Seoul Design Award

Call for Entry

Here is the detailed information about the application and screening process
for the Seoul Design Award.

Design projects in all fields realized within
5 years by Individual designers, or groups and
enterprises who contributed to a more
sustainable and harmonious future between
people and people, people and society, people
and the environment, and people and nature.

Seoul Design Award 2026

Key Dates for 2026
(Korean Standard Time)

01	Submission Period	March 30 (Mon) – June 30 (Tue), 3PM
02	Screening Period	July – September
03	Citizen Vote	September
04	Award Ceremony & Conference	October 14(Wed) (TBA)

Award

Award Details
(60+ winners, 150,000,000KRW prize money in total) ※ The prize money includes taxes

[Area 1] Main Award
(Design projects realized within the past 5 years)

40winners

Grand Prize * (Selected from the Top10)	1 winner	50,000,000 KRW
*The Grand Prize winner will be selected from the Top 10 based on votes from judges and citizens.
Best of the Best (Top10)	9 winners	10,000,000 KRW (each)
Finalist	30 winners	-
designboom Special Prize	3 winners	-

[Area 2] Young Designer Award
(Design project realization methods)

20 winners

Best of the Best	2 winners	5,000,000 KRW (each)
Finalist	18 winners	-

[Area 3] ESG Design Impact Award ※ Nominated by the jury

0 winners

Corporate projects in sustainable design

0 winners

Winner Benefits

[Benefits for All Winners]

- E-Certificate
- Permanent use of the award logo
- Global expert feedback
- Invitation to the award ceremony and networking party
- Promotion through the global "Press Day" event
- Global promotion through newsletter, social media, etc.
- Archiving on the award website
- Introduction in the Archiving Book

[Additional Benefits for 12 Best of the Best Winners]

- Total prize money of 150 million KRW
- Invitation to speak at the International Design Conference
(only for the Top10 Main Award winners)
- 3-night hotel accommodation
- Partial support for round-trip airfare

[Additional Benefits for 3 designboom
Special Prize Winners]

- Winner features on designboom
* All winners who attend the ceremony in person will receive a special trophy.

Screening Criteria

Everyday Problems

Does the project address challenges
for sustainable daily life, aiming
to foster harmony among people,
society, and the environment?

Creative Solution

Does the design offer a creative
approach to solving the problem?

*Feasibility of
Design Concept (*Applicable to Area 2 only)

Does the concept propose a feasible
method of realization based
on the expected user experience?

Social Impact

Does the design’s solution
ripple into society?

Vision for the Future

Does it present a forward-looking
vision that can be scaled globally?

Social Impact

Does the design’s solution
ripple into society?

*Feasibility of Design Research (*Applicable to Area 2 only)

Does the research propose a feasible
method of realization based
on the expected user experience?

Vision for the Future

Does it present a forward-looking
vision that can be scaled globally?

Screening Process

1st round screening

(July - August)

2nd round screening

(August - September)

Final Screening / Voting

(September)

Announcement

※ Additional documentation and interviews may be requested during the screening process
※ The final winners will be announced after all verification processes is completed
※ Top 10 teams will give online presentations, followed by public voting and the jury’s final evaluation.
※ The Grand Prize winner among the top 10 teams will be announced at the Award Ceremony in October

Introduction

※ Please confirm the English notice for details of the announcement.

Download

ENTER NOW

Note

Detailed submission guidelines are provided in the FAQ section on the website. (The FAQs will be continuously updated as necessary)
All responsibility for submitted documents remains with the applicant(s); documents received by the Secretariat will not be returned.
Entries will be disqualified and awards may be revoked in the following circumstances:
- The content of the submitted documents differ from the facts or are found to be false.
- The submission violates intellectual property rights, including copyrights and the design rights of a third party. This can include engaging in plagiarism, illegal copying, or not citing sources.
Copyright for the materials submitted at the time of entry belongs to the applicant(s); the host (Seoul Metropolitan Government), organizer(Seoul Design Foundation) and Media Channels may use the submitted work for publicity purposes (exhibitions, events, publications, etc.).
Even if the project was carried out in the name of an official organization, the individual/organization that actually executed the project is subject to the screening process.
All schedules for screening, awarding, and announcements are subject to change with the circumstances of the organizer.
Submitted materials and related information may be shared with designboom for the screening and selection process of the ‘designboom Special Prize’.

Inquiries Seoul Design Award Secretariat (Mon ~ Fri, 10:00 ~ 17:00 KST)