Design Assembly

To round off the Design Policy Days, WDC 2026 brings together policy-makers, public administration, academia, design, and civil society at the Paulskirche for a shared moment of reflection—and new beginnings.

Design and the creative industries, urban authorities, civil society, science, education, and business come together around one table. A great deal has happened during this WDC year, and today we look back. Voices from the projects of the WDC year share what changes when design strengthens democratic processes: in public spaces, institutions, neighbourhoods, and public administrations. Meanwhile, music and artistic contributions offer a tangible reminder that democracy is not merely organized, but experienced.

Even as the WDC year draws to a close, this day primarily marks a fresh departure. With the Design Action Plan Frankfurt RheinMain, the year’s political legacy is on the table: WDC 2026 returns its mandate and transfers it back to the citizens, supporting institutions, and the wider region. Key actors from politics, society, and the region gather to receive the proposals for concrete design actions and the roadmap up to 2030. The Design Assembly concludes the year 2026 while simultaneously setting the next step into motion.

Convocation Ceremony

In a celebratory ceremony, the title will be handed over to the next World Design Capital—Busan, South Korea.

The handover is more than a formal protocol—it is designed as an encounter. Music, voices, and gestures connect what has been with what is to come: Frankfurt RheinMain and Busan enter into a dialogue that extends beyond the evening itself. When the World Design Organization confers the title, it is not merely passed on, but borne together. What was achieved during the WDC year remains anchored in the region—what began here journeys onward.