Competition
Dutch Design Awards (DDA) is one of the most important awards in the design industry, rewarding the very best in the field of Dutch design annually.
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Dutch Design Awards
Dutch Design Awards (DDA) is one of the most important awards in the design industry and annually shows and rewards the very best in the field of Dutch design. The competition includes open entries and scouted work in different categories. The six main categories consist of: Product, Fashion, Habitat, Communication, Design Research en Service&Systems. Young designers can register for the Young Designer Award, clients compete for the Best Client Award. The best from all the categories are awarded the INTERNATIONAL JURY AWARD and the PUBLIC AWARD will also be presented.
A particularly excellent lineup of winners for its national Dutch Design Awards is testament to the power of Dutch design.
Paola Antonelli, MoMA's Senior Curator of Architecture & Design
Categories
An overview of the categories of Dutch Design Awards.
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Product
Industrial design or limited editions that improve people’s lives and/or make life easier. By this we mean products for consumers, citizens and the B2B market. Think, for example, of products or objects for the working environment, living environment and the mobility of humans and/or animals, such as cars, boats, bikes, wheelchairs, walking frames, household appliances, lighting, furniture and accessories.
See past winners
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Communication
New media, or new applications of existing media that improve and/or alter communication in original ways. For example: infographics, web design and websites, interfaces of devices, electronic publications, apps, animations, illustrations, games, campaigns, signage, magazines, newspapers, books, letter fonts and printed communication tools.
See past winners
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Habitat
Design and furnishings for the private and public space that improve the quality of life. This includes the following components: interior designs (cultural such as museum exhibitions or commercial such as retail concepts) infrastructure, squares, streets, parks, signage, street furniture or furnishing elements for temporary manifestations.
See past winners
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Fashion
Fashion in which wearability is not a requirement. This includes collections, unique pieces, performances (online and offline), textiles, tapestries, shoes and accessories.
See past winners
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Design Research
Scenarios and concepts which, based on solid research, present an insight to the future. By this we mean speculative design, applied research, materials research and ideas that offer a perspective to new products/solutions. The emphasis lies on the research phase.
See past winners
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Service & Systems
Services and methods in which the designer creates added value in an innovative manner. These projects aim to provide citizens or consumers with new insights, to raise their awareness, or to guide or inform them. This includes a tangible (offline or online) result.
See past winners
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Best Client
This award is for clients who strategically make use of designers and design for the benefit of their company or institution. With this award good clientship is rewarded in relation to design. Important selection criteria are the level of professionalism, strategy, sustainability and innovation.
See past winners
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Keep an Eye
Young Designer AwardThe incentive award for young and talented designers that graduated no longer than five years ago. In the judging process the designer plays a central role; the jury assesses the quality of the entire portfolio.
See past winners
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BNO Piet Zwart Award
This lifetime achievement award is appointed by the Beroepsorganisatie Nederlandse Ontwerpers (BNO) and DDA to a designer who excels in one or more of the areas of expertise in which photographer, typographer, spacial and industrial designer Piet Zwart was active. The price is awarded once every two years. The next moment will be in 2019.
See past winners
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International Jury Award
The International Jury Award, formerly known as the Future Award, takes place in the first weekend of Dutch Design Week. In June the winners will be appointed by the Dutch jury. During Dutch Design Week, the international jury will meet and take note of the Dutch design top. Together, the international jury comes to a maximum of three projects which they reward with an international recognition; the International Jury Award
See past winners
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Public Award
The winner with most votes from the public will be rewarded with the Public Award. The audience can vote in the exhibition for the winners in the categories: Fashion, Product, Communication, Service & Systems, Habitat, Design Research, Best Client and Young Designer Award.
See past winners
Criteria
Each year, Dutch Design Awards presents and rewards the best in the field of Dutch design. In establishing a shortlist, DDA evaluates designs based on five criteria: aesthetics, impact, innovation, manufacturing method and cooperation.
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Aesthetics
The work is attractive and well made; the functionality is not overshadowed; displays a good balance of form and function.
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Impact
The work has a social usefulness; offers a solution to a problem; sets relevant changes in motion and/or brings them about.
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Innovation
The work has an innovative character; creates other or additional possibilities; contributes to a change process.
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Manufacturing process
The work is manufactured responsibly; evident professional use of materials and technologies; is produced sustainably and/or is high quality.
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Cooperation
The work originates from a cooperative venture; lays links beyond the scope of the designer’s working environment; has acquired added value through contributions from external parties.
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Criteria Best Client Award
The criteria for evaluation cover the entire professional cooperation between the designer and the client. The prize recognises the cooperation between the company and the designer and the degree to which clients deploy designers strategically for their company or institution. Factors that are considered here include: The approach to selection and briefing an appropriate agency, facilitating space for creativity, the position of design within the company, how design is linked to strategic objectives and ultimately anchoring of the results within the organisation.
The decisive factor in the judgement is the extent to which the design is innovative and/or makes a relevant contribution to society.
Calendar 2018
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March 8th
Competition for all categories is open from March 8th until April 26th 23:59h
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April 26th
Last day to apply your design. The deadline for all categories closes at 23.59.
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May
Committees come together to decide upon the winners of 2018.
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28 June
Awards Night. Announcing the winners in the main categories. An impression of the evening can be seen here.
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October 20 - 28
Exhibition with the work of all winners during Dutch Design Week at VEEM. The International Jury Awards (20 October) and Public Award (28 October) will be announced during Dutch Design Week.
Meet the Judges
A distinguished selection of experts scout, judge and select the winners in the field of design
- Floor van Ast
- Jago van Bergen
- Dagan Cohen
- Pieter Desmet
- Dennis Elbers
- Jeroen van Erp
- Nikki Gonnissen
- Ineke Hans
- Liesbeth in ’t Hout
- Gabrielle Kennedy
- Annemartine van Kesteren
- Jasper van Kuijk
- Klaas Kuitenbrouwer
- Koert van Mensvoort
- Els van der Plas
- Wendy Plomp
- Marijn van der Poll
- Branko Popovic
- Marieke Rietbergen
- Eva Ronhaar
- Mo Veld
- Richard Vijgen
- Linda Vlassenrood
- Hanka van der Voet
- Joffrey Walonker
- Ingrid Wendel
- Mascha van Zijverden
Scouts 2018
Selection Committees
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Fashion
Milou van Rossum
NRC Handelsblad
International jury
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Yuval Saar
Editor-in-chief and founder of Portfolio magazine
Advantages of participation
The competition, the Awards Show and the exhibition make the Dutch Design Awards a unique platform for Dutch design. DDA presents and rewards the best in the field of Dutch design and creates professional, public and media attention for the winners. DDA is part of the Dutch Design Foundation and forms the highlight of Dutch Design Week, that attracts more than 300,000 visitors a year.
PROFESSIONAL FEEDBACK
Professional committees featuring design experts, journalists, museum curators and company CEOs assess every submission and select the winners; an international jury appoints the winner of the Future Award.
BUILDING YOUR NAME OR BRAND
The award show and nine-day exhibition during Dutch Design Week have (inter)national appeal and present the finalists to fellow designers, media and the public at large.
PUBLICATIONS
The work of all the finalists will be published in the Dutch Design Gallery, and in our media partners’ publications (such as Dutch Design Daily, Dude (BNO), Elle Decoration, Archello, Fontanel, and Glamcult).
LOGO AND AWARD
A logo is available for all the winners for their website and social media. Winners will also receive the much-coveted Dutch Design Award.
MEDIA ATTENTION
Dutch Design Awards pursue an active PR policy. The shortlisted work will be brought to the attention of a broad (inter)national network through press releases, mailings and pitches. The nine-day exhibition is part of the Dutch Design Week press tour.
EXTRAS
All finalists will receive tickets for the Award Show and tickets providing access to the DDA exhibition and all Dutch Design Week venues.