Applications for 2020 Design Nation conference are now open! Design Nation is the only all-expenses-paid conference for nationwide undergraduate students seeking a career in design. It will take place from April 4th – 5th, 2020 in New York City. It is entirely run by Princeton University students under Business Today, a nonprofit that seeks to bridge the divide between business leaders and undergraduate students. Originally founded as a magazine by Steve Forbes in 1968, Business Today has become one of the most widely distributed undergraduate publications in North America.
At Design Nation, we invite professional speakers to talk about the versatility of a career in design, how design is applied differently across industries, and what it looks like to be a design leader facing the business and social challenges of our world. Design Nation also includes intimate executive seminars with a student to exec ratio of 10:1, as well as workshops on design thinking. Past and current speakers come from a variety of industries, including tech, fashion, and marketing:
- Hiroki Asai (Design Lead, formerly working with Steve Jobs at Apple)
- Sandra Campos (CEO of Diane Von Furstenberg)
- Annie Rosen (Art Director of VICE Media)
- Rob Schwarz (CEO of TBWA)
- Abbott Miller (Partner at Pentagram)
- Daniel Burka (Design Partner at Google Ventures)
- Dan Sormaz (VP of Design at Spotify)
- And many more!
All undergraduate students in the US and Canada are eligible to apply. Please note that we’re not just looking for designers; entrepreneurs, artists, writers, and makers are all welcome—anyone with a love for design wishing to learn more. All applications are considered on a need-blind basis, and all costs are covered for accepted attendees.
Our application closes on February 29th. We review applications on a rolling basis, so we recommend that students apply as early as possible.
