of course. // Admission is free; register at 2018.sfdesignweek.org.
Tuesday, June 12: Designing Your Dream Workspace
When: Noon to 1pm
Where: Pivot Interiors, 703 Market St., Suite 1400 (SoMa)
Why: Feeling uninspired about your workspace? Sit around the lunch table (which will be laden with bites from Lemonade) with experts from Pivot Interiors and Herman Miller to discuss the philosophy of the living office—the idea that an elevated physical space leads to happier, more efficient, and more effective work. // Tickets ($10) are available at 2018.sfdesignweek.org.
Wednesday, June 13: Cocktails with Robots
When: 6pm to 9pm
Where: Whipsaw, Inc., 81 Lafayette St. (SoMa), whipsaw.com
Why: Robots are taking over! Well they are, at least, having an impact on our daily lives, whether they're vacuuming our floors or making our cappuccinos. Meet local leaders in robotics design and get the scoop on their process. // Tickets ($10) are available at 2018.sfdesignweek.org.
(Courtesy of Rudd Oakville Estate)
Thursday, June 14: Barrel-Aged TeaLeaves Tasting
When: 6pm to 7:30pm
Where: Location will be released upon ticket purchase.
Why: Connoisseurs of tea and wine won't want to miss this invitation-only tasting of TeaLeaves x Rudd cabernet French oak barrel-aged tea. The white tea is scented with jasmine blossoms, and aged in the same French oak barrel that once housed the 2010 Rudd Oakville Estate vintage. // Request an invitation at 2018.sfdesignweek.org.
Thursday, June 14: Designing for Artificial Intelligence
When: 8:30am to 11am
Where: Aiga SF, 130 Sutter St. (FiDi), aigasf.org
Why: Like it or not, A.I. is happening. So what is it exactly? How can we design for it? Are there jobs available in A.I.? All will be revealed in this panel discussion with speakers from Facebook, Google and IBM Watson, moderated by Big Monocle founder Amy Stellhorn. // Tickets ($30; $15 for AIGA members) are available at 2018.sfdesignweek.org.
Saturday, June 16: Pret-A-Porter SF Fashion Showcase
When: 7pm to 9pm
Where: Blush School of Makeup, 1 Embarcadero Center (FiDi), blushschoolofmakeup.edu
Why: Take your seat along the runway for a look at the works of local and emerging fashion designers and students. // Tickets ($20) are available at 2018.sfdesignweek.org.
// For more information and many more events, go to 2018.sfdesignweek.org.
