Good design has the power to ignite great conversation, and Ruth Price, founder of Desert Design Week, hopes the experiences she has curated for the biannual event’s latest edition, “Collected in Dialog,” will spark unexpected conversations among local architects, designers, artists, makers, chefs and others. “I want to present the fall 2026 edition of Desert Design Week as just being about putting people together in connections that you wouldn’t otherwise expect,” says Price. But Desert Design Week isn’t an event exclusive to creative professionals, which has allowed it to grow significantly since it began in 2004. Everyone can take part in private home tours, immersive presentations, conversations and culinary experiences throughout Phoenix and Scottsdale, all designed to foster deeper engagement with the latest trends. She says, “It started as a passion project, and now it is turning into a much bigger beast than I anticipated.”  

Price took a few moments to talk about what visitors can expect when Desert Design Week takes place October 6-11.  

What’s the meaning behind the theme “Collected in Dialog”? 

I think that as a community, we’re really not living in isolation. So I think one of the biggest things about Desert Design Week is people collaborating, the community coming out to support each other and really building relationships around the love of art, design and architecture. 

Would you say design is also a way for people to tell a story? 

I think that is a good way of putting it. Design is people’s stories, whether that’s an artist and the journey they’re trying to show, a collection of art that someone’s accumulated or someone putting their own aesthetic stamp on something. I think design connects us around something we can’t quite understand, like that moment when you see something that sparks a feeling. I think it’s just a really good community builder. And when I say design, it’s not just interior design. There are so many people involved. There are videographers. There are photographers. There are graphic designers. There are components of Desert Design Week that aren’t focused on interiors.  

Are there trends you want to focus on? 

I won’t be able to say there is a trend I’m trying to jump on. I will say there is a heavy focus on handmade ceramics this October, which I think people are really leaning toward. People are appreciating the handmade right now, whether created by hand by themselves or by someone else. The conversation is about building community and what is authentic and one-of-a-kind.  

Visit desertdesignweek.com for the event schedule, locations and tickets.