Design Nexus Summit
The Design Nexus Summit kicks off our fall semester with speakers, workshops, and studio tours. Designed to inspire and connect, the Summit takes place over multiple days and includes both formal presentations and informal opportunities for students to connect with speakers, sponsors and alumni. 2025 speaker Sundar Raman (CTO of PRESENT) summed up the event best:
“CMU's Nexus Symposium 2025 was, in a word, alchemy. It was inspiring, enlightening, and soulful... because it was as much about the students educating the us (the "experts"), as the other way round. I found myself not wanting to leave classrooms because the conversations with the students were so engaging. And the depth of real-world anecdotes from the panelists was affirmation that Experience Design is the funnest and most satisfying discipline you can spend your time on. I came as a speaker and left with a wonderful community!”
Summit Vision: We inspire and equip forward-thinking designers and creatives with new perspectives, while fostering meaningful connections between students and industry leaders.
Summit Mission: We convene designers and students from across the broad spectrum of the field to have engaging, thought-provoking discussions that spark innovation and shape the future of design and technology.
The 2026 Design Nexus Summit Schedule
September 16-18, 2026
Theme: Designing the Designer
Wednesday, 9/16
Kick-off & Featured Speaker Presentations
Open to all
4:30pm-7pm, CFA Kresge Theater
Thursday, 9/17
Career Accelerator #1
Open to students, advanced registration necessary
9:30-11:30am, Highmark Center Meeting Rooms
Fireside Chat with Sundar Raman, Co-founder, PRESENT
Open to all
11:45-12:30pm, CUC Studio Theater
School of Design Studio Tours
Invited guests to visit studios in session
1:30-4pm, 5 studios across MM
Welcome & Featured Speaker Presentations
Open to all
4:30-7pm, CFA Kresge Theater
Community Reception
Open to all
7-8:30pm, Legacy Plaza (between CUC and MM)
Friday, 9/18
Career Accelerator #2
Open to students, advanced registration necessary
9:30-11:30am, Highmark Center Meeting Rooms
Fireside Chat with Byron Merritt, VP of Design, Creative & Brand Strategy, Amazon Music
Open to all
11:30-12:30pm, CUC Rangos 1 & 2
Design Sandwich Lunch
Open to all
12:30-1:30pm, CUC Rangos 1 & 2
Adobe New Product Demo
Open to all
1:30-2:30pm, CUC Rangos 1 & 2
Register Now!
Registration for School of Design Alumni
Sponsored by Amazon Design, PRESENT, and Adobe