2026 PHXDW Conference: Orbit

Join us in October for the two-day PHXDW Conference presented by AIGA Arizona at Phoenix Design Week 2026! Phoenix Design Week is a weeklong celebration of design, organized by AIGA Arizona, to unite our state's design community and provide a forum for sharing best practices, showcasing exceptional work, and gaining inspiration. The PHXDW Conference is the main event during Phoenix Design Week — a two-day industry conference for graphic designers, UI/UX designers, content managers, illustrators, writers, marketing professionals, and people who work with them. For 2026, we're celebrating this 18th annual PHXDW at Phoenix Convention Center for two full days of creative jumpstarts, workshops, and friendship. With a theme of "Orbit" we invite designers, thinkers, and collaborators to enter one another's circles and celebrate the relationships, conversations, intersections, and creative forces that surround the work and give it meaning. Each of us follows our own path, yet together we create a larger field of connection, energy, and possibility. Together, we create gravity by design. ------- Two full days of inspirational main stage keynotes and hands-on breakouts. Last year, you told us that you preferred a Friday and Saturday schedule, so we're bringing it back for 2026: the two-day conference will be held on Friday, October 23, and Saturday, October 24. Here's who we have signed on for the main stage, see the full schedule in the AGENDA section! Ben Shown & Megan Greco – the team from BlinkUX behind the reimagined NASA.gov Chuong Bui - entertainment attorney and partner at Counsel for Creators will talk about copyright protections in the age of AI Tad Carpenter - designer, illustrator, and teacher, and the creator of SUNday SUNS that you've probably been following for years (that's how long we've been trying to coordinate schedules to get him to Phoenix) Don Clark - principal and thingmaker at Invisible Creature, formerly from Seattle and now based in Phoenix Cami Kwan - partner/director and stop motion filmmaker coming to us from Apartment D in Los Angeles Andrea Contreras Vega - in-house creative director for Arizona's largest credit union Desert Financial Justin Ahrens - chief creative officer at Rule29 and author of Being Humankind. Stay tuned for more to come! Updates will come to you on social media (follow #phxdw) and directly via email, so be sure you're on the mailing list to get the latest! Continuing conference announcements for attendees will be sent via Eventbrite confirmation emails. ------- The two-day PHXDW Conference pass includes: • Access to all main stage keynote talks and educational breakout sessions presented by national and local design leaders • Two full days of programming, on both Friday, October 23 and Saturday, October 24. • Admission to a post-conference reception (TBD) after day one of the conference on Friday, October 23 • Admission to the Phoenix Design Week Closing Party on Friday, October 30 • Free gift poster • Can't make it both days? One-day passes for either Friday, October 23 or Saturday, October 24 are now available. ------- REGISTER NOW Hey, we know times are uncertain right now, so we've rolled back pricing to 2018 rates as long as you get on board by 10/19 – late registration kicks in on 10/20! • AIGA Members: $299 (will be $349 on 10/20) • Affiliate Members/Nonprofits: $349 (will be $399 on 10/20) • Non-Members: $399 (will be $449 on 10/20) • Student/Faculty AIGA Members: $179 (will be $199 on 10/20) • Student/Faculty Non-Members: $249 (will be $299 on 10/20) • One-Day Passes: $249 good for either Friday 10/23 or Saturday 10/24 • Groups of 5 or more from the same organization: check the box on the order form and receive a 15% rebate during this pricing window. • Preorder an official PHXDW Orbit t-shirt for only $15 (will be $20 on site) ------- WHAT'S FOR LUNCH? Lunch is on your own each day, with many downtown restaurants within walking distance. We also offer a catered Lunchbox for $35 on each day of the conference. Preorder now and we’ll have your lunchbox ready so you can meet new friends, attend one of two Lunch 'n' Learn breakouts and join impromptu roundtables. After you choose your registration (member, non-member, student, etc.) SCROLL DOWN to the ADD-ONs section of the order form. Menu selections will be announced in October (dietary modifications available). Please note that the Convention Center does not allow outside food on the premises. ------- Please note that all other standalone Phoenix Design Week offsite events from October 23-30, 2026 are NOT included in the conference registration. More Ways to Save Become an AIGA member and get perks too. AIGA members save up to $100 over non-member pricing, waived transaction fees, and some secret bonuses at the conference especially for members, too. Be ready to enter your AIGA membership number and current year expiration date on the order form to qualify. Learn more about membership options and join at http://www.aiga.org/join/, then return to this site and enter your AIGA member number and expiration date to qualify for Member registration. AIGA memberships are issued by the national AIGA organization, are portable to any chapter across the US, and can be billed quarterly. Want someone to walk you through it? Contact us locally at [email protected]. Other Discount Opportunities • Affiliate discounts offered to members of our sister professional organizations (AAF PHX, AZIMA, AMA, and PRSA). • Nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) designation may also choose the Affiliate discount level (have your organization's EIN ready to enter on the order form) • Students and teachers receive up to half off, and waived transaction fees; choose Student/Faculty option. • Group Rebates: Five or more qualified attendees from the same organization; check the "We're a Group" box on the order form at the end of your transaction, and subsequently receive a rebate of 10% back on your on Advance (July 20-Sept 18) or 15% Full price (September 19-October 23) order, refunded back to your original method of payment. Does not apply to already discounted Early Bird, Student/Faculty, One-Day, or other special offers. • One-Day Options: Can't make it both days of the conference? One-day and individual workshop registration may be available in September after the Early Bird and other promotion windows end. • Support PHXDW with a sponsorship that includes conference passes (see section below) Become a Sponsor A conference of this caliber at such reasonable prices simply would not be possible without the generous monetary and in-kind contributions of our sponsors — dedicated companies and individuals who want to demonstrate their commitment to Arizona's design community by standing behind Phoenix Design Week. Packages that include benefits such as sponsor passes, promotions, and exhibition spaces are available starting at the $250 tier. If you or your company would be interested in having your name, products, or services highlighted to the Phoenix Design Week audience, please email [email protected] for more information. Thank you! Sponsor A Student Donation Enable a deserving student to attend PHXDW 2026 so they can experience what it means to participate in their greater design community. Add-on student sponsorships are only $150 and cover the attendance cost for students currently enrolled at a college or university in a design-related field. As a student sponsor, you can choose one (or more!) student(s) from those who apply for scholarship, or have AIGA AZ select a student for you. Your contact information will be shared with the student, or you may remain anonymous. Click RESERVE A SPOT then SCROLL DOWN to the ADD-ON section of the order form to choose this option.