The unmissable design competitions for 2025

From the Red Dot Design Award to the Smart Label Host Innovation Award and the AIA COTE® Top Ten for Students, a selection of 2025 international design competitions championing sustainability and talented young designers.

The ADF Design Award 2025, the prestigious showcase that offers designers and architects the opportunity to exhibit their work, is marking its 15th edition. The competition, promoted by the non-profit organisation NPO Aoyama Design Forum (ADF), set up in Japan in 2009, aims to identify innovation by recognising new design frontiers respectful of the environment. The award categories include: Hospitality, Commercial and Office, Housing Complex, Education and Sport, Cultural Buildings, Public Architecture. The winners of the Grand Award and the Excellence Award will have the opportunity to exhibit their work at Fuorisalone 2025 during the Salone Internazionale del Mobile in April 2025. The winners will be able to exhibit their work at the ADF gallery space in Aoyama, Tokyo and at COCO WARP, the Metaverse Museum run by ADF. 
Deadline: 20th December 2024
Info: ADF DESIGN AWARD 2025 e NPO Aoyama Design Forum (ADF)  

Aimed at designers, university students and graduates, the C-IDEA Design Award 2025, now in its seventh edition, aims to identify and promote talent, with an international jury drawn from 20 different countries, and over 30 representatives including high-level designers and educators. It is characterised by a wide range of categories ranging from communication design through industrial design, architecture, interior design, to fashion design and new media. The results will be announced during the awards ceremony in February 2025, held in a different country each year, where a yearbook and an exhibition of the nominated projects will be presented. Award winners will be included in the C-IDEA Design Award Yearbook.
Deadline: 15th January 2025
Info: C-IDEA Design Award 2025

“In search of good design” is the motto of the Red Dot Design Award, the competition that appraises diversity in the field of design, dedicated to all those wishing to differentiate their business activity. The award is broken down into three disciplines, Product Design, Brands & Communication Design and Design Concept. There are 51 categories overall, ranging from robot technology to domestic utensils. The characteristics the jury is looking out for include functionality, sustainability and innovation. The two most sought-after recognitions are the Red Dot and Red Dot: Best of the Best, but only projects evidencing outstanding design will receive the seal of quality. The awards ceremony will be held in Essen.  
Product Design Award Deadline: 17th January 2025
Design Concept Deadline: 12th March 2025
Info: Red Dot Design Award 
    
Following in the tradition of iconic chairs that have made history, designed by the world’s most famous architects such as Charles and Ray Eames, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Marcel Breuer, the Architect's Chair Edition #3 competition organised by Buildner Architecture Competition, encourages architects and designers to design a chair with flair and eclecticism by redrawing and exceeding the boundaries of aesthetics and functionality by harnessing new materials,  construction techniques and ergonomic solutions. The requirements for the proposals range from functionality to comfort, through aesthetics to craftsmanship. Three proposals will be selected, along with two special prize-winners and six honourable mentions. To ensure the objectivity of the results, the competition juries will be composed of architects and professionals from other specialised fields.
Deadline: 18th February 2025
info: The Architect's Chair Edition #3

“Good design deserves great recognition” is the slogan of the annual A’ Design Award & Competition, aimed at artists, creatives and professionals with the objective of supporting companies and incentivising designers to promote their projects by disseminating the principles of good design. An international jury composed of 278 members and 185 categories, including the Good Industrial Design Award, Good Product Design Award and Architecture Design Award. The winners will be presented with the prize trophy, an invitation to the gala evening and to the award ceremony organised in Italy. They will also be able to exhibit their works in the MOOD: Design Museum.
Deadline: 28th February 2025.
Info: A’ Design Award & Competition

Preparing students to imagine and create a future suitable for a net zero climate is essential for evolving design. Sponsored by the American Institute of Architects Committee on the Environment (AIA COTE®), in partnership with the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA), the AIA COTE® Top Ten for Students competition rewards ten student projects with the onus on health and sustainability. Students enrolled in first, second-year, four-year and university ACSA member design schools and those in the third year or graduates are eligible to take part. Applications will be assessed on the basis of the success and innovation of the projects according to the ten principles of the Framework for Design Excellence. The winning projects will be announced and displayed at the 2026 AIA National Convention.
Deadline: 9th April 2025
Info: AIA COTE® Top Ten for Students  

An opportunity to promote innovative projects that address the most relevant challenges in the field of design based on efficiency, originality and sustainability. The Smart Label – HOST Innovation Award, the competition promoted by HOSTMilano and Fiera Milano in partnership with POLI.design and sponsored by ADI – Association for Industrial Design is now into its seventh edition. The competing projects will explore three macro award categories: Innovation Smart Label, Green Smart Label and Special Mentions. The jury will consider ideas related to new materials, energy saving and recycling technologies. The award ceremony will be held during HOSTMilano 2025, where the winning products and projects will be exhibited in the Smart Products area.
Deadline: 30th April 2025ed
info:  Smart Label – HOST Innovation Award