Join us for four days of exhibitions, hands-on workshops, expert talks, live performance, and awards that celebrate human-centred design practice, material innovation, and design’s expanding role in society. Meet graduating students and faculty, hear designers working at the intersection of innovation, sustainability and wellbeing, get tactile and sonic in a studio workshop, and experience a live performance that turns material research into music and visuals.
NSCAD Design Shift Awards Presented by Verecan.
Full schedule
Monday, April 27
Exhibition — Soft Opening: Graduate Shows
Date: 04/27/2026 | Time: 3:00–5:00 pm | Location: Mary E. Black Gallery
NSCAD undergraduate and graduate designers present final degree projects alongside first-year MDES work — bold, critical responses to contemporary challenges.
Designtalk — In conversation with Paul David Rollmann
Date: 04/27/2026 | Time: 5:00–7:00 pm | Location: Bell Auditorium
A talk on vanishing textures and haptics in the age of digitization, and how airbagcraftworks uses circular-economy practices to preserve craftsmanship across design, art, and music.
Tuesday, April 28
Workshop — Material–Texture–Sound (hands-on)
Date: 04/28/2026 | Time: 10:00 am–3:00 pm | Location: Academy (A208)
Collect sound samples from physical materials, translate material textures into acoustic textures, and experiment with sonic qualities and processing.
Designtalk — Design for Health and Wellbeing
Date: 04/28/2026 | Time: 5:00–7:00 pm | Location: Bell Auditorium
A conversation on design strategies for health, accessibility, and wellbeing (session details TBD).
Wednesday, April 29
Hybrid Panel Discussion with Don Norman — The Changing Landscape of Design (round table)
Date: 04/29/2026 | Time: 6:00–8:00 pm | Location: Bell Auditorium
NSCAD University welcomes the legendary researcher, professor, and author Don Norman to a hybrid panel discussion with students and alumni. Together they will explore how design has evolved from aesthetics to systems-thinking: sustainable innovation, human-centered methods, and design education in a tech-driven world. Moderated by Jess Myra (BDes 2008). Featuring: Rachel Ladd, “Dekid” Zile Wu, “Juno” Junwen Hu (MDes 2025), and “M-A” Michael-Andreas Kuttner (BDes 1993).
Performance — Sound of Things (DJ set + visuals)
Date: 04/29/2026 | Time: 8:00 pm–12:00 am | Location: ArtBar
Paul David Rollmann performs experimental recordings created during the Material–Texture–Sound workshop. Live, audio-reactive visuals in collaboration with NSCAD Expanded Media.
Thursday, April 30
Exhibition — Undergraduate and Graduate Opening Reception
Date: 04/30/2026 | Time: 7:00–10:00 pm | Location: Mary E. Black Gallery
Public opening reception showcasing final projects and MDES cohort work.
Awards — Design Shift Awards Prize Ceremony
Date: 04/30/2026 | Time: 8:30–9:30 pm | Location: Mary E. Black Gallery
Celebrate winners: Impact Award (Grand Prize) and Category winners (Thrive, Resolve, Venture).
About the NSCAD Design Shift Award, presented by Verecan.
Who should attend?
Students, faculty, designers, makers, industry and the public — anyone interested in learning more about how NSCAD’s students are looking beyond conventional strategies to formulate new and critical responses to modern problems.