#South Korea #Seoul #Sustainable Design #Seoul Design Award #2025 Entries

Final Call for Entries: Submit by June 30

The Seoul Design Foundation has issued a final reminder to designers across the globe as the submission period for the prestigious Seoul Design Award 2025 nears its close. Since its inception, this award has become a hallmark of innovation, drawing increasing participation, which has soared from 75 submissions in 2019 to an impressive 575 submissions from 65 countries in 2024.

The 2025 edition emphasizes alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), featuring new categories that include Health & Peace, Equal Opportunities, Energy & Environment, and Cities & Communities. In a significant expansion of its eligibility criteria, the competition now welcomes not only individual designers but also organizations, groups, and companies looking to contribute to meaningful design solutions.

This year, the Seoul Design Award will honor 61 winners, significantly up by 38 from the previous year. In total, 150 million KRW in cash prizes will be awarded, including a 50 million KRW Grand Prize, 10 million KRW for each of the nine Best of the Best winners, and 5 million KRW for Concept Award recipients.

The awards are categorized into three main segments:

• - Main Awards for completed projects or products,
• - Concept Awards for prototypes or unreleased design proposals, which now encourages submissions from university students,
• - An Honorary Award recognizing outstanding international contributions to sustainable design.

Furthermore, two special prizes will be given to acknowledge excellence in inter-organizational collaboration. Notably, for the first time, the award will feature live judging to select the Grand Prize winner. The top 10 finalists will present their work in front of both jurors and the public, adding an exciting, interactive dimension to the evaluation process.

This year, the jury has expanded to include 32 members from over 20 countries. The panel features distinguished scholars and practitioners, such as:

• - Ezio Manzini from Italy, President of DESIS and a renowned figure in design for social innovation;
• - Patricia Moore from the USA, President of Moore Design Associates;
• - Pradyumna Vyas from India, the incoming President of the WDO;
• - Dawn Lim from Singapore, Executive Director of Design Singapore Council;
• - Kun-Pyo Lee from Korea, Professor of UX Design at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University;
• - EunSook Kwon from Korea, Chair of Industrial Design at Georgia Institute of Technology.

Kangheui Cha, CEO of the Seoul Design Foundation, emphasized the award's vision: "The Seoul Design Award serves as a platform to celebrate designs that foster a harmonious coexistence between people, society, and nature. Our goal is to discover and elevate innovative ideas that inspire real change."

Key Details:

• - Submission Period: March 17 to June 30, 2025, 3:00 PM KST
• - Language: English only
• - Award Ceremony: Scheduled for October 2025 at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP)

For more information and to submit your entry, visit www.seouldesignaward.or.kr.
Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to showcase your work and contribute to the global design narrative!