◆ NYCxDESIGN 2026 · NYC AI Week · Official Program
Future of
NYC Design
Design ◆ AI ◆ Culture
12 — 8 PM
Brooklyn
One Day. Every Frequency.
Design ◆ AI ◆ Culture
12 — 8 PM
Brooklyn
One Day. Every Frequency.
Design ◆ AI ◆ Culture
12 — 8 PM
Brooklyn
One Day. Every Frequency.
Block 01 ◆ Morning
Art, Identity and
the Machine
How artists and designers use technology expressively without losing the human at the center.
12:00 — 1:30 PM
12:00
Arrival
Registration + Social Design Activations
Board game–inspired social activations turn networking into genuine play. Vibes audio-reactive installation active. No awkward small talk.
12:30
◆ Welcome + Keynote — 30 min
Empowering the Next Generation of Creative Heroes
The Rise of Creative Intelligence in the Age of AI — Just as the dawn of the internet birthed the interaction and UX/UI designers, the era of AI is forging a new kind of visionary. Join C.J. Yeh and Christie Shin as they discuss how creatives can move past the fear of automation to embrace Creative Intelligence: the ultimate superpower for the modern design hero.
In this keynote, they will provide a comprehensive overview of the current AI landscape and its rapid adaptation across the industry. Moving beyond theory, they will share practical workflows for integrating AI into the design process, showcased through real-world AI-assisted design examples. Finally, they will present case studies from FIT's AI-Assisted Design program and courses, demonstrating how the next generation of "Creative Heroes" is already redefining the boundaries of the discipline.
Opened by Yiting Liu — Founder, Vibescape & Event Producer, 241 Members
Christie Shin — Professor, FIT · Design Director, Cynda Media Lab
C.J. Yeh — Creative Director, Author & Educator, Cynda Media Lab
1:15
Break ◆ Sponsor Showcase
Block 02 ◆ Midday
AI as Creative
Infrastructure
Practitioner-level honesty: what these tools actually do well, where they fall short, and what real creative workflows look like.
2:00 — 5:00 PM
2:00
◆ Panel — 45 minAI Focus
The Future of Design Careers in NYC
Industry leaders on the skills, tools, and communities shaping the next chapter of NYC design — with a sharp focus on how AI is redefining every role from junior to principal.
Siddiq Nasar — Creative Director, IBM · Leading design & motion for IBM's AI code assistant · 25+ years across creative direction, motion, 2D/3D, environmental design, branding & film
Lucas Rizzotto — Storyteller & Technologist · Award-Winning Inventor & Viral Artist
Shandy Tsai — Design Lead, Duolingo · Founder, Asian Creative Foundation
Moderated by Yiting Liu
2:45
Transition ◆ 15 min · Hackathon Teams Settle In
3:00
◆ Hackathon Begins — runs through 6:00 PM · Free & open
Design × Dev Hackathon
Teams form up at tables at the back of the room and start building. 3-hour continuous sprint — designers and developers team up to build AI-powered creative tools, prototypes, or experiences. Quiet collaborative work while stage programming runs simultaneously. Teams pitch at the Design Awards immediately after.
Somya — AI & Hackathon Lead
May Zhou — Friends of Figma
Mentors: Hedy Deng · David Mendez
3:00
◆ On Stage — 60 min · Free & open to all
Live Portfolio Review
Two focused segments — Brand/Visual Design and Product/UI/UX — covering portfolio presentation and interview readiness, followed by open Q&A. Happens on stage while hackathon teams work at tables in the back.
Christie Shin — Professor, FIT · Design Director, Cynda Media Lab
C.J. Yeh — Creative Director, Author & Educator, Cynda Media Lab
4:00
Break ◆ Vibes Installation Activation · Hackathon teams keep building
4:15
◆ Lightning Talks — 40 min
Lightning Talks: Four Perspectives, Ten Minutes Each
Focused 10-minute deep-dives from designers across different disciplines. Client work, creative process, scope changes, career-defining moments — each speaker shares one real story from their practice. No theory, just the real work.
Soo Yun Kim — Principal Designer, Cisco
Lee-Sean Huang — Director of Operations, AIGA
Mustafa Bağdatlı — Google
Michelle Chiu — PayPal
Block 03 ◆ Afternoon
Who Gets
to Build?
Community organizations, emerging voices, and next-gen designers examine whose perspectives are shaping the tools that will define design for the next decade.
5:00 — 7:15 PM
4:55
Reset ◆ 15 min · Stage resets · Hackathon keeps building
5:10
◆ On Stage — 50 min · Free & open to all
Community Roundtable: Organizations Shaping NYC Design
A candid roundtable on who is shaping the future of design — access, mentorship, representation, and what these organizations are doing to change the landscape. Hackathon teams finalize their builds in the back of the room.
Chelsea Acheampong — COO, Her Rising (Moderator)
Cherie Animashaun — Founder, Her Rising Initiative
AIGA NY · Asian Creative Foundation
6:00
Hackathon Ends ◆ Teams Prepare Pitches · Room Resets for Awards
6:15
★ Future of NYC Design Awards
Design Awards Ceremony
Companies, studios, emerging designers, and hackathon teams pitch their work live on stage to a panel of industry judges. All submissions are evaluated on four criteria: innovation, craft, impact, and relevance to NYC's design ecosystem. Seven award categories span product design, AI integration, branding, interactive experiences, emerging studios, social impact, and the hackathon. Select awards will be announced live during the ceremony — stay tuned to find out which ones drop on stage.
◆ Judging Panel
Andrew Rutledge — View Source
Craig Spaeth — Artsy / Puzzmo
Jessica Moon — AIGA / FIT
Christine Keeley — Marketing & Branding Executive
Christie Shin — FIT / Cynda Media Lab
C.J. Yeh — Cynda Media Lab
Soo Yun Kim — Cisco
Audience live voting · Open to all attendees and hackathon teams to pitch
◆ Companies & Studios — Enter the Awards
Want to pitch your brand, product, or AI-powered project on stage? Companies, studios, and teams can submit to any category. Slots are limited — submit early.
Apply to Pitch →
6:50
◆ Closing Keynote — 15 min
Closing Remarks: The Future Is Being Designed Now
A closing address from a leader at the intersection of AI and creative industries — on where design goes from here and why NYC is the city building it.
Speaker to be announced
Introduced by Yiting Liu
7:05
Ceremony
Award Ceremony + Final Send-Off
Competition and hackathon winners announced. Thank yous to speakers, sponsors, and community. MC leads the transition into the evening reception and introduces the night's performing artists and DJs.
MC: Chelsea Acheampong — COO, Her Rising
We're partnering with NYC nonprofit organizations and design education programs to ensure students and emerging creatives who would benefit most from this conference can attend — regardless of financial barriers. Each partner organization receives a dedicated student ticket allocation and community discount code.
Community Org
Asian Creative Foundation
Co-promoting event · Hosting community workshops · Providing ACF member discount code
Lead: Shandy Tsai
Community Org
Her Rising
Community roundtable · Co-hosting afternoon programming
Leads: Cherie Animashaun (Founder) · Chelsea Acheampong (COO)
Pending
AIGA NY
Community partner (pending confirmation)
Community Org
Friends of Figma NYC
Hackathon co-organizer · Community outreach · Design tool mentorship
Lead: May Zhou
Design Education
FIT / Parsons / SVA + NYC Design Schools
Student volunteer pipeline · Portfolio review participants · Up to 10–15 complimentary student tickets per partner
Lead: Christie Shin + C.J. Yeh
◆ Evening Closing Reception — 7:15 to 8:00 PM
One Day.
Every Frequency.
Live DJ sets, performing artists, and Vibes audio-reactive visuals take over the venue. An open reception co-hosted by 241 Members. Competition winners celebrated. The night is part of the day.
◆ DJ Set — TBD
◆ Live Artist — TBD
◆ Vibes Audio-Reactive Visuals
Produced by 241 Members · Visuals by Vibescape
Artists & DJs introduced by Yiting Liu (open to guest MCs)
Presented & Community Partners ◆
241 MembersProduced by
VibescapeVisual & audio-reactive experience partner
Sanders StudiosVenue
Asian Creative FoundationCommunity partner · ACF discount code
Friends of Figma NYCHackathon co-organizer
NYCxDESIGNOfficial event
NYC AI WeekOfficial event