France Design Week 2026: an edition focused on challenges

From September 18 to 30, the seventh edition of France Design Week will take place across the country with a program driven by design professionals. Centered on the theme "D for Design, D for Defi" (Challenge), this new edition aims to highlight the role of design in addressing environmental, social, industrial, and technological transitions. Coordinated by the APCI (Agency for the Promotion of Design), France Design Week continues its mission to unite the entire French design ecosystem around a shared highlight. Exhibitions, conferences, studio tours, open houses, workshops, and networking events will fill two weeks of programming across the country. Following a 2025 edition that brought together over 322,000 visitors for 700 events, the festival aims to scale up for this seventh edition.

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A patron in tune with the theme

This year, the APCI has chosen industrial designer Ionna Vautrin as its patron. A graduate of ENSCI – Les Ateliers, the designer has made a name for herself through a practice attentive to user needs, developed for industry, public facilities, and heritage projects alike—from TGV train lighting to the liturgical furniture of Notre-Dame de Paris, as featured in issue 218 of Intramuros. Her career path resonates with the annual theme, "D for Design, D for Defi" (Challenge), and invites designers, agencies, schools, companies, institutions, and local authorities to present projects that address contemporary issues. These include ecological transition, inclusion, health, and education, as well as topics frequently brought to the table, such as an aging population and artificial intelligence. "The way people view design is often biased. Behind design, there is a community of people who think and conceive solutions in very different fields," the designer emphasizes.

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A national event that asserts the importance of design

France Design Week was born in the wake of the 2019 National Design Conference and has gradually established itself as the sector's primary unifying event. For the third consecutive year, the event is held under the High Patronage of the President of the Republic. In his editorial, Emmanuel Thouan, President of the APCI, notes that this recognition should primarily serve as an opportunity to reaffirm the role of design in public policy and organizational transformation strategies. According to him, design is now a strategic skill capable of supporting economic, industrial, social, and democratic changes.

The national launch will take place on September 18 in Paris, with a program organized in conjunction with Paris Design Week, including a visit to Notre-Dame de Paris and the presentation of the France Design Impact Award. The closing ceremony will be held on September 30 in Saint-Étienne, at the new National Design Gallery inaugurated this year, where the results of this edition and the festival's future prospects will be presented. In the meantime, here is a sample of events we have selected for you:

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Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes - Saint Martin d’Hères

Exhibition: Design facing the challenge of ecological and social transitions

At a time when ecological and social issues are redefining our lifestyles, how can design help imagine concrete and sustainable solutions? Through this exhibition and discussion event, the UGA Design Factory unveils the projects, methods, and experiments it is deploying in the Grenoble area to support these transitions. Combining a conference with a guided tour, the public will discover how design, research, and local action contribute to supporting ecological and social transitions.

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Bourgogne-Franche-Comté - Chalon-sur-Saône

Workshop: HEALTH: Caring for the patient experience in 2040

What might the patient experience look like in 2040 in a hospital where artificial intelligence is omnipresent? Through this workshop, participants are invited to explore possible futures for healthcare by embodying different stakeholders in the health system. Between technological innovation, ethical issues, and human relationships, the discussions will question the role of AI in patient care and identify what must remain deeply human in the care experience, despite the changes to come.

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Brittany - Brest

Flexible Territories — Textile design in Brittany

At the crossroads of design, art, and craftsmanship, the "Flexible Territories" exhibition explores the connections between materials, expertise, and the Breton region. Through collective textile works created from local resources, it reveals a sensitive map of Brittany, shaped by gestures, landscapes, and encounters. Monumental felting, documentary video, and collaborative weaving bear witness to an approach where creation, knowledge transfer, and regional roots are woven together.

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Centre-Val de Loire - Tours

Training: DESIGN & CCI: How to get started as an entrepreneur?

Do you want to turn a creative idea into an entrepreneurial project? This webinar offers students, recent graduates, and project leaders the chance to discover the first steps toward starting a business in the cultural and creative industries. In 90 minutes, participants will explore the challenges, opportunities, and key resources needed to structure their business and bring their professional ambitions in the design sector to life.

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Grand Est - Meisenthal

Exhibition: IMPRESSION

Through "Impression," Brazilian designers TomaziCabral explore a unique encounter between the tradition of vegetable fiber weaving and the glassmaking art of Meisenthal. Used as molds for glassblowing, the baskets sometimes burn away under the heat, leaving their patterns and textures imprinted in the material. Between experimentation, craftsmanship, and intercultural dialogue, the exhibition reveals the poetry of a process where disappearance becomes creation.

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Hauts-de-France - Lens

Conference: When a brand becomes a destination

Why do some brands become places that people want to visit, recommend, and remember? In this conference, Mariia Kulichkova explores the links between branding, hospitality, and experience to understand how a company can become a true destination. By blending the codes of design, tourism, and hospitality, this meeting examines the role of design in creating memorable experiences and enhancing the appeal of both brands and territories.

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Île-de-France - Saint-Denis

Workshop: R for... roots, records, relationships

How can design foster dialogue and strengthen social cohesion in a region so rich in diversity? Through a day of exchange, discovery, and collective creation, the Innovation Laboratory of the Seine-Saint-Denis Departmental Council invites the public to explore the links between identities, memories, and collective action. Featuring inspiring projects and a participatory graphic workshop, this event offers a chance to share perspectives and imagine new ways of living together as a society.

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Reunion Island - Étang-Salé

Conference: When design moves the city

Discover how public space planning becomes a tool for inclusion, attractiveness, and revitalization through active design. Over the course of a morning, the 5 key principles of active design will be explored through concrete examples identified on the island. Active design challenges us to get every city and the entire island moving.

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Martinique

Conference: Why circular design?

Faced with environmental challenges and resource scarcity, circular design has become an essential approach. This conference explores its principles, practical applications, and the opportunities it offers organizations. Join us to understand how design can help imagine more sustainable products, services, and systems by rethinking production, usage, and reuse cycles.

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Normandy - Rouen

Workshop: Design and its applications in education

How has design shaped the evolution of educational practices over time? Through an exclusive tour of its archives, the National Museum of Education invites the public to discover a selection of school furniture and objects from its collections. Dive into the history of design applied to learning and see how forms, uses, and educational spaces have evolved across generations.

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Nouvelle-Aquitaine - Saint-Maixent-l’École

Workshop: Challenge your comms: what if your materials were more effective?

What if a few simple adjustments could make your communication clearer, more consistent, and more effective? In this participatory workshop, merchants, artisans, freelancers, and business owners are invited to take a fresh look at their everyday communication materials. Business cards, flyers, quotes, storefronts, or websites will serve as a starting point to identify strengths, spot areas for improvement, and leave with practical tips to increase your impact with customers.

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Occitanie - Montpellier

Festivities: Orange Night

For one evening, the Musée Fabre invites the public to discover the "Design according to Pierre Paulin" exhibition in a festive and immersive setting. Guided tours, workshops, performances, and dance will highlight this Orange Night, designed as a friendly celebration of design. It’s a chance to experience the museum in a new way with family or friends and gain a fresh perspective on the work of one of France's greatest designers.

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Pays de la Loire - Le Mans

Workshop: Introduction to Risography and Graphic Design

How can you create graphic compositions that are structured, free, and original all at once? This introductory workshop on graphic design and risography invites participants to explore the composition grid—a fundamental layout tool—through an experimental and creative approach. In connection with Macula Nigra’s "The Yellow Grid" exhibition, everyone will have the opportunity to design and then print their own creations using risography, an artisanal technique known for its unique, vibrant results.

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Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur - Marseille

Lecture: Who designs the machines that shape us?

Who decides the form of the technologies that influence our daily behavior? In this lecture, Anthony Masure offers a critical reflection on artificial intelligence systems and the logic guiding their design. By exploring their impact on our habits, attention, and relationships, he will demonstrate how design can serve as a tool for analysis and action to imagine digital environments that are more conscious, responsible, and human-centered.