Events: Arizona - Phoenix - Scottsdale

Join us in October for the two-day PHXDW Conference presented by AIGA Arizona at Phoenix Design Week 2026!

Phoenix Design Week is a week-long 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.

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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. We're still developing the actual lineup for each day, but we can tell you who we've got signed on already for the main stage:

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

Julian Curi - filmaker, writer, director at Righteous Robot will join us for a virtual session from Los Angeles

Stay tuned for more to come! Updates will be coming at you on social media (follow #phxdw), and directly in 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.

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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
• One-day and individual workshops will be available in September after the Early Bird and Advance promotion windows end.

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EARLY BIRDS SAVE THE MOST AND GET A FREE CONFERENCE T-SHIRT

It helps us plan for more cool stuff when we know sooner how many people to expect — and in exchange, we're pleased to offer all you smart Early Birds a BIG discount when you register now. There are only 100 Early Bird slots available from now until July 19, whichever comes first.

• AIGA Members: $199 (will be $349)
• Affiliate Members/Nonprofits: $249 (will be $399)
• Non-Members: $299 (will be $449)
• Student/Faculty AIGA Members: $99 (will be $179)
• Student/Faculty Non-Members: $149 (will be $249)
• Groups of 5 or more from the same organization, check the box on the order form and receive a 5% rebate after the transaction during the Early Bird window.

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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 and join impromptu roundtables. After you choose your registration (member, non-member, student, etc.) SCROLL DOWN to the ADD-ONs section of 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.

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Please note that all other standalone Phoenix Design Week offsite events from October 23-30, 2026 are NOT included in the conference registration.