Organizer Information
The German Design Award is organized by the German Design Council (Rat für Formgebung), a non-profit foundation founded in 1953 at the initiative of the German Bundestag to strengthen German industry's competitiveness through design. Established in the wake of critical reception of German products at a 1949 New York export trade show, the Council has operated for over 70 years as one of the world's leading centres of expertise for design, supporting companies in developing their brands and design strategy through competitions, exhibitions, conferences, and publications. It is based in Frankfurt am Main and today counts more than 300 members spanning industry, design, associations, and institutions. The German Design Award itself is the Council's international design competition, presented annually with an accompanying Award Show in Frankfurt.
Title & Description
German Design Award 2027
Submissions for the German Design Awards 2027 are open to companies, agencies, designers, and architects worldwide. Organized under the principle "Connecting Global Excellence," the award evaluates design not only on appearance but on how it performs in use, in process, and within larger systems — a perspective shaped by service design, where products are understood as part of services, communication as interaction, and spaces as sequences of use. Circular design is treated as a core evaluation criterion rather than an add-on: entrants are expected to demonstrate longevity, repairability, and material-cycle thinking in tangible terms, an approach developed in part with partners such as the Wuppertal Institute. The award also weighs how projects engage with technological change, including the use of artificial intelligence in design processes, alongside the growing importance of inclusion, participation, and societal impact as dimensions of design quality.
Categories
- Design
- Architecture
- Interior Design
- Industrial Design
- Graphic
- Typography
- Illustration
- AI
- Technology
- Fashion
- Multimedia
- New Media
Eligibility
- Open to companies, agencies, designers, and architects worldwide
- Eligible projects must have been published or launched within the last five years, with exceptions for the Design Classics & Re-editions and Start-up categories
- Concepts are also accepted, provided they take a clear stand and look toward the future
- Submission is limited to one discipline and one category per project
- Participation is possible either via formal nomination by the German Design Council or by direct, independent submission through the online portal
- Directly submitted projects are reviewed by an expert panel before being accepted for participation; if not accepted, no costs are incurred
Program Benefits & Awards
- International visibility through curated channels, media partnerships, and digital platforms
- Connection to a global network across design, business, and media
- Winners and Gold recipients receive a comprehensive service package including unlimited use of the award label, two personalized documents, a white paper and text blocks for press/social media, presentation in the online gallery with photo, credits, and link, access to extended marketing services, an invitation to the Award Show, professional photos at the photo wall, an official jury statement, and a free short video clip of the project
- Gold Package winners additionally receive display in the German Design Awards exhibition at the Award Show, a targeted Meta ad campaign, a physical Gold award sculpture, and on-stage presentation of the award
- A Support Program offers exemption from service fees for winning freelancers or small businesses with annual turnover under €100,000 in both 2024 and 2025, subject to a separate application by 4 September 2026
Application Fee
- Registration fee (per project, plus applicable VAT): €390 if registered by 12 June 2026; €490 if registered after 12 June 2026; €590 if registered after 11 September 2026
- Optional Nominee Package (for nominated projects wishing to publicize the nomination): €1,950 per project, plus VAT
- Service fees apply only in the event of a win, and vary by award level and discipline: Winner Package — €3,000 (Communications Design), €3,500 (Architecture), €4,500 (Product Design); Gold Package — €4,000 (Communications Design), €4,500 (Architecture), €5,500 (Product Design), all plus VAT
- Additional service fees apply if an award is also given in an additional category (e.g. Circular Design, Service Design)
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Call for Entries: 22 April 2026
- Early-Bird Registration Deadline: 12 June 2026
- Submission / Early-Bird Deadline: 11 September 2026
- Support Program Application Deadline: 4 September 2026
- Final Registration Deadline: 1 October 2026
- Awards Show: 29 January 2027, in Frankfurt am Main
Location
Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Additional Details
- Registration takes approximately 25 minutes to complete online
- The jury places particular emphasis on sustainability: applicants are encouraged to clearly present certifications, sustainability reports, product/building passports, and circular-design approaches during submission
- Two additional higher-level categories — Circular Design and Service Design — can be selected alongside a project's main category, each carrying its own potential additional service fee if awarded
- Best-practice presentation examples are provided separately for Architecture, Communications Design, and Product Design entrants