Red Dot Design Award
“In search of good design” – the Red Dot Design Award is the world’s most prestigious design award. It is divided into three disciplines to be able to properly assess the diversity of design. Each of these competitions is organised once a year. In all three competitions, a jury consisting of international, independent design experts passes judgement on the entries and presents the awards. The highlight of each competition year is the Red Dot Gala, which takes place in Essen, Berlin or Singapore, depending on the award.
The three competitions
Product Design
The best products of each year are honoured in the Red Dot Award: Product Design. The competition is aimed at manufacturers and designers who produce their market-ready products in an industrial process.
Every summer, the award ceremony attracts the international top class of design to the Ruhr city of Essen. In the local opera house, the Aalto Theatre, the Red Dot Trophies are awarded to the winners of the highest award, the Red Dot: Best of the Best. Afterwards, there are celebrations in the Red Dot Design Museum until the early hours of the morning.
Brands & Communication Design
In the Red Dot Award: Brands & Communication Design, companies have their brand presence evaluated in the “Brands” category or submit their realised projects and campaigns in the “Communication Design” category alongside designers and agencies.
Every late autumn, the winners of the “BCD” competition are drawn to Berlin Mitte to celebrate the winners of the Red Dot: Best of the Best at the Red Dot Gala and to find out who will receive the highest award, the Red Dot: Grand Prix.
Design Concept
Design concepts, prototypes and marketable products are entered in the Red Dot Award: Design Concept and assessed by the jury. The competition is aimed at students and start-ups as well as established companies.
The competition for concepts and prototypes is organised, held and concluded in Singapore with the festive Red Dot Gala. Participants not only have the opportunity to have concepts evaluated externally and independently, but also to celebrate their success in the extraordinary location of the Red Dot Design Museum Singapore at Marina Bay.
The Red Dot – a quality seal for good design
The seal of the competition, the so-called Red Dot Label, is recognised worldwide and is associated with good design by industry experts and end consumers alike. The use of the label is probably the best-known benefit for winners.
However, there are many other opportunities and occasions that winners can use to make the most of the award.
Award ceremonies
The award ceremonies in Essen, Berlin and Singapore are the grand finale of the competition year. The international events not only offer the opportunity to celebrate one’s own success and make contacts, but also provide a good opportunity for communication.
At the Red Dot Award: Product Design ceremony in Essen, for example, you have the option of having a professional photo taken of yourself with your certificate or Red Dot Trophy during the Designers’ Night, the gala’s after-show party. The pictures taken there are available for download on the night of the gala and can be used freely.
Exhibition openings
The Red Dot Design Museums in Essen, Singapore and Xiamen inspire visitors with their exhibitions on contemporary design. All exhibits have been honoured with the Red Dot Award.
Many of the winning products are exhibited here in their original form. As photography and filming are expressly encouraged in the Red Dot Design Museums, you can take the opportunity to show your product in the context of an internationally recognised exhibition.
The after-show parties of the Red Dot Gala in Essen and Singapore, for example, offer an opportunity to do this. These take place in the respective Red Dot Design Museum and are also the vernissage of the winning exhibitions.
In addition to the exhibitions in its own premises, the Red Dot Design Award cooperates with museums and exhibitions worldwide and makes award-winning design tangible on an international level.
Online publications
In the Winners Section at www.red-dot.org you will find all the award-winning products, brands, communication design projects and concepts since 2011. With over 34,000 entries, it is the largest online archive of contemporary design.
Yearbook publications
The yearbooks of all three competitions form a chronicle of outstanding designs.
Publication in the yearbook is a black-and-white confirmation of your exceptional design achievement and thus an additional boost for your communication. For example, you can showcase your entry in photos for online publications.
However, your entry in the yearbook can be used for more than just digital communication. Thanks to the high quality of the book, it is an inspiring addition to showrooms, lobbies and conference rooms, for example.
Questions about the competition?
Feel free to get in touch with us:
Red Dot Team
+49 201 838885–46
team(at)red-dot.de
You can find a list of all of the contact persons for the Red Dot Design Award here.