About
DesignBayArea is a platform dedicated to promoting design, the arts and culture, experimenting between creative industries. We amplify the voices of the California design community and create opportunities for brands, businesses and individuals by fostering the local and international community.

DesignBayArea was founded in 2021 by Alana Washington, Clement Mok and Dawn Zidonis in memory of August de los Reyes who believed in community and inclusivity. DesignBayArea produces events throughout the year, offers resources and opportunities for the local and international design community and produces San Francisco Design Week, an annual design festival that spans the Bay Area.

Our visual identity was designed by Mucho. Channeling the optimism, warmth and openness of the Bay Area with the flat, vertical side representing the Pacific and each ray pointing to the 9 unique counties which make up the Bay Area. The brand was developed around the concept of ‘West Coast Energy’ the new symbol is reminiscent of a spark, or sun, shining back from the Coast. The symbol also creates a large letter ‘D’ for Design. The color palette represents the ‘Golden Hour’ — a unique light that hits the Bay Area and California at the end of each day as the sun sets in the West, featuring ‘International Orange’ — the color of the Golden Gate Bridge. The typography is also unique to the region, designed by Lucas Sharp of Sharp Type based in the Bay Area.

Thank you to our partners at Retronyms Labs for the development of the website. Retronyms excels at using design, engineering, and strategy to bring integrated-technology experiences to life.

To Christopher Simmons and the Board of Directors of the San Francisco Chapter of AIGA SF for planting the seeds and starting San Francisco Design Week in 2006. In 2021 Design Bay Area acquired the brand and has been producing the event ever since.

To our Co-Founder August de los Reyes, thank you for your dedication in building this project with us from the ground up. Even though you left us to soon, your legacy lives on through the Bay Area design community and San Francisco Design Week. San Francisco Design Week is funded by a gracious financial gift from the Estate of August de los Reyes.

Our Goals
Unity in Variety

The Bay Area is home to several design organizations. DesignBayArea role as a leading organization in the region to align the various design groups by leveraging common goals through shared activities and programming while not seeking to replace distinct interests.

Civic Involvement

With the societal impact of design endeavors taking center stage, an emphasis on ethics and civic responsibility becomes paramount in design for the 21st century. Such involvement includes working with our municipal government to secure a design voice in the public discourse with the end-goal of improving the experience of our city be it through active participation in existing efforts to create a design led region.

Sustainability

With the climate crisis upon us, the Bay Area design community is a leader in sustainable methods and products. DesignBayArea keeps sustainability front and center throughout all our actions and productions.

Go International

The Bay Area finds itself at the crossroads of many economic, social, and cultural intersections as well as being an international travel hub bridging North America with the Pacific. Design Bay Area furthers its role in the global design community by leveraging these uncommon qualities that few cities enjoy through a number of efforts: from potential partnerships with our sister cities around the world and international events produced by Design Bay Area attracting design enthusiasts from all over.

Leadership

Alana Washington
Board Chair, Co-Founder
Biography

Clement Mok
Treasurer/Secretary, Co-Founder
Biography

Dawn Zidonis
CEO, Co-Founder
Biography

Design Ambassadors

Our Design Ambassadors are selected as leaders to represent our communities diverse set of disciplines and also distinct regions to represent the nine counties of the SF Bay Area. They act as ambassadors, advisors and represenatives for the Design Bay Area organization.