The Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum celebrates the 10th anniversary of the National Design Awards with free public programs that explore design. The following White House administration officials will be moderating the programs at museums around the Mall from 10 to 11 a.m. (doors open at 9:30 a.m.), Friday, July 24:

• Design X Experience: The Future of Interaction Design—Aneesh Chopra, U.S. chief technology officer, will discuss the future of interaction design with Jeff Han of Perceptive Pixel Inc. (Interaction Design) and Andrew Blauvelt of Walker Art Center (Corporate and Institutional Achievement). This program is free to the public. No advanced registration is required. Hirshhorn Museum, Auditorium (Independence Avenue at Seventh Street S.W.)
• Design X Tomorrow: The Future of Technology and Sustainability—John Holdren, director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy in the Executive Office of the President, will discuss the future of technology and sustainability with Amory Lovins (Design Mind) and Bill Moggridge (Lifetime Achievement). This program is free to the public. No advanced registration is required. National Museum of the American Indian (Fourth Street and Independence Avenue S.W.)
• Design X Information: Interpreting the Present and the Past—Anita Dunn, White House acting communications director, will discuss the relationship between current events and the design process with Boym Partners (Product Design) and The New York Times Graphics Department (Communication Design). This program is free to the public. No advanced registration is required. The Smithsonian Castle, The Commons (1000 Jefferson Drive S.W.)
• Design X Details: Materials and Their Effects—Francisco Costa (Fashion Design) and Calvin Tsao and Zack McKown (Interior Design) will discuss the role of material in their work, while sharing their visions, projects and inspirations with Ebs Burnough, White House deputy social secretary. This program is free to the public. Advanced registration is required at (202) 639-1774. Corcoran Gallery of Art (500 17th Street N.W.)
• Design X Community: Transform Your Neighborhood— Neill McG. Coleman, general deputy assistant secretary, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, will discuss how design can be used as a tool to create a sense of community with Gregg Pasquarelli of SHoP Architects (Architecture Design) and Walter Hood (Landscape Design). This program is free to the public. Advanced registration is required at www.nbm.org or (202) 272-2448. The National Building Museum (401 F Street N.W.)

Later that day, First Lady Michelle Obama, honorary patron for the awards program, will host a White House ceremony and luncheon for the winners and finalists of the 2009 awards. Members of the public can learn more about attending these programs by visiting www.nationaldesignawards.org.

The National Design Awards and National Design Week are made possible by the sponsorship of Target.

About the National Design Awards

Launched at the White House in 2000 as an official project of the White House Millennium Council, the annual National Design Awards celebrate design in various disciplines as a vital humanistic tool in shaping the world.

National Design Week, Oct. 18-24, aims to promote a better understanding of the role that design plays in all aspects of daily life. The museum will offer free admission to all visitors and provide a range of online resources celebrating design throughout National Design Week. In addition to hosting a Teen Design Fair and Winners’ Panel, the program will reach schoolteachers and their students nationally in the classroom and online at Cooper-Hewitt’s Educator Resource Center.

About Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum

The Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum is the only museum in the nation devoted exclusively to historic and contemporary design. The museum presents compelling perspectives on the impact of design on daily life through active educational programs, exhibitions and publications. Founded in 1897 by Amy, Eleanor and Sarah Hewitt—granddaughters of industrialist Peter Cooper—as part of the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, the museum has been a branch of the Smithsonian since 1967. 

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