National Design Week at the Smithsonian

Launched in 2006, the Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt Museum's National Design Week is an exciting educational initiative during which the museum stages a series of public programmes and workshops centered around design (and entry is free for all visitors).

Key events for this year include a Teen Design Fair (12 October) which brings leading designers together for one-on-one meetings with students from New York's high schools, and Design Film Series (13 October) including screenings of Gary Hustwit's Helvetica (a feature-length film about typography and graphic design) and Objectified (which focuses on industrial and product design).

The event was conceived to work in conjunction with the Museum's National Design Awards, with the aim of honouring the best in contemporary American design. First launched at the White House in 2000 as an official project of the White House Millennium Council, the annual Awards celebrate design in various disciplines as a vital tool in shaping the world, and seeks to increase national awareness of design by educating the public and promoting excellence, innovation and lasting achievement.

The National Design Awards will be presented at a special gala on 14 October. You can still nominate your choice for the winner of the People's Design Award (until 12 October).