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 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 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®). He has assembled a panel that reflects the richness of today’s design landscape. Together, they evaluate the work of emerging designers who stand out for their vision, social engagement, or multidisciplinary approach.

• Borre Akkersdijk — Jury Chair / Textile InnovatorTextile innovator and founder of BYBORRE®, shaping the dialogue on material, sustainability, and design.
• Samir Bantal — Architecture & SocietyArchitect and director at AMO/OMA, working at the intersection of spatial design, community, and technology.
• Sabine Marcelis &
  Paul Cournet — Design & Architecture (duo)Artist and designer Sabine Marcelis will be in the jury panel together with her partner Paul Cournet, who is an architect and founder of CLOUD, a multidisciplinary practice working in architecture, research and design.
• Johan Kramer — Film & AdvertisingFilm & advertisement director at Holy Fools, director and co-founder of KesselsKramer, known for socially driven storytelling and cultural impact.
• Nathalie van Sasse van Ysselt — Digital Design & InnovationCreative director based in Los Angeles, specialising in innovative and immersive design, involved with projects such as the Sphere in Las Vegas.
• Guillaume Schmidt — Culture & LifestyleCo-founder of lifestyle brand 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.