Call for convenors of the 2026 DHS annual conference

Society News

30 January, 2025

The Design History Society is looking for a host for its 2026 annual conference. The conference is a prestigious, international event which offers the opportunity for lively intellectual exchange, the sharing of research, and discussions of new approaches in design history.

The DHS welcomes proposals from individuals and institutions that support and engage with teaching and research in the field of design history. Recent conferences have been hosted in New York (2018), Newcastle Upon Tyne (2019), Basel (2021), Izmir (2022), Porto (2023) and Canterbury (2024). The 2025 event will be held in Ankara. More information on past conferences can be found on the DHS website https://www.designhistorysociety.org/conferences

Hosting the DHS annual conference is an exciting opportunity for bringing your institution to the attention of the design history community. It also allows delegates to visit local collections and sites significant for the study of design and design history.

Application and assessment process:

Proposals for the 2026 conference using the DHS form should be based on current themes or historical perspectives on design. Please refer to the guidelines when preparing your proposal.

To maximise intellectual interaction, the DHS is committed to in-person conferences, but hybrid elements may be integrated in consultation with the DHS. We encourage applicants to embrace sustainability in all aspects of their proposals. Applications will be evaluated by members of the executive committee of the Design History Society, which is committed to principles of equity, integrity and confidentiality in the treatments of all applications competing to host the Annual Conference.

Please download the Conference Guidelines here: CONFERENCE GUIDELINES

Please download the Proposal Form here: PROPOSAL FORM

Applications should be sent to the DHS Senior Administrator Dr Jenna Allsopp-Douglas at designhistorysociety@gmail.com by 23:59 GMT on 31 March 2025.

Please email the DHS Conference Liaison Officer, Dr Jessica Jenkins at jessica.jenkins@falmouth.ac.uk, with any questions or queries regarding the application process.