Is my work eligible for the award?

All kinds of inventions, novelty designs and aesthetic designs that are not in the market, and not commercially available for sale before 2 June can be entered. For visual communication projects, the projects should be unexecuted projects, they can be non-client or clients' projects.

My work has previously been submitted to other competitions. Can I still join?

Yes, you can.

Can I promote/exhibit my work during the competition period?

Yes, you can.

Will I still be able to participate if my concept has already been made public?

Yes, the concept is still eligible for the award as long as it will not be produced or manufactured for sale before 2 June of the current year of competition.

Who can participate in the Red Dot: Next Gen Award?

Projects submitted by universities and institutions can be submitted. Design students in the team must be under 30 years old before the start of the competition year.

Design students and young designers under the age of 30 can submit projects as well. For designers in groups of up to 5, all the designers must be under 30 years old before the start of the competition year.

What’s the difference between submitting a Professional and a Next Gen project?

Design projects created under Next Gen and professional environments enjoy different advantages and face different challenges, therefore, these projects can be better considered and evaluated when submitted separately.

Can my university project be submitted to the award?

Students can participate in this competition with academic projects under the Next Gen Award.

Which type of project can I submit my design concept?

Projects submitted to the Red Dot Award: Design Concept fall under Professional projects or Next Gen projects. 

Projects designed by companies, design studios and practising designers submit their projects under ‘Professional.’ While projects designed by Universities, Institutions, school teams, or designers under 30 years old submit projects under the Next Gen Award. 

Can I change my type of project after I submit my entry?

If you are at the “prepare your entry entry” stage, you can still amend your entry information and project type. If you have already submitted the entry, no changes can be made. The jury evaluate professional and Next Gen projects separately.

What if my work fits into more than one category?

You can submit the same entry multiple times in different categories. In some cases, a design concept may win an award in one category but not in another because by placing the design concept in a particular category the intent of the design concept is communicated to the jury. In other instances, the same entry may win multiple awards but in different categories.

I chose the wrong category for my work, what can I do?

If you are at the “prepare your entry” stage, you can still amend your entry information. If you have already submitted the entry, no changes can be made. You have to submit the design again as another entry in the new category. Both entries in the different category will be reviewed by the jury.

What is ready for market?

“Ready For Market” refers to design concepts that are already fully developed and is going to be launched in the market very soon, after 1st June 2024. “Ready For Market” products are judged more like a finished product, with more emphasis on the build quality and positive emphasis on differentiation in comparison with existing products in the market. These products frequently will not be accepted in the Red Dot Award: Product Design.