What’s next for Design in the 2020s? This year’s Design 50 highlights Chicago’s creatives—those who give us boundary-pushing work, immersive experiences and all-around impeccable design across all realms. But in the light of the new decade we also posed an important question: What’s next for the transdisciplinary ever-evolving Chicago design scene? Their informed predictions, guesses, thoughts and ideas reflect some widely held desires, hopes and fears for where the design world is headed. It is also further proof that those fifty creatives are without a doubt among the city’s shining stars—the ones to bring in high hopes, hard work and positive change. Here’s what the landscape of design will look like in 2020 according to the fifty most innovative Chicago designers. (Vasia Rigou)
Design 50 2020 is written by Vasia Rigou with additional contributions by Olivia Canny, Brittany Garrett, Isa Giallorenzo and Cat Strain.
All photos by Nathan Keay on location at Facility.
The Hall of Fame These folks, or the roles they inhabit, are so well-established and foundational to the design world of Chicago that they are always near the top of the list.
Greek-born Vasia Rigou is a seasoned journalist, editor and multimedia content producer largely on the subjects of visual art, culture, architecture and design. She currently serves as an Editor at Newcity, Chicago’s leading culture publication, as Writer and Copy Editor at the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) HQ, and regularly contributes to international architecture and design magazines OnOffice and ICON. She has experience creating content for brands and building conference speeches and influential TEDx talks. Simply put: she’s fascinated by finding out the great stories behind the people, places and objects that surround us, and by sharing those stories with the world. When she’s not writing about art or looking at art—wine in hand—she makes lists for pretty much everything, drinks immense amounts of coffee and takes cross-country road trips every chance she gets.
