Detroit, a metropolis of more than 6 million inhabitants, is considered a hub for industrial design and the beating heart of creative industries in the state of Michigan (United States of America). In the light of its industrial past, Detroit has built itself as a cradle of American modernist design and as a global center for prolific designers, including Eames, Knoll, Saarinen and Yamasaki. The industry of design has been a driver for the city’s urban regeneration and represents today a significant lever for employment and an economic engine by employing more than 45,000 people and generating $US 2.5 billion in wages.
In view of its rich legacy in the automotive industry, Detroit hosts the International Auto Show Industry Days, drawing 5,000 automotive and design stakeholders from no less than 60 countries. The Society of Automotive Engineers Conference is a similarly popular event which explores the connections between engineering and industrial design. Detroit is also home to the Detroit Design Festival, the largest festival of design dedicated to freelance professionals in North America, showcasing 70 workshops and exhibitions annually attended by 500 designers worldwide.
To further nurture the vibrant sector of industrial design, the Detroit Creative Corridor Center (DC3) was opened in 2010 by the municipality and rebranded 2018 to Design Core Detroit. It has served ever since as the city’s advocacy organization by providing leadership, resources, data and analytics necessary to sustain the economic output and social impact of the city’s global creative economy. The main objective of DC3 is to give international recognition to Detroit as a global center of design, innovation and creativity.