Milan Design Week 2026: Design, Innovation and Global Creativity
Every year Milan becomes the most important city for the global design community. There is always so much to see during these vibrant days. Discover how Domus Academy takes part in the world-class design event.
From 20 to 26 April 2026, Milan Design Week will once again transform Milan into the global capital of design, creativity and innovation.
Every year the event attracts design professionals, companies, students and media from all over the world, turning the city into a vibrant platform for exhibitions, product launches, installations and conferences.
During the week, Domus Academy contributes to the international conversation with exhibitions, talks, workshops and collaborations involving its students, faculty, alumni and industry partners.
Milan Design Week is the largest design event in the world and one of the most influential moments for the global design industry.
The week combines two major components:
- Salone del Mobile.Milano, the international furniture and design fair
- Fuorisalone, a network of exhibitions, installations and events hosted across the city
The Salone del Mobile takes place at Fiera Milano Rho, where global brands present new collections, technologies and design concepts.
At the same time, hundreds of Fuorisalone events animate Milan’s neighbourhoods, including Tortona, Brera, Isola and Porta Venezia. Showrooms, galleries, universities and cultural institutions open their doors to host installations, talks and experimental design projects.
UNFOLD is an international design exhibition curated by Domus Academy, now in its third edition, bringing together design universities from around the world during Milan Design Week at BASE Milano (20–26 April 2026).
- The process: Domus Academy launches an international call based on a shared theme. Universities worldwide submit project proposals, and Domus Academy selects the projects that will be developed and exhibited during Milan Design Week.
- The theme: The 2026 edition explores ENGAGE FRICTION://designing through conflict, inviting students to investigate how tension, disagreement and conflict can generate new design ideas and perspectives.
- The Symposium (22 April 2026): six professors from participating universities present research exploring the role of friction and conflict in design and creative practice.
- The Conference (23 April 2026): students and designers featured in the exhibition present their projects, sharing methodologies, research and emerging design perspectives.
Milan Design Week is also an important moment to showcase collaborations between design schools and companies.
For the 2026 edition, the Italian furniture brand Desiree presents the results of a workshop developed with Domus Academy students.
The project involved 30 students from different Master’s programmes, including:
Students were invited to develop innovative furniture concepts and storytelling strategies inspired by Desiree’s philosophy “Home Soft Home”, reflecting on gestures, rituals and everyday living.
The project Komorebi, designed by Taylor Kulczycki, Melisa Ozkok, Berra Bayraktar and Yu Chiao Wang, was selected by the brand to be prototyped and exhibited at the Euromobil flagship store in Corso Monforte during Milan Design Week.
The collaboration will also be presented at the Desiree stand at Salone del Mobile.Milano, where a visual storytelling installation will showcase the design process behind the project.
Alongside exhibitions and collaborations, Domus Academy will host several activities during Milan Design Week, including:
- Open Week: campus tours and creative workshops for prospective students
- The annual Alumni Reunion, connecting graduates from the global Domus Academy community
- Alumni exhibitions across Milan, including designer Ruya Akyol at SaloneSatellite during Salone del Mobile.Milano at Fiera Milano Rho
FAQ – Frequent questions
1. How is Domus Academy participating in Milan Design Week 2026?
Domus Academy participates in Milan Design Week 2026 (20–26 April) through exhibitions, talks, workshops and industry collaborations involving students, faculty, alumni and global design partners. During Milan Design Week, Domus Academy will also open its doors to prospective students for dedicated campus tours and creative workshops.
2. What is the UNFOLD exhibition organised by Domus Academy during Milan Design Week?
UNFOLD is an international exhibition curated by Domus Academy at BASE Milano that brings together design universities worldwide to present projects exploring the 2026 theme “ENGAGE FRICTION://designing through conflict.”
3. What collaborations will Domus Academy present during Milan Design Week 2026?
During Milan Design Week 2026, Domus Academy will present projects developed with industry partners such as Desiree, including the student-designed furniture concept Komorebi exhibited in Milan.