Design competitions to keep an eye on in 2026

In 2026, design competitions are no longer just awards, but true cultural, industrial, and media platforms. Between long-established institutions and emerging creative geographies, the international landscape offers numerous opportunities for designers and studios looking to engage with global contexts and diverse visions of design. Here is a curated selection of design competitions to keep an eye on in 2026—each one able to capture different languages, disciplines, and approaches, offering concrete opportunities for designers to stand out.
 

PureAura | 2023 by Lingnan University, Tuen Mun, NT, Hong Kong

Good Design Awards®
With more than seventy years of history, the Good Design Awards® remain one of the most authoritative recognitions on the international design scene. Promoted by the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design, the award celebrates projects distinguished by formal quality, technological innovation, and functional value—from everyday products to major industrial and research icons. The categories span a broad range, from furniture and lighting to materials and electronics, as well as sustainable systems and solutions for contemporary living. Selected projects become part of the Official Good Design Yearbook and are showcased in international exhibitions and events. Submissions for the 2026 edition close on June 1.
 

© Africa International Design Awards

Africa International Design Awards (AIDA Awards)
There is time until March 31, 2026, to enter the Africa International Design Awards (AIDA Awards), which address designers, studios, companies, and collectives operating in Africa or developing projects deeply connected to the continent. Organized by the 3C Awards Group, the competition highlights design solutions capable of responding to local community challenges, while maintaining a strong focus on innovation and global relevance. Categories range from spatial and product design to communication and fashion, welcoming completed projects, prototypes, or concepts developed in recent years. It is an opportunity to give international visibility to design practices rooted in local contexts yet oriented toward the future. The deadline to apply is March 31, 2026.
 

CBRE GmbH LIVING BERLIN, Berlin, Germany

Red Dot Design Award
Registrations are currently still open for the 2026 edition of one of the most coveted and well-known international awards: the Red Dot Design Award. For decades, it has been a benchmark for designers, studios, and companies worldwide. The award is structured around three distinct fields, reflecting the complexity and diversity of contemporary design: Product Design, dedicated to industrial products and solutions; Brands & Communication Design, focused on visual identities, communication, and brand systems; and Design Concept, aimed at experimental projects and future-oriented visions. Each discipline is an independent competition, held annually and judged by international juries based on criteria including formal quality, innovation, functionality, and cultural impact. Awarded projects gain extensive visibility through exhibitions, publications, and official Red Dot platforms, reinforcing the prize’s status as one of the most authoritative on the global design stage.
 

© NY Product Design Awards

NY Product Design Awards & NY Architectural Design Awards
The NY Product Design Awards and the NY Architectural Design Awards 2026, promoted by the International Awards Associate (IAA), invite designers, architects, and international studios to submit projects that interpret the present and anticipate the future. The two competitions—complementary yet independent—cover a wide spectrum of disciplines, from product design and furniture to architecture and interiors, as well as urban design and mobility. At the core of the 2026 edition is the idea of innovation as a concrete tool, capable of combining creativity, functionality, and attention to environmental and social impact. Participating means engaging with an international platform and gaining global visibility, along with the recognition embodied by the Ava statuette, a symbol of the transformative potential of design. Submissions are open until March 18, 2026.
 

© Tokyo Interior Design Awards

Tokyo Design Awards
The Tokyo Design Awards 2026 call on designers, studios, and professionals to imagine new beginnings and forward-looking design visions. The international competition promoted by the International Awards Associate (IAA) is open to projects that explore the role of design as a force for change—from architecture and interiors to product design and emerging creative disciplines. Categories range from architecture and landscape to lighting, furniture, packaging, and transportation design. Taking part means joining an international platform that offers global visibility through digital and social channels, along with the symbolic recognition of the Kira statuette, representing the creative spark at the origin of every project. The deadline to submit is March 12.