Dutch Design Week 2024; Vij5 tips to prepare

Dutch Design Week (DDW) is the annual event where innovation and creativity come together. During this week you can fully immerse yourself in the world of Dutch Design, with the work of promising and established designers. From October 19 to 27, 2024, Eindhoven transforms into a city full of inspiring exhibitions, lectures and events. Seeing everything is actually impossible, but with good preparation you can get the most out of your visit. Have you already bought tickets for DDW or are you planning to? Then read this blog, because it is full of useful tips and facts.

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

Dutch Design Week 2024 theme: Real Unreal

The 2024 theme, "Real Unreal," addresses the question of what we consider reality and how designers offer new perspectives by questioning these realities. Through imagination and collective knowledge, designers help us imagine the impossible. DDW 2024 celebrates the power of design power and challenges visitors to look beyond what they think they know. From smart innovations to bizarre, beautiful and hopeful creations-the future becomes tangible here. Step into a world of new possibilities, where change is real, and discover how design can shape the future.

What to expect at Vij5?

The theme of Dutch Design Week fits perfectly with the philosophy of Vij5: designs that excite, surprise and connect. During the week, Vij5 will once again open its doors for an exclusive preview of new products. The exhibition 'Introducing Tomorrow: Preview of new Vij5 products' can be found in our workshop at the Hallenweg in Eindhoven, and this year we will introduce visitors to six new and four renewed designs, which will soon be part of our collection. These designs are the result of experiments with colored linseed oil on different types of wood, yielding surprising finishes and textures. Each piece tells its own story and combines craftsmanship with contemporary design elements.

Your feedback can help us make the final touches before the products are officially launched. Get inspired by our new designs and share your thoughts with us during DDW! This is the chance to experience the future of interior design before the products are officially launched.

Get ready for Dutch Design Week 2024 and take advantage of our Vij5 tips.
Arjan & Anieke, founders of Vij5

Handy tips for planning your visit to Dutch Design Week 2024

To make your Dutch Design Week visit as smooth as possible this year, we've gathered a few practical tips for you. These will not only help you get the most out of your visit, but also make sure you don't miss us! From planning your route to the best transport options, below you'll find everything you need to immerse yourself in the world of design.

#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'. Find it hard to choose? It's also fun to follow a DDW route. You'll experience a bit of everything, from the work of talented young designers to the latest technical innovations.

Pro tip: Looking for an unfiltered overview of Dutch Design Week? Then visit www.designweekmap.com! This platform helps you easily explore Design Week in a clear and effortless way, allowing you to choose where to go and what to discover.

#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 cannot bring your own, rent one at Ketelhuisplein or Fuutlaan. In that case, be sure to arrive early because there is often no availability later in the day.

With a DDW wristband, you can use the XPENG Design Rides, a convenient service that takes you to and from all official DDW locations. These electric cars run daily between 11:00 and 18:00 and have fixed stops at Ketelhuisplein, Piet Hein Eek, and Sectie-C, among others. But you can also order an XPENG Design Ride from smaller locations such as Hallenweg by calling 040 218 00 00. Please note that without a DDW wristband, you unfortunately cannot ride along.

Finally, of course, you can also opt for the city bus. Most Dutch Design Week locations can be easily reached by the Eindhoven city buses. Check the site of Hermes or 9292 to see how to arrange your transportation by bus.

DDW bikes are available for rent at Adams Bike Rental on Ketelhuisplein or Fuutlaan, daily between 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m.

OV bikes can be rented from the guarded bike racks on the north and south sides at Eindhoven Central Station and from a pop-up in the station itself.

Please note that you need a free OV-fiets subscription to rent an OV-fiets. Visit the NS's website for more information on renting an OV-fiets.

Preferably reserve at least one extra day in your calendar!

#3 Reserve at least two days for your visit to DDW 2024

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. The idea is not for you to become overwhelmed by DDW, but rather enriched and inspired. Create a sense of calm to pause 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'd like to stay in the design atmosphere, check availability at:

Design Hotel Kazerne

Hotel Piet Hein Eek

Hotel Marienhage

#4 Reserve a restaurant

The fact is that you are going to fill the whole day during DDW 2024. 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 place at a restaurant in Eindhoven is no superfluous luxury.

A fine meal is the perfect ending to a full DDW day, and a good way to recover from all those impressions. All the more fun, of course, to hold onto the DDW atmosphere for a while while you grab a fork. At restaurant/bar 'De Kazerne', you can be sure of that!

Pro tip: Are you looking for a truly unique and intimate dining experience? During DDW'24, Vaderland will serve full-length dinners in the church of Atelier NL. This dinner invites you to taste the essence of the fertile soil on which Fatherland thrives. Each dish is a work of art and tells the story of nature's cycle. The menu is prepared by Chef Joep with homegrown ingredients.

#5 Do NOT start DDW 2024 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 only have 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, after which you can visit the larger, busier locations later on without rushing. Enjoy in peace, keep your ears and eyes peeled and in this way you will automatically end up with the real gems.

TIP: There are a number of DDW locations that will take up a lot of your time anyway, so it's better not to plan them all in one day. We mention a few, so you can take this into account in your day planning: van Abbemuseum, Design Academy Graduation Show, Sectie-C and Stijp-S.

Visit Vij5 during DDW 2024

Hopefully after reading this blog you are all set for an inspiring week full of design. Don't forget to visit our exhibition Introducing Tomorrow: Preview of New Vij5 Products for an exclusive preview of our new designs!

We think it's important to showcase our products early so we can take your feedback. Stop by, share your thoughts and be surprised by innovative designs by various designers, including Isabel Quiroga, Studio Thier & van Daalen, Jeroen Wand, Tjalko Lokhorst, KellerFreyschmidt, Hanne Willmann, Marc Th. van der Voorn, Daphna Laurens and Floris Hovers. We look forward to welcoming you to our workshop at Hallenweg during Dutch Design Week 2024! Will we see you there?