Dutch Design
Week 2022;
Vij5 tips to
prepare

Dutch Design is the order of the day in Eindhoven from Saturday, Oct. 22 to Sunday, Oct. 30, 2022, when the city will once again be the scene of Dutch Design Week. Spread across no less than eight areas and dozens of locations, you can immerse yourself in the work of Dutch designers. Taking in everything and being present everywhere is impossible, but with good preparation you can make the most of your visit. Have you already bought tickets for DDW or are you planning to? Then read our blog, because it is full of useful tips and facts.

Text: Daniëlle van de Haterd(Staaldraad Tekstschrijver)
Photography: Vij5, Max Kneefel, Jella Lena van Eck, Britt Roelse, Nick Bookelaar, Tommy Köhlbrugge and Blickfänger.

If you really want to get the most out of your visit, head out with our Vij5 favourites DDW booklet! In it, we give you insider tips and help you find your way to our favorite designers, exhibitions, and (food) spots.

Interested? You can get it for free in three ways:

By picking it up in our showroom during DDW.

By ordering something from our webshop.

By leaving your details with us via this link which will allow us to send it to you in digital version.

>>> Please note: the booklet is in Dutch, but we are working on an English version as PDF that will be available soon. So either practice your Dutch or stay tuned :)

vij5 showroom ddw2019 4462

Get set for DDW

The theme for DDW 2022 is 'Get Set'. The world must get ready for what is to come; for the future, in other words. This includes themes such as the climate crisis, the war in Ukraine and the housing shortage. Reasons for change, designers are at the cradle of it. During the 9-day festival in Eindhoven, people are brought together so that the personal input of designers can grow into an answer to social needs.

Get set for Dutch Design Week 2022 and take advantage of these Vij5 tips.
Arjan & Anieke, founders of Vij5

#1: Make a plan

#2: DDW is big, arrange transportation

#3: Reserve at least two days

#4: Make a reservation at a restaurant

#5: Do NOT start in a large location

#1 Check the DDW program and make a plan

When you visit Dutch Design Week, of course you want to get as much out of your day as possible. Find out in advance what there is to see and experience, make a plan. You can find the entire program at DDW's website . You can search for example by location or discipline. If you create an account and give your favorites a heart, they will appear in a handy list in your 'My DDW account'.

#2 DDW is big; arrange transportation

DDW has grown into a large event and takes place throughout Eindhoven, the venues are not all within walking distance of each other. If you want to visit exhibitions in more than one place, make sure you think about how to get from A to B in advance.

If the weather cooperates a bit, a bicycle is a fine option. If you can't bring your own, rent one. In that case, be sure to arrive early because there is often no availability later in the day.

During DDW, MINI Design Rides will drive through the city. These are cabs that take you to various DDW locations in style. To use them, you must have a DDW ticket. You can then ride for free upon showing your wristband. There are fixed stands at Ketelhuisplein, Piet Hein Eek, Stadhuisplein, Fuutlaan and Sectie-C. But you can also order a MINI Design Ride from smaller locations such as Hallenweg by calling 040 281 00 00.

Finally, of course, you can also opt for the city bus. This year there is no DDW hop on - hop off bus available, so please check the Hermes site or 9292 to see how to arrange your transportation by bus.

DDW bikes can be rented at Ketelhuisplein or at Design Perron on Fuutlaan.

If you have an OV chip card, you can also rent a bike from the NS. Visit the NS' website for more information on renting an OV bike.

Preferably reserve at least one extra day in your calendar!

#3 Reserve at least two days for your visit to DDW 2022

The previous two points have already made it clear; the program of Dutch Design Week is so extensive and diverse that you can't really contain it all in one day. So reserve at least one extra day in your calendar. This way you can make sure you can take your time for the exhibitions and activities of your choice. It is of course not the intention that you become overstimulated by DDW, but rather enriched and inspired. Create peace to stand still and feel the underlying thought.

DDW is visited by people from all over the Netherlands and beyond. If you don't live nearby, stay a night! In Eindhoven you can find several nice hotels and other accommodation options. Book in time, because before you know it everything is fully booked.

If you like to stay in design spheres, check availability at:

#4 Reserve a restaurant

The fact is that you are going to fill the whole day during DDW 2022. You have made a wonderful schedule that takes you past all the exhibitions of your preference and at the end of the ride you are tired, fulfilled and... hungry. So many impressions, so much food for thought. Ideally, you want to sit down somewhere and have a bite to eat. You're not alone in that because Dutch Design Week attracts an estimated 350,000 visitors. So reserving a spot at a restaurant in Eindhoven is no superfluous luxury.

All the fun of course is to hold on to the DDW atmosphere for a while while you grab a fork. At restaurant/bar 'De Kazerne', you can be assured of that!

Reserving a spot at a restaurant is no superfluous luxury.

vij5 alf door gustav rosen 2020 image by vij5 p1010143

#5 Do NOT start DDW 2022 at a large venue

Your tickets for Dutch Design Week are in the pocket and you have placed hearts at the exhibits you want to visit, arranged transportation, booked a restaurant and possibly an overnight stay. In any case, you want to see and experience as much as possible, so it's obvious to start at a big location.

And exactly for this... we want to warn you. Don't do it!

Before you know it, a large part of the day is over and you actually have only a very limited view of the DDW, while there is so much more to see... Rather start your day at an off-site location such as the Hallenweg, for example. Enjoy the tranquility, keep your ears and eyes open and that way you will automatically end up with the real gems.

TIP: In the Vij5 favourites booklet, locations that take a lot of time are marked so you can take them into account in your daily schedule. Sign up here to receive the booklet directly digitally as a pdf (in Dutch)!

Vij5 and Dutch Design Week 2022

Of course, we at Vij5 are also DDW participants. With our exhibition 'Small Living', we connect to 'Get Set', the general theme of Dutch Design Week.

In doing so, we give our answer to the global trend of living in a small space. In this context, during DDW we will exhibit two products that are new in the Vij5 collection, namely the Flip Desk by Charles O. Job and vertical Coatrack by the Meter by Maarten Baptist. In addition, other Design from our collection that are extremely suitable for living on few square meters will also be on display. We will show you that by choosing smart, compact solutions you can create a feeling of luxury and contemporary freedom even if you do not have much space available.

Would you like to be inspired for the design of small living spaces, such as (home) offices, tiny houses, vacation homes, attached homes or even cozy corners and empty spaces in a house of any size? Then visit us during DDW 2022! You will kill many birds with one stone because apart from the new Design you will also see in our expo the work of for example David Derksen, Floris Hovers,Gustav Rosèn and Lotte de Raadt.