Left: Catzz Cat Bed by Mirko Vujicic. Right: “Rocking Chair” Calendar by Katsumi Tamura
As one of the world’s leading design competitions, the A’ Design Award & Competition recognizes and spotlights talented and diverse creatives on an international forefront, opening more doors for global credibility, publicity and opportunities for them. If you’ve been hoping to steer your work-from-home life into new and eye-opening directions, here’s your chance. Submissions for the influential award are now open, offering a stage to showcase the most thought-provoking work from talents and brands new or veteran.
From now until 28 February 2021, designers, artists and architects across all creative disciplines and around the world can register their best work for the award. Entries will be peer-reviewed and judged by a jury panel of 218 creative industry leaders, seasoned academics, and renowned press members, who will evaluate projects for their foresight and potential to push advancements in science, design, creativity and technology.
A’ Design Award 2019-2020 saw 2,094 winners from 107 countries receiving the prestigious award. Their creative disciplines span 104 unique design categories, including graphics and visual communication design, packaging design, architecture, building and structure design, and fashion, apparel and garment design. You’ll be able to enjoy some of the prizewinning work below.
For more insight on how much laureates have been benefiting from the award, uploaded designs have received over 97 million views, with designers’ profiles enjoying nearly 18 million eyeballs. In the past 11 years, the A’ Design Award & Competition has drawn the attention of design-oriented audiences from 180 nationalities and gained coverage in 40 languages. Its logo alone amasses over 2.5 billion impressions annually from its appearances on television, national newspapers, and digital and traditional publications.
Apart from international recognition and the chance to inspire like-minded creatives, winners will bag home a luxurious trophy, an international design excellence certificate, online and offline exhibition of their work, a prizewinners’ manual showing how they can make the most use of their new status, free online listings, gala night tickets to the awards, a lifelong license to use their award-winner’s logo, and much more. Further details about the expansive A’ Design Prize can be found here.
It is said that people become their most creative when bound by limitations, and perhaps the work-from-home situation might set forth the time for you to shine. The A’ Design Award and Competition is now open for submissions until 28 February 2021. DesignTAXI will announce the winning submissions on 15 April 2021.
Have a look at some of the prizewinning work from past years. Hopefully, they’ll also set your inspiration in motion during the remote-working slump.
Source One Vodka Spirits and Alcohol by Aether NY, LLC, 2019 - 2020 Platinum A’ Packaging Design Award Winner
“Inspired by the stunning and intricate greenhouse architectural elements. The glass structure consists of offset panels that create an endless spiraling illusion when turned.”
Source One Vodka Spirits and Alcohol by Aether NY, LLC, 2019 - 2020 Platinum A’ Packaging Design Award Winner
“One of the biggest challenges [was] to have the glass bottle spiral seamlessly to create an endless illusion when turned. The design team meticulously calculated the width of each panel to accommodate the bottle circumference and moved them incrementally around.”
Source One Vodka Spirits and Alcohol by Aether NY, LLC, 2019 -
2020 Platinum A’ Packaging Design Award Winner
Found Awareness by Chris Slabber, 2018 - 2019 Platinum A’ Photography and Photo Manipulation Design Award Winner
“I suffer from anxiety and whenever I experience an episode the only way for me to relax is to go into a quiet space and imagine something symmetrical or to solve a pattern, essentially to find balance. Therefore the challenge was to identify patterns from studying the different found objects on a microscopic level.”
Found Awareness by Chris Slabber, 2018 - 2019 Platinum A’ Photography and Photo Manipulation Design Award Winner
“Then using parts of each element and juxtaposing them into what would essentially become its Elemental Face. Almost as if trying to give life to [it].”
Found Awareness by Chris Slabber, 2018 - 2019 Platinum A’ Photography and Photo Manipulation Design Award Winner
Typeface Calendar by Katsumi Tamura, 2019 - 2020 Platinum A’ Graphics and Visual Communication Design Award Winner
“TYPEFACE is a calendar designed around the concept of the typeface. The set contains four sheets, consisting of the months from January to December, punched out in an original typeface. You can assemble the sheets into calendar units that each display three months of the year.”
Typeface Calendar by Katsumi Tamura, 2019 - 2020 Platinum A’ Graphics and Visual Communication Design Award Winner
“Quality designs have the power to modify space and transform the minds of its users. They offer comfort of seeing, holding and using. They are imbued with lightness and an element of surprise, enriching space.”
Typeface Calendar by Katsumi Tamura, 2019 - 2020 Platinum A’ Graphics and Visual Communication Design Award Winner
Typeface Calendar by Katsumi Tamura, 2019 - 2020 Platinum A’ Graphics and Visual Communication Design Award Winner
San Liang Jiang Beverage by Wen Liu and Xianwen Wu, 2019 - 2020 Platinum A’ Packaging Design Award Winner
“The shape of the design is based on the ‘Bronze Human Face’ which is an antique of San Xing Dui… The design conveys Chinese history and culture.”
San Liang Jiang Beverage by Wen Liu and Xianwen Wu, 2019 - 2020 Platinum A’ Packaging Design Award Winner
San Liang Jiang Beverage by Wen Liu and Xianwen Wu, 2019 - 2020 Platinum A’ Packaging Design Award Winner
“Built-in archaeological excavation tools, small shovel boxes, brushes, hammers and other tools are in the box. The bottle is wrapped with a clay-like material.”
San Liang Jiang Beverage by Wen Liu and Xianwen Wu, 2019 - 2020 Platinum A’ Packaging Design Award Winner
“The [drinker] experiences the process of excavating cultural relics.”
San Liang Jiang Beverage by Wen Liu and Xianwen Wu, 2019 - 2020 Platinum A’ Packaging Design Award Winner
Spot Multifunctional Sofa by Vinicius Lopes and Gabriela Kuniyoshi, 2017 - 2018 Platinum A’ Furniture, Decorative Items and Homeware Design Award Winner
“spot is a comfortable sofa that, with the addition of several accessories to its structure, can be used to study, work, place and store objects, and recharge electronic devices. It offers more than one option of configuration. Backrest length and number of arms can be chosen, for example, creating different combinations to suit several layouts and needs while adapting to both large and small spaces, the latter benefiting from the add-on accessories that supply in one place the needs of a room.”
Spot Multifunctional Sofa by Vinicius Lopes and Gabriela Kuniyoshi, 2017 - 2018 Platinum A’ Furniture, Decorative Items and Homeware Design Award Winner
Spot Multifunctional Sofa by Vinicius Lopes and Gabriela Kuniyoshi, 2017 - 2018 Platinum A’ Furniture, Decorative Items and Homeware Design Award Winner
Spot Multifunctional Sofa by Vinicius Lopes and Gabriela Kuniyoshi, 2017 - 2018 Platinum A’ Furniture, Decorative Items and Homeware Design Award Winner
Spot Multifunctional Sofa by Vinicius Lopes and Gabriela Kuniyoshi, 2017 - 2018 Platinum A’ Furniture, Decorative Items and Homeware Design Award Winner
Catzz Cat Bed by Mirko Vujicic, 2019 - 2020 Platinum A’ Pet Supplies and Products for Animals Design Award Winner
“I was inspired by my own cat in terms of both form and function. Distinct geometry in my cat facial features guided the form of design, whereas her movement and behavior inspired the interactive aspect. The material was chosen to fit the cat’s needs for a warm and snugly environment, which felt provides.”
Catzz Cat Bed by Mirko Vujicic, 2019 - 2020 Platinum A’ Pet Supplies and Products for Animals Design Award Winner
Catzz Cat Bed by Mirko Vujicic, 2019 - 2020 Platinum A’ Pet Supplies and Products for Animals Design Award Winner
“Knowing that cats are always on the lookout for the perfect hiding and resting spot and that their preferences vary, it was important for me to provide the possibility for adaptation.”
Catzz Cat Bed by Mirko Vujicic, 2019 - 2020 Platinum A’ Pet Supplies and Products for Animals Design Award Winner
Bionyalux Skin Care Package by 33 and Branding Co., Ltd., 2019 - 2020 Platinum A’ Packaging Design Award Winner
“Sugarcane is the largest raw material of sugar in China. About 50% of the bagasse fiber can be reused after squeezing sugar. However, [the] bagasse [is] burned directly, which [causes] wasting of resources and environmental pollution. Therefore, BIOHYALUX decided to make some changes to recycle the bagasse into new product packaging.”
Bionyalux Skin Care Package by 33 and Branding Co., Ltd., 2019 - 2020 Platinum A’ Packaging Design Award Winner
Bionyalux Skin Care Package by 33 and Branding Co., Ltd., 2019 - 2020 Platinum A’ Packaging Design Award Winner
Bionyalux Skin Care Package by 33 and Branding Co., Ltd., 2019 - 2020 Platinum A’ Packaging Design Award Winner
Qwerty Elemental Handbags by Patrizia Donà, 2019 - 2020 Platinum A’ Fashion and Travel Accessories Design Award Winner
“Just like typewriters’ design evolution shows the transformation from a highly complex visual form to the clean-lined, simple geometric form, Qwerty-elemental is the embodiment of strength, symmetry, and simplicity.”
Qwerty Elemental Handbags by Patrizia Donà, 2019 - 2020 Platinum A’ Fashion and Travel Accessories Design Award Winner
“Constructive steel parts made by various craftsmen are distinctive visual feature of the product, which gives the bag an architectonic appearance.”
Qwerty Elemental Handbags by Patrizia Donà, 2019 - 2020 Platinum A’ Fashion and Travel Accessories Design Award Winner
Dab (ECG holter patch) by Adam Miklosi, 2017 - 2018 Platinum A’ Wearable Technologies Design Award Winner
“Dab is an unobtrusive ECG holter patch combining recent holtering technology with its users behavior in focus. Dab is aimed to minimize medical instrument size by reducing electrode distances. It is recording data with permanent high-quality dry electrodes. The redesigned way of applying the sensor onto the body makes it effortless and intuitive.”
Dab (ECG holter patch) by Adam Miklosi, 2017 - 2018 Platinum A’ Wearable Technologies Design Award Winner
“Thanks to these changes we can achieve better user experience, while significantly reducing disposable items, manufacturing and maintenance costs… instead of the regular disposable solutions, Dab has the electrodes integrated in its body.”
Dab (ECG holter patch) by Adam Miklosi, 2017 - 2018 Platinum A’ Wearable Technologies Design Award Winner
PIXIO Magnetic Construction Set by Ivan Khalus and Oleh Berezovskyi, 2017 - 2018 Platinum A’ Toy, Games and Hobby Products Design Award Winner
“PIXIO is a unique construction set in which pixio-blocks are flexibly assembled thanks to a well thought-out system of powerful magnets. It is the easiest construction set to use. Just take the pixio-block in your hand and place it where you want it to be — bang! — it is connected.”
PIXIO Magnetic Construction Set by Ivan Khalus and Oleh Berezovskyi, 2017 - 2018 Platinum A’ Toy, Games and Hobby Products Design Award Winner
PIXIO Magnetic Construction Set by Ivan Khalus and Oleh Berezovskyi, 2017 - 2018 Platinum A’ Toy, Games and Hobby Products Design Award Winner
“All the details of PIXIO are the same shape, only the colors are different. This versatility allows [us] to create almost any character or object at any scale.”
PIXIO Magnetic Construction Set by Ivan Khalus and Oleh Berezovskyi, 2017 - 2018 Platinum A’ Toy, Games and Hobby Products Design Award Winner
Real Boy Push Pins / Thumb Tacks by Duncan Shotton, 2012 - 2013 Platinum A’ Art Materials, Stationery Supplies and Gift Items Design Award Winner
“All Shotton’s products are designed to make people smile and be happy. In this case he used a witty play on Pinocchio’s long nose to create an adorable, yet refined push pin character.”
Real Boy Push Pins / Thumb Tacks by Duncan Shotton, 2012 - 2013 Platinum A’ Art Materials, Stationery Supplies and Gift Items Design Award Winner
Real Boy Push Pins / Thumb Tacks by Duncan Shotton, 2012 - 2013 Platinum A’ Art Materials, Stationery Supplies and Gift Items Design Award Winner
Calendar 2013 “Rocking Chair” Calendar by Katsumi Tamura, 2012 - 2013 Platinum A’ Graphics and Visual Communication Design Award Winner
“The Rocking Chair is a freestanding desktop calendar in the shape of a miniature chair. Follow the guide to assemble a rocking chair that rocks back and forth just like a real one. Display the current month on the chair back, and next month on the seat.”
Calendar 2013 “Rocking Chair” Calendar by Katsumi Tamura, 2012 - 2013 Platinum A’ Graphics and Visual Communication Design Award Winner
Calendar 2013 “Rocking Chair” Calendar by Katsumi Tamura, 2012 - 2013 Platinum A’ Graphics and Visual Communication Design Award Winner
Winetime Seafood Packaging by Olga Takhtarova, 2019 - 2020 Platinum A’ Packaging Design Award Winner
“Winetime Seafood is a new series of fish and other seafood products that combines more than 10 products: wild dorado, salmon, European bass, Nile perch, scallops, octopus, tiger shrimps, etc. The technology of shock (quick) freezing allows the products to preserve the structure, nutritional value, and maximum taste.”
Winetime Seafood Packaging by Olga Takhtarova, 2019 - 2020 Platinum A’ Packaging Design Award Winner
“Each item of the series has its own separate visual element—an image and an inscription—which allows the buyer to understand easily what he or she has got: an octopus, perch, shrimp or other. This approach, on one hand, preserves the unity of brand perception, and on the other hand, makes a specific product search simpler. Three main brand colors chosen by the designer are deep blue, the color of the deep sea, bright orange; the company color, and pure white,a symbol of freshness. A sans-serif font compliments the overall picture.”
Dance Anatomy Ring and Earrings by Ksenia Zagaynova, 2019 - 2020 Platinum A’ Jewelry, Eyewear and Watch Design Award Winner
“The Dance Anatomy collection was inspired by contemporary dance. In this work I studied the fixed positions of dancers and the processes existing in their bodies. For example, some muscles are tense and some are relaxed, others are stretched.”
Dance Anatomy Ring and Earrings by Ksenia Zagaynova, 2019 - 2020 Platinum A’ Jewelry, Eyewear and Watch Design Award Winner
“I have translated these processes into the simplified graphic language and came up with the forms and silhouettes that further became wearable objects (earrings, pendants, rings).”
Dance Anatomy Ring and Earrings by Ksenia Zagaynova, 2019 - 2020 Platinum A’ Jewelry, Eyewear and Watch Design Award Winner
“The Dance Anatomy collection represents a reinterpretation of the human body. The lines and shapes look bionic and could remind any other organic creatures.”
Dance Anatomy Ring and Earrings by Ksenia Zagaynova, 2019 - 2020 Platinum A’ Jewelry, Eyewear and Watch Design Award Winner
Unream Voxel Printed Lamp by Jiani Zeng and Honghao Deng, 2019 - 2020 Platinum A’ 3D Printed Forms and Products Design Award Winner
“Unream is the first 3D-printed object that displays dynamically by itself. With the most advanced multi-material voxel printing technology, we create 'dream-like9; materials that used to exist only in the digital world. Covered by lenticular lenses, Unream is a daytime artifact and night lamp revealing dynamic colors in different viewing angles.”
Unream Voxel Printed Lamp by Jiani Zeng and Honghao Deng, 2019 - 2020 Platinum A’ 3D Printed Forms and Products Design Award Winner
“With Unream, we reimagined the relationship between human, space, and objects by expanding binary material presence to dynamic material experience.”
Unream Voxel Printed Lamp by Jiani Zeng and Honghao Deng, 2019 - 2020 Platinum A’ 3D Printed Forms and Products Design Award Winner
“There are increasing conversations around interactive and responsive materials, most of them require additional medium like electronic input… With multi-material 3D printing, we envision a future where designers can manipulate color, texture, and reflectivity of materials freely, creating objects with unique optical expressions that can be never achieved with other methods.”
Unream Voxel Printed Lamp by Jiani Zeng and Honghao Deng, 2019 - 2020 Platinum A’ 3D Printed Forms and Products Design Award Winner
Poise Adjustable Table Lamp by Dabi Robert, 2019 - 2020 Platinum A’ Lighting Products and Lighting Projects Design Award Winner
“Minimal, contemporary and flexible are often used terms in my design language. My lamp concepts involve a certain amount of interaction in order to modify the way light is perceived. This should encourage curiosity and human interaction with the light source, instead of just putting it somewhere to rest. I strive for a deeper relationship to the interior product.”
Poise Adjustable Table Lamp by Dabi Robert, 2019 - 2020 Platinum A’ Lighting Products and Lighting Projects Design Award Winner
“A glowing circle that freely levitates around a line. By changing the position, POISE can have a dynamic or static appeal. POISE has three swivel joints, which allows full flexibility. The heavy T-base serves as counterweight to the very slim and light arm and ring, allowing the lamp to always remain balanced in poise.”
Poise Adjustable Table Lamp by Dabi Robert, 2019 - 2020 Platinum A’ Lighting Products and Lighting Projects Design Award Winner
Superegg Sculpture Installation by Jaco Roeloffs, 2019 - 2020 Platinum A’ Arts, Crafts and Ready-Made Design Award Winner
“The sculpture represents the rapid multiplying of single use coffee capsules, which symbolises human convenience and its impact on our environment. At the heart of the object is the geometric 'superegg' shape, combined with the capsules, it presents the contributions of hundreds of coffee consumers.”
Superegg Sculpture Installation by Jaco Roeloffs, 2019 - 2020 Platinum A’ Arts, Crafts and Ready-Made Design Award Winner
“Modern consumer product packaging can be irresponsible to nature and the human connection with it. This sculpture reveals the beauty and harmonious co-existence of humans and nature, made possible by thought-provoking art. Combining the core elements of art, the levitated Superegg creates a visceral experience that engages the viewer from all angles and distances.”
Superegg Sculpture Installation by Jaco Roeloffs, 2019 - 2020 Platinum A’ Arts, Crafts and Ready-Made Design Award Winner
Superegg Sculpture Installation by Jaco Roeloffs, 2019 - 2020 Platinum A’ Arts, Crafts and Ready-Made Design Award Winner
Chongqing Zhongshuge Bookstore by Xiang Li, 2019 - 2020 Platinum A’ Interior Space and Exhibition Design Award Winner
“As one of the largest inland [cities] of mountains and rivers in the world, Chongqing is a city full of surprises and wonderful and charming corners. Since ancient times, its landscape and numerous historical sites have attracted many ancient writers and calligraphers… [the] designer intended to present the splendid landscape of Chongqing in the bookstore.”
Chongqing Zhongshuge Bookstore by Xiang Li, 2019 - 2020 Platinum A’ Interior Space and Exhibition Design Award Winner
Chongqing Zhongshuge Bookstore by Xiang Li, 2019 - 2020 Platinum A’ Interior Space and Exhibition Design Award Winner
Chongqing Zhongshuge Bookstore by Xiang Li, 2019 - 2020 Platinum A’ Interior Space and Exhibition Design Award Winner
Malangen Retreat Family retreat by Snorre Stinessen, 2017 - 2018 Platinum A’ Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award Winner
“Inspiration was mainly drawn from the landscape, the orientation in relation to views, privacy and the sun, but also strongly from the client’s wish to entertain guests and family visiting over longer periods. The design seeks to emphasize the closeness to nature while allowing a comfortable stay indoors and it also seeks to underline the transition between spaces and activities we normally are too busy to appreciate.
Malangen Retreat Family retreat by Snorre Stinessen, 2017 - 2018 Platinum A’ Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award Winner
Malangen Retreat Family retreat by Snorre Stinessen, 2017 - 2018 Platinum A’ Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award Winner
Phuket VIP Mercury Studio Office by Songhuan Wu, 2019 - 2020 Platinum A’ Interior Space and Exhibition Design Award Winner
“Inspired by the designer's [interest in] cosmic astronomy, the designer tried to integrate the aesthetics of the planet… [with] circular elements and arcs.”
Phuket VIP Mercury Studio Office by Songhuan Wu, 2019 - 2020 Platinum A’ Interior Space and Exhibition Design Award Winner
Phuket VIP Mercury Studio Office by Songhuan Wu, 2019 - 2020 Platinum A’ Interior Space and Exhibition Design Award Winner
Phuket VIP Mercury Studio Office by Songhuan Wu, 2019 - 2020 Platinum A’ Interior Space and Exhibition Design Award Winner
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