The KOKUYO DESIGN AWARD is an international product design competition that’s all about imagining and creating the future together. It gathers proposals from all around the world and turns outstanding entries into commercial products. It is an international competition for product design that aims to co-create with talented designers and support their activities.
The KOKUYO DESIGN AWARD 2024 will be the 21st competition, and this time, They’ll be calling for works based on the theme “embrace.”
This word carries meanings like “inclusion” and “hugging.” In that same vein, they are looking for product design proposals that make people feel cheerful and positive by accepting and acknowledging the differences between people and the challenges society is facing.
Since its establishment, excellent product designs have been selected from entries that represent current social conditions, and award-winning works have been turned into commercial products through co-creation between KOKUYO developers and the award winners.
By delivering designs to the world that breathe new life into the tools you regularly use in your daily lives and at work as reliable products,
KOKUYO aims to support the future activities of designers and at the same time, bring you a tomorrow you can’t wait for. More than 20 years have passed since the founding of the award, and more than 20 products have been created to date. It is continuing to evolve as a project that conveys value reflecting the times, and not simply as something to be selected and awarded.
NUMBER OF SUBMISSIONS ALLOWED
Unlimited
* Entry eligibility is limited to those designs never before shown publicly (in Japan, and other countries).
JUDGING POINTS
- The idea’s clarity
- The idea highlights social issues
- The design’s potential to become a product
First Round of Judging
- Late October 2023
- Judgment based on the presentation sheet.
Second Round of Judging
- Late November 2023
- 10 finalists were selected from works that passed the First Round of Judging
Notification of Second-Round Results
- Mid-December 2023 (tentative)
- Only successful entrants will be contacted.
Final Judging and Awards Ceremony
- March 16, 2024 (tentative) (Held in Tokyo)
- Judgment based on a presentation and model (either online or in-person).
Announcement of the Winners
- March 16, 2024 (tentative)
- Winners will be posted on the KOKUYO DESIGN AWARD website after the conclusion of the official announcements.
* Schedule subject to change.
Location:
JapanBenefits
- Grand Prix (one from all entries) ¥2,000,000 (about $15,000)
- Merit Award (three from all entries) ¥500,000 (about $3,800) per winner
- YOKOKU Award (up to twenty winners) ¥30,000 (about $230) per winner
- The YOKOKU Award is a special award commemorating the 20th anniversary of the KOKUYO DESIGN AWARD. It will be awarded to selected student entrants as a way to support their future work.
Eligibilities
- Corporations, organizations, individuals, and groups are all welcome, regardless of age, sex, professional background, or nationality.
- Persons who are able to give a presentation at the final judging (March 16, 2024).
- Persons who consent to these Rules.
Application Process
- Step 1 (Register Your Entrant Information),
- Step 2 (Register Design Information),
- Step 3 (Submit Design) using the ENTRY pages on their website.
Application Deadline: October 11, 2023
Application ClosedOfficial link
