Coming this November.
Concept submissions are open — due Oct 8th.
Follow @riptidesummit for more updates.
An Innovative Design @USC event
Riptide is a design exhibition that features the most experimental works of ambitious creatives and builders, bridging artistry with unconventional methods of making.
Riptide, by Innovative Design at USC, is an annual design expo open to students and creatives across Los Angeles.
We give young experimenters the space and audience — digital, physical, or in between — to present their ideas of how design operates at the intersection of all things, beyond corporate conventions.
A work can begin with a material, a line of code, an observation, a line of poem, or a question that has no clear medium yet…
Let yourself ask, “What does design mean to you?”
For curious design minds who want to build for and showcase their experimental works in a curated exhibition open to other students and industry.
Submission Timeline ↗For culture vultures who want to see what the new frontier of design looks like. We welcome anyone with a curiosity to see what the brightest minds of today can create when we strip the rules of design.
Plan your visit ↗Thinking about creating for Riptide? Concept submissions are open. Submit your idea and tell us what you want to bring.
Submit your idea and tell us what you want to bring to Riptide.
Selected creators are announced October 12, then move into a building phase through the November 4 check-in.
Thank you to our sponsors for supporting Riptide.
Either. Teams have no size limit. Just tell us who’s on yours in the application.
No. Students from other colleges are welcome to apply.
No design background needed. We do ask for a portfolio link, but if you don’t have one, a shared Google Drive of your past work works just as well. If you do have design experience, we’ll take it into account.
Yes. Bring a finished project or one that’s still in progress, and Riptide gives it a stage.
“Weird” is what we’re looking for. Riptide is about redefining design through mediums that aren’t traditionally considered design. We welcome painting, collage, animation, film, interactive work, clay, ceramics, glass, architectural models, fashion, robotics, mathematics, and poetry. If yours isn’t on the list, apply anyway.
You’re welcome to — it’s optional, not a requirement. World Labs tokens are available if you’d like them. If you use AI tools, we ask that you document how and when.
You do. Creators keep full ownership of their work. We may photograph and share it to document Riptide.
