Infusing Innovation & Creativity in Southwest Michigan

BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF INNOVATION IN OUR COMMUNITY

MIX DesignMIX Southwest Michigan believes in the power of creativity and innovation in our community. We’re bringing together local creators and innovators for mixers, seminars, workshops, and networking to grow the creative future and talent of Southwest Michigan.

Southwest Michigan’s rich history of innovative and creative companies in diverse industries is a powerful force in the vibrancy of our community. Design-based companies affect economic prosperity and play a vital part in the education of our students as innovators and leaders for the future.

Powered by Southwest Michigan First, MIX events are designed to inspire, educate, and expose area creatives to great ideas, people, and companies that call Southwest Michigan home. Events are content-based, focused on exploring design thinking, trends and tools, and explore best practices to encourage innovation.

Creatives of every discipline are invited to participate in our events – from interior designers to industrial designers, chefs to graphic designers, architects to video game designers. Anyone who considers themselves creative is welcome to join us.

MIX = Michigan + X marks the spot where innovation happens!

More than 2,000 creatives are connected to this event and more than 325 organizations from across the region are represented.

2025 MIX Calendar

MARCH 6 – MIX Pop-Up | Stamped Robin

APRIL 25 – MIX with RIDI | Senior Showcase and Student Work

JUNE/JULY – MIX About Town | Downtown Kalamazoo

AUGUST 7 – MIX at Whirlpool

OCTOBER 2 – MIX Design Day

DECEMBER 10 – MIX Innovation Celebration

MIX Photo Banner

About MIX

Engage area creatives and designers to curate content for a regional design-centric program that will inspire innovation, connect designers from different disciplines and encourage collaboration. Interactions encourage relationships between all sectors of design professionals to “raise the bar” on design professionals and create vibrant connections with Western Michigan University Design focused students (RIDI & Engineering) and the creative community.

About WMU Richmond Institute for Design + Innovation

Through partnership with global design-focused companies based in our region such as Stryker, Landscape Forms, Newell Brands and Whirlpool, we have worked with Western Michigan University to build a Bachelor of Arts program – Designed for Companies by Companies to address their talent needs. The Richmond Institute for Design + Innovation launched in 2016 and celebrated its first class of graduates in 2020.

MIX Design Sponsors