For over two decades, Dutch Design Awards (DDA) has celebrated designers who push boundaries, reimagine futures, and shape the role of design in society. With the new Emerging Talent Award, we recognise designers who embody bold imagination, creative courage, and the power of collaboration—those who reframe what design can achieve today and tomorrow.

This year, three promising designers will each receive a €10,000 award and personal guidance within the Dutch Design Week programme, offering them both recognition and support to further develop their practice.

Help us celebrate the designers shaping the future of design. By nominating a talent, you help pass on the baton—connecting past and future, and keeping the conversation on Dutch design alive and evolving.

The award is made possible with support from the Keep an Eye Foundation, which champions emerging creative talent.

In 2025, DDA introduces the Next Emerging Talent Award as part of a renewed commitment to spotlighting the transformative role of design. Together with partners and the design community, we are shaping a future where emerging voices are celebrated not only for their potential, but for their impact.

The jury of Dutch Design Awards (DDA) 2025 is chaired by Borre Akkersdijk (BYBORRE®), who has composed a team that reflects a wide range of today’s design landscape. Together, they evaluate the work of emerging designers under 35 who stand out for their vision, social engagement, or multidisciplinary approach.

Jury Members

• Borre Akkersdijk – Jury Chair / Textile 
  Textile innovator and founder of BYBORRE®, shaping the dialogue on material, sustainability, and design.
• Johan Kramer – Film & Advertising
  Director and co-founder of KesselsKramer, known for socially driven storytelling and cultural impact.
  
• Nathalie van Sasse van Ysselt – Digital Design & Innovation
  Creative director based in Los Angeles, exploring immersive design and experiences such as the Sphere in Las Vegas.
• Samir Bantal – Architecture & Society
  Architect and director at AMO/OMA, working at the intersection of spatial design, community, and technology.
• Guillaume Schmidt – Culture & Streetwear
  Co-founder of Patta, internationally recognised for cultural influence and social engagement.

The award is open to designers and design studios who:

• Are under the age of 35
• Are based, educated, or practicing in the Netherlands
• The designer’s projects may have either a national or international scope.
• To be eligible, the nominated designer/collective must have been active in the field between April 1, 2024 and April 1, 2025.

Nominated designers and design studios have to:

• Demonstrate a coherent portfolio with depth, vision, and evolution
• Show a boundary-pushing approach that challenges the status quo
• Embrace a broad understanding of design across disciplines and contexts
• Carry the potential to influence the field in meaningful ways

Help us celebrate the designers shaping the future of design. By nominating a talent, you are helping to pass on the baton—connecting past and future, and keeping the conversation on Dutch design alive and evolving.

Nominate Now!