The National Design Awards are bestowed at a gala benefit dinner and awards ceremony in New York City each fall. This year's festivities will be held at the spectacular Pier Sixty on the Hudson River on the evening of Wednesday, October 17. This year's vice-chairs are Beth Comstock, Aaron Dignan, Paul Herzan, Madeleine Rudin Johnson, Fern Mallis, Todd Oldham, and Judy Francis Zankel.

Designed again by David Stark, the gala decor will give a playful nod to the fundamentals of design. As basic, geometric shapes are the building blocks of all design, Pier Sixty will be transformed into a vibrant world of bold shapes and bright colors, creating a strikingly dynamic and festive atmosphere along with adding a contemporary twist on the color wheel.