Press Kit — Future of NYC Design 2026, Design × AI × Culture Conference, May 16, Brooklyn NY

Future of NYC Design is a one-day conference on Design × AI × Culture, May 16, 2026 in Brooklyn. Part of NYCxDESIGN 2026 and NYC AI Week. Three programming blocks, a hackathon, workshops, portfolio reviews, and an evening reception. Presented by 241 Members.

Future of NYC Design 2026 is a full-day conference and evening activation in Brooklyn on Saturday, May 16, taking place during NYCxDESIGN 2026 and NYC AI Week — two of New York's most significant creative and technology festivals, running simultaneously. Three programming blocks — Art, Identity and the Machine; AI as Creative Infrastructure; Who Gets to Build? — anchor a day of panels, workshops, a design × dev hackathon, portfolio reviews, and an evening reception with DJ set and Vibescape's audio-reactive visual installation. Presented by 241 Members.

Future of NYC Design 2026 is a one-day conference and evening activation in Brooklyn on Saturday, May 16, convening designers, artists, technologists, founders, and students around the intersection of design practice, artificial intelligence, and culture. The event takes place during NYCxDESIGN 2026 and NYC AI Week — two of New York's most significant creative and technology festivals, running simultaneously for the first time in 2026. The founding thesis is pointed: the future of design isn't human vs machine. It's human without machine literacy getting left behind. Three programming blocks structure the day. Art, Identity and the Machine (morning) explores how AI is reshaping visual identity, authorship, and cultural production. AI as Creative Infrastructure (midday) focuses on the practical — tools, workflows, and a live design sprint. Who Gets to Build? (afternoon) examines access, equity, and the political economy of creative AI. Beyond the main stage: a design × dev hackathon, portfolio reviews with senior designers from IBM, Duolingo, Cisco, PayPal, and Google, hands-on workshops, and an evening reception featuring a DJ set and Vibescape's audio-reactive visual installation. The program is community-curated — submissions opened publicly, and sessions were selected from them rather than paid-in. Tickets are tiered (Student / General / Supporter) to keep the room accessible to emerging practitioners. Presented by 241 Members, a cultural membership club at the intersection of hospitality, lifestyle, and creative community, in collaboration with Vibescape, Visionbrew Interactive, and Sanders Studios.