Made to be worn, loved, and lived in!
WDC – Merchandise
Our WDC collection is here – and it’s ready to wear! It brings the values of WDC 2026 to life in a playful, feel-good visual world. Timeless, comfortable, and unisex: high-quality screen prints on Stanley/Stella T-shirts and hoodies are complemented by an embroidered baseball cap.
T-Shirt WDC 2026 1. Edition – Weiß
30,00 € Enthält 19% MwSt.
T-Shirt WDC 2026 1. Edition – Schwarz
30,00 € Enthält 19% MwSt.WDC
2026
World Design Organization
Every two years, World Design Organization awards the title of World Design Capital to a city or region. In 2026, Frankfurt RheinMain will become an international stage for design. We want to work with the region on pioneering projects and numerous events to explore what design can achieve – for society, for how we live together and for democracy.
Throughout the year, our programme focuses on different themes. They address topics from everyday life, give the programme a lively structure, and bring different dimensions of design to life.
New Essential
With Esthetic
New Essential
With Esthetic
T-Shirt WDC 2026 1. Edition – Schwarz
30,00 € Enthält 19% MwSt.T-Shirt WDC 2026 1. Edition – Weiß
30,00 € Enthält 19% MwSt.
Kappe WDC 2026 1. Edition – Beige
25,00 € Enthält 19% MwSt.
Hoodie WDC 2026 1. Edition – Black
60,00 € Enthält 19% MwSt.
What is WDC 2026?
Every two years, World Design Organization awards the title of World Design Capital to a city or region. In 2026, Frankfurt RheinMain will become an international stage for design. We want to work with the region on pioneering projects and numerous events to explore what design can achieve – for society, for how we live together and for democracy.Throughout the year, our programme focuses on different themes. They address topics from everyday life, give the programme a lively structure, and bring different dimensions of design to life.
Every two years, the title of World Design Capital® (WDC) is an initiative of the World Design Organization (WDO)®.
WDO is an international non-governmental organization and the global voice for industrial design. The organization advocates for design for a better world by promoting and sharing knowledge about innovation driven by industrial design that improves economic, social, cultural and environmental quality of life through projects such as World Design Capital, World Design Congress and World Industrial Design Day, among others. Today, WDO counts over 215 member organizations representing thousands of industrial designers around the world.
Die World Design Organization (WDO)® ist eine internationale Nichtregierungsorganisation und das internationale Sprachrohr für Industriedesign. Die Organisation setzt sich für Design für eine bessere Welt ein, indem sie das Wissen über durch Industriedesign motivierte Innovationen fördert und weitergibt, die die wirtschaftliche, soziale, kulturelle und ökologische Lebensqualität verbessern. Heute zählt die WDO über 215 Mitgliedsorganisationen, die Tausende von Industriedesigner:innen in aller Welt vertreten.
With the theme Design for Democracy. Atmospheres for a better life, the Frankfurt RheinMain region successfully applied for the title of World Design Capital 2026. The application was based on an initiative by the Werkbundakademie Darmstadt, developed between 2014 and 2020. For the official application phase from 2021 to 2023, the non-profit organisation Design FRM gGmbH was founded – it now leads the realisation of the project.
The WDC programme is built on:
- submitted ideas from the Open Call,
- cooperations with a wide range of partners, and
- our own events and initiatives.
With our Open Call, we invited you to become part of WDC 2026. We’ve received over 1,200 ideas, proposals and offers from the region.
World Design Capital 2026 has already begun before 2026 – our common journey and processes have already started!
- The Open Call 2024 was a first invitation to participate in the WDC 2026 programme.
- In 2025, we’ll be using the year both to further develop and refine project ideas together and to present Frankfurt RheinMain as a creative region on the international stage. We’ll be taking part in leading design festivals, trade fairs and events across Europe.
- 2026 will be the highlight year of World Design Capital 2026, in which all projects will take place and be made accessible to the general public.
World Design Capital 2026 has already begun before 2026 – our common journey and processes have already started!
- The Open Call 2024 was a first invitation to participate in the WDC 2026 programme.
- In 2025, we’ll be using the year both to further develop and refine project ideas together and to present Frankfurt RheinMain as a creative region on the international stage. We’ll be taking part in leading design festivals, trade fairs and events across Europe.
- 2026 will be the highlight year of World Design Capital 2026, in which all projects will take place and be made accessible to the general public.
World Design Capital 2026 is not just a one-year event for Frankfurt RheinMain – it marks the beginning of a long-term transformation. Our goal is to build on the structures, networks and momentum created during WDC 2026, ensuring they are sustainably anchored and further developed.
To this end, we are developing various scenarios for the time beyond 2026. At the heart of these efforts is the question: how can the region harness the energy and dynamic potential of WDC 2026 to firmly establish design as a strategic driver for innovation, business and social development?
Together with our partners, we are discussing and continuously refining a range of options, including:
- Integrating design as a cross-cutting theme into regional development processes and decision-making pathways
- Establishing lasting structures to embed design perspectives strategically across all areas of society
- Continuing and expanding successful formats for exchange, innovation, and international visibility
- Strengthening global networks to enable ongoing knowledge transfer and position the region in an international context
WDC 2026 is intended as a catalyst for long-term development that extends well beyond the programme year. The guiding theme from our application phase – Design for Democracy. Atmospheres for a better life – remains relevant beyond 2026 and will continue to shape our vision for a livable future.
Our team is currently working on our Code of Conduct – a collection of values and rules that are important to us. These principles are based on our democratic constitution and shape our work both internally and externally. They are designed to ensure that everyone feels comfortable and respected. To achieve this, we define goals that guide our daily actions while also setting clear boundaries that we do not tolerate being crossed.
WDC 2026 is collaborating with Acker Impact and Leonardo Impact on an Impact Study:
An impact study aims to capture the medium- and long-term changes that have occurred within the target audience of a project and, beyond that, in society. For the WDC 2026 impact study, we are drawing on preliminary work conducted during WDC 2022 in Valencia. We are assessing changes in the areas of Economic Impact, Environmental Impact, Cognitive Impact (attitudes), and Social Impact (realities of life). In these areas, we want to understand the extent to which attitudes & beliefs, knowledge & skills, and behaviours related to design & democracy have changed. In addition, we are closely tracking a number of selected flagship projects as case studies, diving deeper into the intended and achieved impacts.
At WDC Campus young talents from design, science and arts come together to show what our future could look like. Students, lecturers and graduates from various disciplines are invited to present their projects, concepts and visions.
WDC Campus highlights the creative potential of universities and invites dialogue with an international audience.