World Design Capital Frankfurt RheinMain 2026
We are a founding member of the World Design Organization (WDO). Every two years, the WDO awards the title of World Design Capital (WDC). With “World Design Capital Frankfurt RheinMain 2026”, this international designation will be hosted in Germany for the first time.
The German Design Council and the German Design Museum Foundation support WDC 2026 through a broad range of engagements and accompany it with various initiatives. These may include projects developed in cooperation with WDC 2026 as well as independent programmes. We are delighted that WDC 2026 is taking place in Germany and, where content aligns with our remit, we communicate programme hightlights through our channels.
Our projects to date – more to follow:
- 6 June 2026: Film premiere “What Are People For” – more about
- 8 June 2026: “Service over bureaucracy – How design creates better systems for business and government”, “Moving Business by Design” talk series in partnership with IHK Frankfurt
- 13–28 June 2026: Hosting of the German Design Graduates project “Form Follows Friendship 2026 – Co-design as a Democratic Practice” (exhibition at the MAK, in cooperation with WDC 2026)
- 1 October 2026: Participation of Helge Aszmoneit in the Library Talks at the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, Frankfurt (working title: “Reading Design. The Library of the German Design Council”)
- 28 October 2026: “Design x Business: Ideas that make a difference” Strategies, best practices and insights: Design at the heart of corporate DNA, brand building and innovation, “Moving Business by Design” talk series in partnership with IHK Frankfurt
- 28–30 October 2026: Premium partnership of the German Design Council at the Service Design Global Conference, Wiesbaden
- 16–17 October 2026: Cooperation partner of the academic conference “Which World Did We / Do We Want? On the Value of Preserving Design Knowledge” organised by the German Design History Society (Gesellschaft für Designgeschichte e. V.), in cooperation with the Dieter and Ingeborg Rams Foundation, the German Design Council / German Design Museum Foundation and VDID
- 27 November 2026: Twin Transformation: Integrating AI and sustainability into the design process, A panel discussion on AI, sustainability and the future of responsible design, “Moving Business by Design” talk series in partnership with IHK Frankfurt
Throughout the year: Organisation of over 60 workshops by the German Design Museum Foundation under the motto “Design Makes School”