OBJECTIVE
The "Taipei Design Award" has entered its 18th year. With the vision of "making design the driving force to shape a better future", by bringing together the creativity of diverse cultures, it has become an important tool to promote urban progress, promote industrial development and improve the quality of life. strength. Through this design competition, designers and creative talents from all over the world are attracted to participate, shaping Taipei’s future city image and enhancing Taipei’s design visibility.
In order to promote the development of sustainable cities and at the same time strengthen the close link between the Taipei Design Award brand and Taipei City, the "Taipei Impact Design Award" had been established in 2023. With the theme of "Sustainability and Inclusion", it will collect works that will solve the problems of Taipei City, Improve the quality of life of citizens or the sustainable city topics, and encourage design to be included in Innovative concepts such as sustainable development, resilient cities, net zero carbon emissions, humanistic care, and shared inclusion.
The Taipei Design Award is not only a competition, but also a platform for creative exchange and design sharing, promoting cross-domain dialogue and co-creation of a better life, thereby driving the value upgrade of the entire industry chain.
Note:
◆ The competition was known as Taipei Industrial Design Award between 2008 and 2011, re-named in 2012 as Taipei International Design Award, and re-named again in 2022 as Taipei Design Award, and has been so called since then.
◆ The " Taipei Impact Design Award " brochure will be announced separately.
ORGANIZERS
Directed by: Taipei City Government
Organized by: Department of Economic Development, Taipei City Government
Executed by: China Productivity Center
Endorsed / Collaborated (Recognized) by:
◆ International Council of Design（ICoD）
◆ International Federation of Interior Architects/Designers（IFI）
◆ World Design Organization（WDO）
◆ iF Design Award
Collaborators:
◆ Taiwan Design Alliance
◆ Taiwan Graphic Design Association
◆ Chinese Industrial Designers Association
◆ Chinese Society of Interior Designers
◆ The Graphic Design Association of the Republic of China
◆ Taiwan Poster Design Association
◆ Taiwan Interactive and Experiential Design Association
QUALIFICATIONS
◆ Everyone around the world are welcomed to participate individually or as a group with one member as main correspondent.
◆ Entries must be original creations of the contestants completed after January 1, 2023.
CATEGORIES
◆ Industrial Design
Industrial design refers to design works that can be mass-produced, including general and digital application, Transportation tools, equipment and instruments, daily utilities and household goods, IT and home appliances, etc.
◆ Visual Communication Design
Visual communication includes immersive experience creation (including commercial curation/public art), designs of digital graphic creations, identity, posters, packaging and printing.
◆ Public Space Design
Open space provided for public use, government buildings, and private establishments that are partially provided for public use.
TIMELINE
Start of Registration: 2025/4/28｜Online registration and uploading works: https://taipeidaward.taipei
Registration Deadline: 2025/7/31｜Taipei time 23:59（GMT+08:00）
Preliminary Selection & Review Online: 2025/8/5 - 9/3
Announcement of Finalists: 2025/9/5｜The announcement will be public in event’s website.
Deadline for Submission of Final Works/Mockups：2025/9/5 - 10/5｜Taipei time 17:00 (GMT+08:00)
Final Selection: 2025/10/29 - 10/30
Award Ceremony: Scheduled for the end of November｜Award winners will be announced at the award ceremony and on the event’s website. The venue will be announced at a later date.
Note: Dates and venues may change based on the organizer’s decision. Please visit our website for latest updates.
PROCESS: ONLINE REGISTRATION AND SUBMISSION OF ENTRIES
Register online
◆ Please register for a new account or log in.（https://taipeidaward.taipei）
◆ Please complete the online submission process by filling out the entry form and uploading the entry file before the deadline.
◆ Please enter into the registration form your email address correctly in order to receive event-related information from the event executor.
Descriptive Information
◆ The title of the work (in English, supplemented by other languages).
◆ Description of the creative concept of the work (in English, supplemented by other languages; 1,200 characters or less in English, 500 words or less in Chinese and other languages).
Images
◆ Maximum 5 images of the work can be uploaded.
◆ The image format is jpg, the recommended size is 1190 pixels wide x 840 pixels high, the resolution is 96 dpi or higher than 150 dpi or lower, and the file size should not exceed 3MB.
◆ If you use AI to create your work, you must provide a full description of your work.
◆ If there is a movie or animation to illustrate your work, please provide a link to watch the movie in the description field (please provide a short URL), and set the permission to be shared.
Note: Please ensure that the images of the entries can fully present the design concept and quality in order for jurors to comprehend the work content.
PROCESS: FINALIST SUBMISSION
Digital Information
◆ The description of the creative concept of the work to be used for the editing of the award-winning special issue should be in English, supplemented by other languages, and should not exceed 500 words in any language.
◆ Original images of the work: The patterns and number of images are consistent with the online submission.
◆ Image files should be in TIFF or JPG format, with a color format of CMYK. The length of the longer side should not exceed 3,508 pixels, and the resolution should be at least 300 dpi.
◆ Designer’s photo (limited to 1 image).
Actual works
Industrial Design
◆ 2 pictures of the works, layout output mounted in A1 size, both horizontal and vertical.
◆ If already mass-produced, the work can be submitted as it is.
◆ If not yet mass-produced, the work can be submitted as mockups in a scale of 1:1 ratio or a scale-down miniature in proportion to the original, and under the bulk volume, within 40 x 40 x 40 (cm3) and 100 x 100 x 100 (cm3).
◆ Animation or video of each perspective of the work can be submitted. Please provide a link to download the video and set the permission to share. The video format is mp4 with a resolution of 1080 p or higher.format is mp4 with a resolution of 1080 p or higher.
Visual Communication Design
◆ For poster design, you may submit framed originals or export them for framing in A1 size, up to 3 sheets, straight and horizontal.
◆ For identification design, printing design and integrated prints, please submit either the actual product or the layout and mounting in A1 size, up to 3 sheets, both horizontal and vertical.
◆ For packaging design, please submit the actual product.
◆ If the work is an immersive experience (including commercial exhibition/public art)/digital creation/animation work, or the above works have other related application field videos, please provide a link to download the video and set the permission to share. The video format is mp4 with a resolution of 1080 p or higher.
Public Space Design
◆ 5 pictures of the works, layout output mounted in A1 size, both horizontal and vertical.
◆ The work can be submitted as a mockup in a scale of 1:1 ratio or a scale-down miniature in proportion to the original, and under the bulk volume, within 40 x 40 x 40 (cm3) and 100 x 100 x 100 (cm3) or an animation in the format of mp4 with the length of 90 seconds or less and the size of 1080 pixels or above.
◆ It is recommended that you provide a video of your work. Please provide a link to download the video and set the permission to share. The video format is mp4 with a resolution of 1080p or higher.
Note:
◆ In order to present the value and influence of the works more comprehensively, a non-mandatory Demonstration video has been added to the final judging stage. Participants can evaluate whether to provide it.
Video content highlights:
(1) The actual implementation and influence of design concepts: explain how design solves problems and creates value.
(2) Application scenarios, implementation methods and market potential of implemented works: Demonstrate the actual application scenarios and future development possibilities of the works.
How to submit your video:
(1) The video must be provided via a cloud link (please ensure the link is publicly accessible).
(2) Video length: Maximum 3 minutes.
◆ Framed artwork will be used for display after the final round of judging. Please mark on the back of 2 of the framed artworks for display.
◆ Contestants are solely responsible for damage caused during transportation of their entries. To protect the work during transportation, please firmly pack the works with re-detachable packaging materials and supports and purchase insurance for the works. The organizer or event executor will not be liable for any damage caused by improper packaging during transportation, final selection, and exhibition.
◆ Participants are responsible for confirming and paying for all logistics and customs declaration documents and fees (including but not limited to import and export tariffs, insurance premiums, etc.), and the organizer and the executive unit will not be responsible for handling the relevant applications and paying the relevant fees on behalf of the participants. Participants will be responsible for any disqualification due to any delay in the submission of entries due to logistics or customs clearance.
SELECTION PROCESS
Principle for Judge Panel:
◆ The organizer should invite local and international experts as judge panel. The judge panel for each category will consist of experts who come from more than two different continents and nationalities.
◆ The organizer reserves the right to change the members of the judge panel if members are unable to participate in the selection process due to illness or unforeseeable circumstances.
Method of Selection:
◆ Inspection of Qualifications: The details of entries, including qualifications, documents, and formats, are inspected.
◆ Preliminary Selection & Review: The preliminary selection will be conducted by submission of digital files via an online system. Qualified entries in each category will be selected as finalists.
◆ Final Selection: The final selection will be based on the actual physical works, mockups, animations or printouts that meet required specifications.
Evaluation Criteria:
Applicability:
◆ Mass-producible and commercially viable
◆ Use of new materials to reduce pollution and solve daily life hassles.
◆ User-friendly.
Creativity:
◆ Discover new requirements and integrate across domains.
◆ Creativity, innovation.
Functionality:
◆ Innovative application of functions, materials and techniques.
◆ Sophistication of design works.
Aesthetics:
◆ Visual attraction and aesthetical interpretation.
Note:
◆ The organizer guarantees that the judging process will be conducted in a fair and impartial procedure and guarantees that it will not influence the judge panel during the judging process.
◆ The juror’s decision is final and abiding. No third party correspondence (jury and contestants) will change the decision.
PRIZES
◆ Grand Prize (NTD600,000): One winner in each of the four categories: Industrial Design, Visual Communication Design, Public Space Design and Taipei Impact Design Award.
◆ Golden Award (NTD500,000): One winner in each of the three categories of Industrial Design, Visual Communication Design and Public Space Design, totaling three winners.
◆ Gold Award (NTD 250,000): Taipei Impact Design Award , totaling 3 winners.
◆ Silver Award (NTD200,000): One winner in each of the three categories of Industrial Design, Visual Communication Design and Public Space Design, totaling three winners.
◆ Bronze Award (NTD150,000): One winner in each of the three categories of Industrial Design, Visual Communication Design and Public Space Design, totaling three winners.
◆ ICoD Excellence Award (NTD30,000): Visual Communication Design category, totaling 1 winner.
◆ IFI Special Award (NTD30,000): Public Space Design category, totaling 1 winner.
◆ WDO Sustainability Award (NTD30,000): Industrial Design category, totaling 1 winner.
◆ Circular Design Award (NTD130,000): One winner will be selected from the Industrial Design, Visual Communication Design and Public Space Design categories.
◆ Social Innovation Award (NTD130,000): One winner will be selected from the Industrial Design, Visual Communication Design and Public Space Design categories.
◆ Judges’ Special Award (NTD30,000): One winner in each of the three categories of Industrial Design, Visual Communication Design and Public Space Design, totaling three winners.
◆ Distinction: Several per category
◆ Sponsors Award: To be adjusted according to the total sponsorship.
Note:
◆ The Grand Prize is the highest honorary award selected from all the finalists of Taipei Design Award and the finalists of the "Taipei Impact Design Award".
◆ Aside from the cash prize, the Grand Prize /Golden Award/Silver Award/Bronze Award/ ICoD Excellence Award / IFI Special Award / WDO Sustainability Award /Circular Design Award/ Social Innovation Award /Judges’ Special Award winners will also receive a trophy and a certificate of recognition; Sponsors Award, and Distinction winners will receive a certificate of recognition.
◆ Winners will be authorized to use the Taipei Design Award’s annual logo for online/physical marketing, packaging, websites, advertising, exhibitions, product bodies, etc. of their winning works, and must comply with the official logo application manual. If violations occur, the organizer has the right to revoke the authorization.
◆ Each award can be "absent" or "adjusted" according to the quality of the entries after the final selection review meeting. The judge panel also reserves the right to change the prize or the award granted.
◆ The organizers and sponsors reserve the right to adjust the number for Sponsors Award
◆ The names of all the winners will be announced on the official website to allow businesses to contact them for future design projects.
DESCRIPTION OF SPECIAL AWARDS
Grand Prize:
This award is the highest honorary award selected from all finalists of the “Taipei Design Award” and “Taipei Impact Design Award”.
Social Innovation Award:
This is presented to the work designed under the premise of creating public interests and applying design thinking, given limited resources, to shed light on social issues pending urgent improvement, with innovation design approaches at the core to design the work with creativity and practical value, and to solve problems inevitably confronting the people, society or city, while exercising the impact of design.
Circular Design Award:
This is presented to the work that introduces new technology and new ideas into product manufacturing, use and disposal in order to give new life to the product and improve the efficiency of various resources.
REMINDER
Contestants:
◆ All contestants, regardless of whether they are professional designers, students or non-designers participate under the same rules and terms of this competition and have equal right to receive the same prizes.
◆ No extra fees will be charged for registration, exhibition of award winning works and inclusion in the themed journal.
◆ The intellectual property right should remain the property of the contestant.
◆ All works should be created by the contestant himself/herself. At the time of registration, the contestants should fully understand and agree to the “Intellectual Property Rights Disclaimer” and declare that the works do not infringe on the intellectual property rights of others.
◆ Before submission to the competition, it is the responsibility of the contestant to confirm and protect the design intellectual property of his/her work before exhibition in public.
◆ When registering and submitting an entry, the applicant has fully read and agreed to the content of the Handbook.
◆ The contestant fully understands that any personal information provided will be used in accordance with the organizer's privacy policy.
◆ For a smoother judging process, all entries are required to have an English work description to serve as reference for international judges.
◆ The contestant agrees to abide by the rules of the competition as determined by the organizer and accepts that the judges’ decision is final, and no correspondence will be entered into.
◆ The contestants understand that their applications, detail of works, and any promotional material may be used, reported, and displayed by the organizers in activities and propaganda related to the competition (e.g. propaganda, exhibition tours, and publishing or commissioned publishing).
◆ The work name, unit name, and designer name displayed in the special issue of the event, award certificate, and trophy are mainly based on the information provided by the contestants in the registration system. If contestants apply for change in the work name, unit name, or designer name, they should bear the costs of changes in the certificates and trophies. Once the award winners are announced, no information can be changed, including website announcements and special issues.
◆ When contestants win the Grand Prize, Golden Award/Silver Award/Bronze Award, the ownership of the mockups (or actual physical works) submitted will be transferred to Taipei City Government.
◆ The remaining works to be returned will be arranged after the completion of the relevant annual activities of the competition (around Dec.), and the works such as models or real products will be returned by one of the following two ways: delivery (contestants need to bear the logistics and various customs clearance fees) and self-collection (relevant information will be announced separately). During the returning process, if there may be issues such as customs factors of the contestant's country, no recipient of the delivery, wrong phone number / receiving address, etc. which are not related to the organizer or the execution unit, the related expenses of making the delivery again will be borne by the contestant.
◆ The contestant fully understands and agrees to cooperate with the organizer and the event executor regarding the return of works and the transfer of ownership.
◆ The contestant should provide all reasonable information and actual production samples of the entry (if required) for further examination and exhibition as required.
◆ Information of contestants will be provided for Taipei City Government to promote and coach the design industry.
Award Winners:
◆ The final list of award winners will be confirmed by the judge panel and the event executor will announce the award winners in the award ceremony.
◆ Each award can be "absent" or "adjusted" according to the quality of the entries after the final selection review meeting. The judge panel also reserves the right to change the prize or the award granted.
◆ The winning design team (except for Distinction and Sponsors Award) will receive a trophy. If the team has additional needs, it can propose to the organizer for additional ones at its own expense. The number of applications for additional purchase is limited to the number of contestants within the team during registration (including the design unit and manufacturer/owner of the work).
◆ Cash and prizes are subject to income tax withholding according to the Income Tax Act of the Republic of China. Taipei City Government will process the payment within 2-4 months after the announcement of the list of award winners.
◆ The organizer will process related foreign exchanges. To ensure timely payment, award winners are required to provide correct bank account information.
◆ The prize money does not include acquiring of designer's intellectual property right.
◆ The names of all winners will be placed on the official website to allow businesses to contact them for future design projects.
◆ It is not intended that the winning design be reproduced by the organizer.
◆ There is no design development and therefore no fee by the organizer.
◆ Winners of the Grand Prize, Gold, Silver and Bronze awards in various categories, if they are contestants or teams from non-hosting countries, have the opportunity to be invited by the organizer to attend the award ceremony. The organizer will provide airfare, accommodation and other related expenses for one contestant or group representative.
◆ All award winners will be requested to provide additional files or information for exhibitions and publication use.
◆ In order to meet the specifications of International Competition, contestants may be asked to submit additional information/works.
◆ The organizer reserves the right to use the entries for promotional purposes for a period of three years after the announcement of winners. No commercial interest will be involved. The promotion plan includes propaganda, exhibition tours, publishing or commissioned publishing, and print and electronic media. Contestants should not claim for any payment.
◆ We only promote the winner’s design works. All non-winning works will not be used or published.
Disqualification:
◆ Contestants failing to submit the actual physical works, mockups, or electronic files required for the final selection before the deadline will be disqualified.
◆ Any entry on the final list, or awarded entry accused and/or exposed with sufficient evidence, for being completed before January 1, 2022, the event executor should withdraw its place and retrieve all prizes awarded.
◆ Any entry on the final list, or awarded entry accused and/or exposed with sufficient evidence, for unoriginality or infringement of other people’s work, the event executor should withdraw its place and retrieve all prizes awarded.
◆ Any entry on the final list, or awarded entry accused and/or exposed with sufficient evidence, for plagiarizing or infringing intellectual property rights and ruled guilty by the court of law, or where the judge panel deliberates based on obvious facts, the event executor should withdraw its place and retrieve all prizes awarded.
◆ If the above two cases cause a third party to claim rights against the organizer or the event executor, finalists and award winners should solve the issues immediately and bear all litigation expenses, attorney’s fees, and other related expenses; finalists and award winners should also unconditionally compensate the organizer or event executor for direct or indirect damage (including but not limited to reputation) arising therefrom.
◆ The design works of the judge panel and affiliated companies should not participate in the event. Contestants and their affiliated companies will automatically be disqualified if they participate in the judge panel.
For issues that arise after the Handbook is completed, the event executor is liable for making corrections or additions when necessary. All details to be announced on the official website.
Download 2025 Taipei Design Award Registration Guidelines
