Charlottesville

Charlottesville is many things to many people: Jefferson-town, home of the Hoos, the nation's fastest-growing tech hub, and now? Virginia's design destination.

For three years, hundreds of the commonwealth's designers have convened in Cville for a week of connecting, learning, and sharing. The Charlottesville Design Week is completely volunteer-led and has two simple goals:

  1. Develop a strong design community in central Virginia
  2. Convince the general public that good design is worth a damn

Whether you push pixels, press ink, set type, build environments, or do anything else design-related, you will feel right at home during our growing festival.

Design

Topics and disciplines covered in the festival's events. A little bit of something for everyone!

Branding

From small culture magazines to big tech companies, everything with an audience needs a brand. The art and science of creating these brands is as complicated as anything else. During the festival, you’ll have the opportunity to meet and learn from people who have worked on such brands as Nike, New York Times, Visa, and more.

Typography and Type Design

Words mean letters, and letters mean typography. Crafting the look and layout of those funny little shapes on the page combines research, a keen eye, and lots of trial-and-error. Upgrade your design skills by learning the nuances of effective type selection and typography.

Architecture

The art and science of designing structures is among the most important and influential design fields. Against Charlottesville’s Jeffersonian backdrop, you’ll have the opportunity to consider new perspectives from local designers and firms.

Motion Graphics

Somewhere between graphic design and animation lies the alchemy of motion graphics. From loading screens to logo effects, motion graphics have grown in complexity and popularity. Pick up tips about designing across time from speakers in the industry.

Media

Storytelling takes many forms. From magazines to newspapers, from podcasts to books, everything you design carries a message, and—as they say—the medium is the message. Gain the tools to your craft during the festival.

Design Business

Design wouldn’t be nearly so enjoyable if you couldn’t make a living doing it. It’s important to learn some aspects of marketing, networking, branding, client relations, and even—gasp!—accounting. Come learn how to make design work for you.

Week

Event schedule for the fourth Charlottesville Design Week happening in April 2023.

    Tuesday the 4th

  • Opening Meetup

    Kick off the festivities with Tuesday Design Society's weekly meetup. Introduce yourself, bring a design to show off, and get to know other local designers and creatives.

    Wednesday the 5th

  • Firm Crawl

    Take a guided tour through Charlottesville's downtown design and architecture firms. Visit the agencies’ offices, hear about their work, and see the available creative opportunities.

  • Portfolio Review

    Present your portfolio to a panel of expert judges... in front of a crowd of peers. Don't worry, though, it's more Great British Baking Show than American Idol.

    Thursday the 6th

  • Design Marathon

    Donate a day of your creative juices to a deserving local non-profit. Participants form several “agencies-for-a-day,” working with a variety of designers, copywriters, and developers to satisfy the beneficiary's brief.

  • Marathon Showcase

    See the Design Marathon agencies present their work to the non-profit. It's like the best scenes from Mad Men, but live and in person. Not to mention, the selected design will be put to use by the non-profit for years to come.

  • Film Screening

    Help yourself to some popcorn—we’re projecting a documentary on a design-related topic onto a large screen in front of some really comfy chairs.

    Friday the 7th

  • The Forum

    A day-long conference featuring local and national design leaders, examining a cross section of design practices.

  • Reception

    Mix and mingle with speakers from the Forum and fellow attendees.

    Saturday the 8th

  • Closing Party

    Say goodbye to the fourth Charlottesville Design Week by spending an evening with all the new friends you made at it!

    All Week

  • Workshop Series

    Learn a thing or two! We have workshops covering light photography, design thinking practices, letterpress printing, and more!

Charlottesville Design Week

April 4th—8th, 2023

Join us for a wonderful week of design this spring! Most events are free, and the ones that cost money are well worth it. Sign up for our mailing list below to learn more details in the coming weeks, and get your event tickets at this link:

Get tickets for CDW 2023

Our last festival in 2019 was a huge success, with over 1,000 attendees, 11 events, more than a dozen design speakers and workshop leaders, and a whole week of fun. Learn more about the 2019 lineup and past events at this link:

Visit the CDW 2019 Site
Jeremy speaks into a microphone presenting in front of a slide that reads 'Speak Human'.
Jeremy Cherry talks about rethinking engagement.
A crowd sitting in a theatre listens closely to what they're watching.
The Forum audience listens raptly.
Viewed from the audience, George talks into a microphone and points upward while presenting.
George Efstathiou speaks on building the Burj Khalifa.
Three people engaged in discussion sit in front of an audience and a screen reading 'The Forum Panel: Print is Dead! Long Live Print!'.
The Forum panel discussion about print media.
Two team members show website mockups presented on a TV to a small audience.
A Marathon team presents concepts for feedback.
A woman gestures with a pen while speaking.
Constructive edits given from the non-profit team.
A girl holds a laptop and speaks in front of a small audience.
Sharing ideas during the Design Marathon.
A group of 15 people pose together with smiles and their hands in the air.
The winning Marathon team with the non-profit panel.