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Community – Design Week

Design Week 2025: Shaping the future of design at Microsoft

Joining forces across our design community to push the boundaries of creativity and collaboration. 

  –   The estimated reading time is 3 min.

Every year at Microsoft, we hold Design Week, an internal company event that gathers some of the most creative minds to explore bold ideas, future-focused thinking, and creative expression in service of our mission to help every person and organization achieve more.

With 89 speakers, 48 sessions, and over 3,000 attendees, this year’s theme was about “breaking boundaries,” a homage to our recent 50th anniversary and a call to imagine how design might shape the next 50 years. There were inspiring sessions, and rich discussions considering how UX should adapt and evolve to drive human-centered experiences that are AI-forward and inclusive.

A diverse group of people smile and pose together in an office space with “Breaking Boundaries” displayed on a screen behind them. Some hold blue bandanas, and hackathon signage is visible on the left.
A busy, modern office space with people working on laptops at tables. Some are collaborating in groups, while others focus individually. Large windows let in natural light, and colorful decorations brighten the room.
A table set up for a card-making activity with colorful stickers, paper, markers, instruction sheet, and a small decorative pumpkin. Several Halloween-themed items and puzzles are also visible on the table.
A person wearing a white t-shirt with blue text and graphics reading "DESIGN WEEK 2025," a pixelated cursor, a window icon, and the phrase "Breaking Boundaries Since 1975.img.
A group of seven people sit around a table covered with LEGO pieces, papers, and cards, smiling at the camera. One person gives a thumbs up. They are in a modern, glass-walled meeting room.
A woman wearing a staff badge stands behind a table with brochures and water bottles. She holds a flyer in one hand and a bottle in the other, smiling. The table is near a window and a gray concrete wall with a fire alarm.
Five people stand close together indoors, smiling at the camera. They appear to be friends or colleagues at an event or restaurant, with an "ORDER" sign visible in the background.
People gather around a large table covered with stickers, paper, and craft supplies, working on arts and crafts projects in a bright, modern indoor space with large windows.

This year's design tracks

An icon of a computer and pencil above the word "Keynotes" in bold, followed by text about inspiring keynote leaders driving innovation and breakthroughs in technology's evolving landscape.
A small pixel art keyboard icon above the bold heading "Content design." Below, text explains that LLMs need language experts and highlights the impact of content designers in shaping model behavior in emerging spaces.
A small computer icon above the heading "UX Engineering" with text explaining that UX Engineers connect design and engineering, focusing on AI tools and skills to create better products.
An icon of a pencil, ruler, and paintbrush overlaps a computer window above the bold title “Design Operations, Tools, and Processes” with explanatory text about reimagining tools and systems for better teamwork.
A pixel art icon of a blue book with white pages above the heading "Storytelling and Creativity." Below, text explains the track focuses on the power and mechanics of storytelling and creativity.
Pixel art icons above the text "Responsible AI." Below, a description explains this track covers practical integration of Responsible AI principles, best practices, and tools for responsible innovation.
A small pixelated blue and white cube icon above the bold text "Product Strategy." Below, descriptive text explains the collaboration between design and product to foster innovation and shape strategy.
Pixel art of a safe above bold text reading "Security." Below, text explains the goal of building secure, human-centered experiences to foster trust and reduce risk.
A broken image icon appears above the bold heading "Inclusive Design" and a paragraph about the importance of using AI tools for inclusive design to avoid bias and reflect global diversity.
A pixelated magnifying glass icon next to the heading "User Research" and a description about the importance of UX Research, Design, and collaboration in creating memorable user experiences.
A colorful artist’s palette icon above the text “Brand & Visual Design.” Below, a paragraph explains how Microsoft’s brand taps into emotions to create resonance and joy through AI products.

Below is a curated selection of these talks – and a big thank you to this year’s organizers and speakers! Your hard work, unique ideas, and diversity of perspectives made for an uplifting and memorable celebration of human-centered design 💞 

Design Week 2025 Video Selections

A graphic shows a retro computer window with the text "Human Centered AI: The Power of Codesign." Photos of Christina Mallon and Rebekah Tweed appear, along with their roles listed on digital labels.
Inclusive Design

Human-Centered AI: The Power of Codesign

Discover how inclusive design principles are shaping the future of AI, and how collaborative approaches can ensure technology serves diverse human needs.

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Keep exploring how design shapes the future — follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn for more behind the scenes stories and updates from our design teams 😎

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To stay in the know with Microsoft Design, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, or join our Windows or Office Insider program. And if you are interested in working with us at Microsoft, head over to aka.ms/DesignCareers.

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Keep exploring how design shapes the future — follow us on Instagram, X, and Threads for more behind the scenes stories and updates from our design teams 😎