DESIGN ROUNDUP is your weekly guide to the NYC design community.

Be sure to check back every Monday for a fresh list of events.

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May 1 – May 7, 2011

1/ Present Tense: The 2011 D-Crit Conference

Moderated by documentary film producer Adam Harrison Levy, and featuring New York Times Magazine contributor Rob Walker as keynote speaker, the conference presents the 11 graduating students, who will each make a sharply honed 10-minute presentation on their thesis topic, and a panel of prominent critics on the future of design criticism.

When: Wednesday, May 4 2011, 1:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Where: Visual Arts Theater, 333 West 23rd Street, NYC

Price: Free and open to the public

2/ Life After Graphic Design

Whether it’s cupcakes, ceramics or crafts most designers have an alternate passion. Ever think of following that passion full-time? Meet three former designers who did, and created thriving new businesses.

When: Thursday, May 5 2011, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm

Where: Bumble and bumble, 3rd floor auditorium, 415 West 13th Street, NYC

Price: $20 AIGA member, $10 AIGA student member, $30 General public

3/ OPEN IxD

The SVA MFA Interaction Design Festival at the School of Visual Arts is a celebration of the work from interaction design students who will present their thesis explorations alongside invited guests.

When: Thursday, May 5 2011, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Where: Visual Arts Theater, 333 West 23rd Street, NYC

Price: Free and open to the public

4/ Festival of Ideas

Festival of Ideas for the New City is a major new collaborative initiative in New York involving organizations working together to harness the power of the creative community to imagine the future city and explore ideas that will shape it. The Festival will include a three-day slate of symposia; an innovative StreetFest along the Bowery; and over eighty independent projects and public events.

When: May 4 – May 8, 2011

Where: Various locations, NYC

Price: $65 admission pass