Indy Design Week Announces 2026 Theme and Festival Dates
INDIANAPOLIS (February 2026) — Indy Design Week (IDW) has announced the return of its 8th annual festival, continuing its mission to connect, amplify, and support Indianapolis’ design community. Indy Design Week 2026 will take place Monday, April 20, through Saturday, April 25.
This year’s theme, Field Guide, turns the spotlight toward the work before “the” work—the process, the pivots, the constraints, and the conversations that shape how design actually gets made.
More About Field Guide
Field Guide is not about polished case studies or highlight reels. It’s about the sketches before the logo. The wireframes before the website. The blueprints before the building. It documents the aha moments, the “oh no” realizations, and the “what if’s” that happen long before anyone is watching.
“What makes Indy special doesn’t live in the headlines,” says Tori Witter, Executive Director of Indy Design Week. “It lives in the community, the people, and the work. Field Guide is meant to capture that work—the sketches in notebooks, the first drafts in the studios, the conversations happening in coffee shops.”
Field Guide serves as a collective record of that work, and the world-class creativity that’s been here all along.
More About Indy Design Week 2026
Indianapolis’ design community spans disciplines from graphic design, architecture, UX, and strategy, to marketing, fashion, industrial design, sports design, education, and beyond. Yet much of its most meaningful work happens quietly, rooted in collaboration and shaped by real needs.
The 2026 festival will feature candid conversations, walkthroughs, and behind-the-scenes sessions exploring how creative work is built—imperfectly, iteratively, and collaboratively. Programming will prioritize speakers who can:
Speak honestly about process, not just outcomes
Share lessons from constraints, pivots, or imperfect projects
Reflect on collaborative work across teams, clients, and communities
Offer insight from design-adjacent roles, including strategy, marketing, tech, education, and operations
Indy Design Week 2026 will feature six days of immersive programming, including:
A dedicated keynote day highlighting some of Indianapolis’ most influential creatives
Hands-on workshops spanning diverse design disciplines
Networking experiences connecting designers, creatives, and design enthusiasts
Exhibitions celebrating the story, grit, and evolution of Indy’s design community
What’s Next?
Tickets for Indy Design Week 2026 are now on sale. To learn more about the festival and purchase tickets, visit 2026.indydesignweek.com.
Indy Design Week is open to designers, collaborators, creative leaders, and anyone curious about the process behind the work.
In addition to attending, individuals and organizations are invited to help shape the week. Those interested in partnering, hosting, or speaking can submit ideas to be considered as part of the 2026 event at 2026.indydesignweek.com/get-involved.
About Indy Design Week
Indy Design Week is where design meets community in Indianapolis. Its mission is to connect, amplify, and support Indianapolis designers across all disciplines and industries—sparking collaboration and storytelling that celebrates and elevates the impact of design in shaping our city and beyond.
Each year, the festival attracts an average of 280+ attendees and continues to grow, featuring 30+ speakers and hosting 25+ events throughout the week. With consistent representation from industries including graphic design, architecture, UX/UI, interior design, and more, Indy Design Week is committed to expanding its programming to include even more voices and perspectives from across the design ecosystem.
