A’ Design Award Is Accepting Its Last Entries For 2022, Enter Now

By Mikelle Leow, 15 Feb 2022

If you’ve been waiting for an opportunity to fall into your lap, you’re actually looking at one now. The A’ Design Award and Competition is taking in its final submissions for its 2022 edition, so if you’re keen to have your best projects recognized around the world, wait no longer and nominate your work now.

As one of the most prestigious global design competitions, the A’ Design Award has established a far-reaching stage to showcase exemplary projects by creatives everywhere, whether they are veterans or just starting out. Now in its 12th year, it has acknowledged all design disciplines and represented 114 countries and areas, amplifying diverse voices and the impact design can make in any part of the world.

Graphic Design, Advertising, Marketing & Communication Design, Architecture, Building & Structure Design, Public Awareness, Volunteerism, & Society Design, Furniture, Homeware, and Decor Items Design, and Packaging Design are just a few of the 100 categories that the competition recognizes. Many more can be found here.

On top of securing credibility and getting their names out there, Laureates will receive an A’ Design Award trophy and design excellence certificate, inclusion in the World Design Rankings, a winners’ manual where they’ll learn to fully harness their award status, publicity and visibility from the press, gala-night tickets for two to the award ceremony, and physical and online space allocation in the winners’ exhibition, and free store listings.

Entries will be judged by an international panel of academics, design experts, and members of the press.

Submissions will close on February 28, and DesignTAXI will announce the winners on April 15.

Check out some winning designs from the past year below. Don’t miss the chance to be among these Laureates—register your work here.

Dimension in the Shadows Calendar

by Emi Kawasaki and Daisuke Kodama

Emi Kawasaki and Daisuke Kodama designed a calendar “inspired by light and shadow in daily life,” with each abstract shape denoting “a scene and a moment in changing seasons.” They liken the way the shadow dances to “a sundial.”

Dimension in the Shadows Calendar by Emi Kawasaki and Daisuke Kodama

Minimal Techno Arm Chair

by Sebastiaan Van Beest

“Japanese minimalism and the use of negative space are the main inspirations for this project,” describes Sebastiaan Van Beest. “This design was made with the use of negative space being in the forefront. It is designed to feel as though not much space is being consumed, yet has a large presence. The construction is very strong and can hold weights that exceed 250 lbs as tested.”

Minimal Techno Arm Chair by Sebastiaan Van Beest

Pop Star View Platform

by Li Hao

“Is the world we see reliable? The human visual system has only three types of cones, so we are like color blindness when we look at the world, compared with other creatures,” details Li Hao. “Through the deconstruction of space and the reconstruction of form, the artist finally constructed this ‘monster’ with a huge volume that exceeds the human visual reading scale.”

Pop Star View Platform by Li Hao

CCRG Jiu Chen Sales Center

by Amber Design

The flow of ink used in traditional paintings and calligraphy informs the design of this cohesive sales center conceptualized by Amber Design.

CCRG Jiu Chen Sales Center by Amber Design

Golden Dot Invasion

Christmas Decoration by Impactplan Art Productions

“The inspiration was the beautiful subjectivity in the legend about the touch of Midas. The one with the Midas touch is the one who has the ability to make something prosper, multiplies profits, turns everything it touches into gold,” details Impactplan Art Productions. “With this in mind we decided to create a golden tunnel where people enter and do not turn into gold but the environment transforms their state of mind for the better, happier, lighter.”

Golden Dot Invasion Christmas Decoration by Impactplan Art Productions

Origami Mask Fashion Mask

by Yuriko Wada

This geometric mask by Yuriko Wada ties the beloved concept of origami into the breathability of washi paper. By folding along the lines of the face covering, the wearer can easily tuck it away during meals. The designer, Yuriko Wada, imagines the mask would make a lovely wedding favor or party gift.

Origami Mask Fashion Mask by Yuriko Wada

Zen Paper Quilling by Xue Wang

Artist Xue Wang aspires to keep the peace in this hectic world with calming artworks, like these paper quilling designs she created after coming across a picture of “a woman smiling with her eyes closed, very peaceful and satisfied.” Colored strips of paper were rolled at varied thicknesses to deliver different textures and effects.

Zen Paper Quilling by Xue Wang

Serpentinata Pen

by Kairi Eguchi

“In recent years, the concept of digital fabrication has emerged worldwide [as a solution] to the waste problem of mass production. The idea is to use new production technologies, such as 3D printers, to create new products that suit one only, which one can not have with mass production,” contemplates Kairi Eguchi. “Serpentinata, the 3D-printed pen, is our first product, and it is aimed at and designed to reduce the impact on the environment by producing only what we need.”

Serpentinata Pen by KAIRI EGUCHI

Art and Us Book Design

by Vilius Dringelis

“After five years of activity, Lewben Art Foundation has published a book of selected works of foundation. In order to give meaning to the various periods of the fund, we have presented only visualizations of authors’ works without informative text,” details Vilius Dringelis. “At the end of the book is presented a small booklet, in which the author’s works are described according to the numbered pages of the book.”

Art and Us Book Design by Vilius Dringelis

Lunar Watch by Dabi Robert

“The goal of this project was to develop a flat graphical way of displaying time, while the whole watch face serves as a constantly changing canvas without making compromises to readability,” says Davi Robert. “By using these flat colored semi-circles on solid metal discs, we touched the limits of graphical minimalism.”

Lunar Watch by Dabi Robert

Candy 3D Printer

by Fengmin Liu and Yanqing Lan

Fengmin Liu and Yanqing Lan designed a 3D printer to make character art candy as well as bring a contemporary twist to traditional sugar-blown art to homes. “It uses various flavors of candy particles as the material [for printing and coloring]… There are many kinds of 3D data models to choose from.”

Candy 3D Printer by Fengmin Liu and Yanqing Lan

LastSwab Reusable Swab

by LastObject

“LastSwab is a reusable and sustainable alternative to single-use cotton swabs. LastSwab is designed to be used up to a thousand times and to be easy to use, easy to clean, and most importantly designed to feel like the swabs we are used to,” says LastObject. “Ocean-bound plastic is collected and driven to a factory where it is transformed into plastic pellets. Afterward, the plastic pellets are pressed through an injection mold and into molds that shape the rod. Then the rod is mechanically removed, turned, and over-molded. In the next step, the tip made of TPE is applied to the rod.”

LastSwab Reusable Swab by LastObject

Spring Multifunctional Chair

by Navid Ghandili

This multifunctional wooden chair transforms at the push of a button and is perfect for small spaces, says Navid Ghandili. It doubles as a desk, chair, and décor.

Spring Multifunctional Chair by Navid Ghandili

Neko Goten Cat Tower

by Hitomi Otake

Neko Goten is a cat tower that resembles high-end furniture where cats can play safely. It is a compact cat play area that can be placed in a Japanese rental house or cat café… [and is] made on the basis of understanding the behavior of cats and was designed with attention to detail,” describes Hitomi Otake. “This product has a staircase on the left side with a hole in the ground and a clawing board next to the staircase. The cat can relax in the clear hemisphere above it. In the middle, the cat runs on a roller, and the upper sphere is the cat’s home. The lower part on the right side is the cat’s food area.”

Neko Goten Cat Tower by Hitomi Otake

Linhu Queshe Green Tea Tea Packaging

by Xianfeng Wu

An ode to its home in Yibin, Sichuan, which is famed for its bamboo production, this green tea’s tins, designed by Xianfeng Wu, take on a beautiful bamboo shape when stacked together, which also “saves space and reduces logistics costs.”

Linhu Queshe Green Tea Tea Packaging by Xianfeng Wu

Bonyeon Biodegradable Material

by Jooen Lee

Using agricultural and fishery byproducts, Jooen Lee created a biodegradable material that’s not only easy to reproduce “but also closely imitates the color and texture of nature.” Lee adds: “Bonyeon is light and durable, and the minerals and plant substances it contains promote air quality and regulate humidity so it is suitable for a wide range of living products, lighting or wall tiles, and it is decomposed by 100pct in a common natural environment.”

Bonyeon Biodegradable Material by Jooen Lee

Wandering in the Woods Kindergarten

by L and M Design Lab

“The design creates an atrium based on [organic] structure and brings an experience of wandering in the woods,” notes L and M Design Lab. “Columns and beams immediately become trees and bridges. Continuous stairs and slides spiral up around the ‘trees,’ connecting and activating spaces. ‘Tree houses’ provide private spaces for children to read and do handwork.”

Wandering in the Woods Kindergarten by L and M Design Lab

Cosmetea Pop Up Shop

by Lina Chen and Yiting Ma

Lina Chen and Yiting Ma transformed a former dumpling shop into a tunnel-shaped popup store for a tea-based cosmetic brand. The space creates “an infinite real within the limited site area,” while also reflecting the brand’s pendulum-like logo.

Cosmetea Pop Up Shop by Lina Chen and Yiting Ma

Mountain House in Mist Book Villa

by Lin Chen

“In the daytime, light creates a translucent atmosphere indoor, while at night, the light sneaks out and the book house becomes a visual center,” explains Lin Chen. “The book house was built to provide a space for to read and to calm down, so as to attract more young people and children back to the mountains.”

Mountain House in Mist Book Villa by Lin Chen

Puzzle Polyurethane Wall Tile

by Kamelia Terzieva

“Puzzle was inspired by the pure geometric forms of [a] truncated pyramid for its shape, and by probability theory for the almost countless compositions possible… The tile is designed with a pure, contemporary, creative, and elegant form in mind. Thanks to its specific 3D design, the tile gives possibility to create almost unlimited compositions on the wall,” says Kamelia Terzieva.