Engage
Design Vancouver celebrates and advocates for Vancouver's design community. Our vision is of a city and culture that is creative, collaborative and connected through design.
With your help, we’re going to fill the city with accessible and inspiring opportunities to interact with and learn about the power and value of design. It’s all about shining the spotlight on the local design community.
Design Vancouver celebrates and advocates for Vancouver's design community. Our vision is of a city and culture that is creative, collaborative and connected through design.
With your help, we’re going to fill the city with accessible and inspiring opportunities to interact with and learn about the power and value of design. It’s all about shining the spotlight on the local design community.
Participation in the Open Studio
Open Studios is a key part of Design Vancouver Festival (DVF), inviting the public into Vancouver’s design community through studio visits, conversations, and behind-the-scenes access to creative practice.
REGISTRATION FORM
Date: Saturday, September 20, 2026
Hours: Studios must be open to the public for at least 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.
What it looks like
Open Studios is drop-in and informal. Visitors come to see how things are made, meet the team, ask questions, and experience design up close. It is a great way to build public awareness, connect with peers, and welcome students and emerging designers into practice.
How to participate
Studios can keep it simple or make it special. Examples include:
Studio tours and behind-the-scenes walkthroughs
Process displays (materials, sketches, prototypes, models)
Short talks or Q&A sessions
Hands-on demos or mini workshops
Neighbourhood “studio crawl” collaborations
Minimum requirements
A staffed open studio during the required hours
Clear visitor access plan (entry, wayfinding, capacity)
Basic accessibility notes included in your listing
Any permits or permissions required for your space
DVF provides
Listing on the DVF schedule and Open Studios map
Promotion through DVF channels (as capacity allows)
Brand assets and guidance for marketing
DVF signage and posters for on-site use
Design Districts 2026*
In past years, Open Studios brought great energy, but with so many studios open at once, it was difficult for visitors to see multiple locations across the city. In 2026, DVF is introducing Design Districts. Studios will be grouped by neighbourhood, and each district will have a dedicated time slot in the festival calendar. This makes Open Studios more walkable, easier to plan, and better organized for both visitors and studios.
If your studio is located in Armoury District, Railtown, Granville Island, Gastown, Downtown, or Mount Pleasant, please contact us. hello@designvancouver.org.
Participation in the Open studio
Open Studios is DVF’s signature public day. Designers and studios open their doors to share process, practice, and the people behind the work.
REGISTRATION FORM
Date: Saturday, September 20, 2026
Hours: Studios must be open to the public for at least 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.
What it looks like
Open Studios is drop-in and informal. Visitors come to see how things are made, meet the team, ask questions, and experience design up close. It is a great way to build public awareness, connect with peers, and welcome students and emerging designers into practice.
How to participate
Studios can keep it simple or make it special. Examples include:
Studio tours and behind-the-scenes walkthroughs
Process displays (materials, sketches, prototypes, models)
Short talks or Q&A sessions
Hands-on demos or mini workshops
Neighbourhood “studio crawl” collaborations
Minimum requirements
A staffed open studio during the required hours
Clear visitor access plan (entry, wayfinding, capacity)
Basic accessibility notes included in your listing
Any permits or permissions required for your space
DVF provides
Listing on the DVF schedule and Open Studios map
Promotion through DVF channels (as capacity allows)
Brand assets and guidance for marketing
DVF signage and posters for on-site use
Design Districts 2026*
In past years, Open Studios brought great energy, but with so many studios open at once, it was difficult for visitors to see multiple locations across the city. In 2026, DVF is introducing Design Districts. Studios will be grouped by neighbourhood, and each district will have a dedicated time slot in the festival calendar. This makes Open Studios more walkable, easier to plan, and better organized for both visitors and studios.
If your studio is located in Armoury District, Railtown, Granville Island, Gastown, Downtown, or Mount Pleasant, please contact us. hello@designvancouver.org.
Sponsorship
Opportunities
Sponsorship
Opportunities
DV Festival comes to life thanks to our industry leaders who truly get the power of design. They know it shapes communities and the world at large, and they're eager to spread this appreciation of design throughout our city.
A few things we'll do in our work together:
Bring our standout programs to life, including Signature Events, Open Studios and Open Buildings.
Help spread the invitation through media buzz, activations, and curated experiences that link Vancouver's design scene with an expanding community.
Turn Design Vancouver Festival into a real-deal movement that sweeps across the city.
For sponsorship opportunities. Email partners@designvancouver.org .
DV Festival comes to life thanks to our industry leaders who truly get the power of design. They know it shapes communities and the world at large, and they're eager to spread this appreciation of design throughout our city.
A few things we'll do in our work together:
Bring our standout programs to life, including Signature Events, Open Studios and Open Buildings.
Help spread the invitation through media buzz, activations, and curated experiences that link Vancouver's design scene with an expanding community.
Turn Design Vancouver Festival into a real-deal movement that sweeps across the city.
For partnership opportunities. Email partners@designvancouver.org .
Sign up to stay up to date on the latest DVF events in Vancouver
Design Vancouver Festival and the city of Vancouver is located within the shared, unceded, ancestral territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.
Identity & Website by Tomorrow
Sign up to stay up to date on the latest DVF events in Vancouver
Design Vancouver Festival and the city of Vancouver is located within the shared, unceded, ancestral territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.
Identity & Website by Tomorrow
