DESIGN FUTURES 2026


Design Futures is a 5-day convening to reimagine the role of the designer in transforming human and ecological exploitation in the built environment.























University of Detroit Mercy 
Detroit, Michigan / Waawiyatanong
June 1-5, 2026 
SPATIAL JUSTICE         COMMUNITY POWER        DESIGN            SPATIAL JUSTICE           COMMUNITY POWER         DESIGN            
From June 1st - 5th,  70 student leaders from across the nation representing 14 universities will convene with faculty and leading practitioners in the field of community-based design and design justice to learn practical skills, advance the field, and build community.













What students have to say about their experience:
“This is the first place where I've really been able to express myself as a Black architect” 2024 Student

“The experience was transformative. The tools and perspectives I gained are already influencing how I think about my education, my work, and my responsibilities as a designer.” Dorothy Philip (2025) University of Virginia
“It was truly an unforgettable experience.”
Yanjie Zhang  (2024), University of Pennsylvania  
Our University Network has included over 30 institutions:
Arizona State University
Art Center College of Design
California College of the Arts
Carnagie Mellon University
Cornell University
Kansas State University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Mississippi State University
Morgan State University
Pennsylvania State University
Portland State University
Southern Methodist University
Tulane University
University of California, Berkeley
University of Cincinnati 
University of Detroit Mercy 
University of Georgia
University of Illinois
University of Kentucky 
University of Massachusetts Amherst 
University of Michigan 
University of Minnesota 
University of New Mexico 
University of Oregon
University of Southern California 
University of Texas Arlington 
University of Texas Austin 
University of Utah
University of Virginia
Washington University in St. Louis

Past workshop facilitators have included representatives from:
Join Our Community Today.
Spots are first come first serve
Standard Membership
 
+ Send one faculty member and up to five students to the Design Futures Forum at University of Detroit Mercy.

Includes entry to the Forum for faculty and students, on-campus housing for the students and all food except dinners. Travel and other
expenses are not included. 

  Faculty Plus Membership  

Exclusive to returning universities

+ Send two faculty members and up to five students to the Design Futures Forum at University of Detroit Mercy. 

+ Faculty participate in convenings and trainings throughout the year to build capacity, access the resource library, and develop relationships with other faculty. 

Includes entry to the Forum for faculty and students, on-campus housing for the students and all food except dinners. Travel and other expenses are not included. 
Individual Registration


+ Entry for one student to the Design Futures Forum at University of Detroit Mercy

+ Requires short application process. 


Includes entry to the Forum, on-campus housing and all food except dinners. Travel and other expenses are not included. 

Early Bird Fee: $6,300*
Standard Fee: $6,600
Add on: +1 student to cohort: $1,100/student** 

*Payment due by 12/31/25
** For returning universities only. Up to 2 additional students maximum. 


Early Bird Fee: $8,400*
Standard Fee: $8,800
Add on: +1 student to cohort: $1,100/student** 

*Payment due by 12/31/25
** Up to 2 additional students maximum.


Fee: $1,400



Want more info? Check out the FAQ and sample agenda below, or  the review video of the 2024 Forum below.  
FAQ 
Sample Schedule  


“The Forum wasn’t just another design
workshop. It was the space we often
wish existed in our institutions [...]
where collective care is prioritized
over competition and where radical
imagination isn’t optional, but essential.”  S M Kaikobad (2025), MIT

I feel so inspired about what my career as a designer looks like... I needed this. I was not expecting this.” Michael Scarboro  (2024) Washington University in  St. Louis
“One of my close friends went to the 2024 Forum and called it the most transformative thing he did while in college, which encouraged me to apply.  I have to agree with him.”   Ruth Player (2025), University of Virginia