Seoul Design Foundation has begun accepting submissions for the Seoul Design Award 2026. Endorsed by WDO, the Seoul Design Award is one of the world’s only public global awards dedicated to addressing social issues through sustainable design, and marks its 7th edition this year.
Since its launch in 2019 with 75 submissions, the award has grown significantly, reaching 941 entries from 74 countries in 2025, an increase of 1,100% over six years. This represents participation from more countries than leading global design awards such as iF Design, Red Dot and IDEA, demonstrating the Seoul Design Award’s strong global standing.
This year, the total prize fund amounts to KRW 150 million. Newly introduced awards include the designboom Special Prize, presented by global design media designboom, and the ESG Design Impact Award, which recognizes outstanding sustainable design projects by corporations and institutions. Winners of the designboom Special Prize will receive promotional opportunities such as featured editorial coverage. In addition, the former Concept Award has been renamed the Young Designer Award, expanding participation opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students internationally.
“The Seoul Design Award is a platform for discourse that highlights the value of design in creating better everyday lives and transforming the world toward sustainability. We look forward to the active participation of designers who drive change through positive impact.”
– Kang Heui Cha, CEO of the Seoul Design Foundation
More than 60 winners will be selected and awarded across the Main Awards and the Young Designer Award. In addition, all winners will receive a scorecard featuring evaluations from global experts and will be invited to the awards ceremony and conference, where they can build a global network for sustainable design.
In addition, three designboom Special Prize winners, selected and awarded by designboom, will be recognized, along with the ESG Design Impact Award, which is granted to outstanding sustainable design projects by corporations through a jury nomination process.
In particular, the introduction of the designboom Special Prize in collaboration with the globally renowned design media designboom marks a symbolic milestone that underscores the award’s growing status as a leading global design award. Winners of the designboom Special Prize will receive extensive global exposure, including featured editorial coverage on the designboom platform, providing a strong opportunity for both projects and designers to gain international recognition.
Among the submission categories, the Main Awards are open to completed and realized projects or products currently in use, while the Young Designer Award is open to unrealized design concepts such as mock-ups, prototypes and proposals. Through this, the award aims to expand participation opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students worldwide and to discover the next generation of designers.
Submissions for the Seoul Design Award will be accepted until 30 June 2026. In October, the award ceremony and an international conference are scheduled to take place at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) in Seoul. In addition, to strengthen governance based on public-private partnerships and enhance public engagement, a range of side programmes will be presented in collaboration with global companies committed to sustainability.
Entries can be submitted via the Seoul Design Award website from 30 March to 30 June 2026 at 3:00 PM (KST). All submissions must be in English.
