Detroit is known for it’s role in the auto industry. Detroit is host to the Big Three manufactures General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler. These companies have produced innovative designs and attracted talented people from around the world. This industry, while in decline, still has a important role to play in the design industry.

In 2015 Detroit was the first city in the United States to become a City of Design, a UNESCO designation. UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, an organization whose mission is “to contribute to the building of peace, the eradication of poverty, sustainable development and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture, communication, and information”. There are currently 47 cities which are designated as a City of Design and these cities span across 33 countries. These cities create a network in which learning and best practices about design can be shared.

Why is Detroit a City of Design? It can be explained through 8 categories, as follows:

1 | History  – Host to industrial design of the automobile and a design legacy which created the College for Creative Studies and Cranbrook.

2 | Industry – Yes the auto industry is still a driving force in Detroit is much more than cars. Shinola produces handmade watches. Ponyride is a collaborative home to Floyd, Pingree Audio, Lazlo, Mark Cox, The Dirt Label, The Lip Bar, and many more businesses. Detroit Denim Company crafts jeans just for you.

3 | Talent – New businesses are starting in Detroit. Detroit wants you to come build, test, create, learn, etc. Join us in evolving our design narrative.

4 | Education Institutions – Detroit is home to the College of Creative Studies, University of Michigan Taubman School of Architecture and Penny Stamps School of Art and Design, University of Detroit Mercy College of Architecture, and Lawrence Technological University which are noted school of design.

5 | Research and Innovation – Did you know southeast Michigan is host to major design research centers such as General Electric, Whirlpool, Newell Rubbermaid, Carhartt,  and Herman Miller.

6 | Cultural Institutions – 33 galleries, 22 theaters/performance venues, and 11 museums and libraries reside in the city core of Detroit. Go explore the largest African American history museum in the United States (the Charles H. Wright Museum or African American History), visit the a museum which highlights Arab design and culture (the Arab American National Museum), and stroll the 4th largest city-owned art collection in the United States (the Detroit Institute of Arts).

7 | Design Scene – Find what interests you: we have music festivals, public art like Murals in the Market, or design events such as the Detroit Design Festival and Drinks x Design where you can learn about design which inspires you.

8 | The Future – Detroit is pushing the design community to new development in all aspects of the city.

If you would like to learn more about design in Detroit, visit the Detroit Creative Corridor Center (http://detroitc3.com/). They host the Detroit Design Festival yearly and Drinks x Design monthly to expose people to different elements of design. They were also apart of sharing Detroit’s design narrative at the 2017 Biennale Internationale Design Daint- Etienne. Read more about the exhibit and the biennale here: https://hyperallergic.com/364829/envisioning-democratic-design-at-a-french-biennial/