Let A’ Design Awards’ 2022-2023 Winning Designs Refresh Your Creative Instincts
By Mikelle Leow, 15 May 2023
The creative climate is changing by the minute. Each year, the A’ Design Award & Competition captures the latest, most compelling designs of the moment around the world. As one of the most influential design competitions, it acknowledges excellence in brands and creatives budding and veteran.
DesignTAXI can now reveal the winning projects of the 2022–2023 round. A testament to the far-reaching impact of design, the award recognizes everything under the sun, from architecture to packaging design, typography, furniture, and even pet care—a handful of which are featured here.
Hopefully, these works will inspire you to get creating or find pride in your projects to finally enter them for an award. Here’s why you should give it a shot—A’ Design laureates will receive a prestigious trophy, credibility, press coverage in up to 100 languages, inclusion in the World Design Rankings, allocations at digital and physical winners’ showcases, a winners’ manual that shows you how to make the best of your new status, a lifelong license to use the A’ Design Award logo, Designer of the Day opportunities, and more. They will also be entitled to a pair of gala-night tickets to attend the official award ceremony.
Don’t worry about missing out on the 2022–2023 edition. Registrations for the 2023–2024 A’ Design Award are now open, and you can now nominate your best work for a chance to shine on a world stage.
Find out more about the esteemed competition here. In the meantime, scroll down to take a look at some of the most interesting designs from the current prizewinners.
Lalique Wall Calendar
Designing for premium glassware brand Lalique, Kantors Creative Club dreamed up “an amazing imaginary space in which the luxurious world of glass and visual art is combined.”
Lalique Wall Calendar by Kantors Creative Club
Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design Category, Platinum Award, 2022-23
Lalique Wall Calendar by Kantors Creative Club
Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design Category, Platinum Award, 2022-23
Lalique Wall Calendar by Kantors Creative Club
Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design Category, Platinum Award, 2022-23
Lalique Wall Calendar by Kantors Creative Club
Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design Category, Platinum Award, 2022-23
Lalique Wall Calendar by Kantors Creative Club
Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design Category, Platinum Award, 2022-23
The Storyteller Single Malt Irish Whiskey
“The Storyteller represents an authentic piece of Irish history,” explain Tiago Russo and Katia Martins. The intricate bottle draws from the life of their director’s ancestors, reputed as some of the country’s best storytellers who traversed towns to deliver news. “This is a meaningful, personal take on a whiskey experience that merges with design to create a moment in history, to create new memories, powerful ones, around a glass of one of the rarest, most sought-after whiskeys ever produced,” they continue.
The Storyteller Single Malt Irish Whiskey by Tiago Russo and Katia Martins
Packaging Design Category, Platinum Award, 2022-23
“Opening from the top… the Storyteller box opens exactly like two books together,” the designers elaborate. “Underneath, a combination of optical illusion, LED and perspective reveals just a glimpse of the booklet that tells the story of the whiskey and meaningful moments of Irish whiskey heritage.”
The Storyteller Single Malt Irish Whiskey by Tiago Russo and Katia Martins
Packaging Design Category, Platinum Award, 2022-23
The Storyteller Single Malt Irish Whiskey by Tiago Russo and Katia Martins
Packaging Design Category, Platinum Award, 2022-23
The Storyteller Single Malt Irish Whiskey by Tiago Russo and Katia Martins
Packaging Design Category, Platinum Award, 2022-23
Spark Sofa
The Spark Sofa has sleek, fluid contours, and with its translucent finish, it shines its best under low light—hence the illuminating name.
Furniture Design Category, Gold Award, 2022-23
According to its designer Wang Jun, the sofa’s durable polycarbonate material keeps it resilient against shock and the elements, making it an elegant piece for both indoor and outdoor use.
Furniture Design Category, Gold Award, 2022-23
Furniture Design Category, Gold Award, 2022-23
Furniture Design Category, Gold Award, 2022-23
Furniture Design Category, Gold Award, 2022-23
Ancora Brand Identity
Tasked to design the branding for a store that sells fountain pens and other stationery, Keiichiro Yanagi of Harajuku Design Inc leaned into “the basic rituals of writing,” such as filling a pen with ink and scribbling on paper to test its payoff. Although the experience of working with a fountain pen can be described as luxurious, the designer chose to develop a “for everybody” identity.
Ancora Brand Identity by Keiichiro Yanagi - Harajuku Design Inc
Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design Category, Platinum Award, 2022-23
The logo, for instance, recreates the “handwritten line from the tip of a fountain pen.” The visual system also channels pen strokes and colorful ink blots.
Ancora Brand Identity by Keiichiro Yanagi - Harajuku Design Inc
Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design Category, Platinum Award, 2022-23
Ancora Brand Identity by Keiichiro Yanagi - Harajuku Design Inc
Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design Category, Platinum Award, 2022-23
Ancora Brand Identity by Keiichiro Yanagi - Harajuku Design Inc
Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design Category, Platinum Award, 2022-23
Ancora Brand Identity by Keiichiro Yanagi - Harajuku Design Inc
Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design Category, Platinum Award, 2022-23
Mocats Multifunctional Cat Furniture
Coming from architects who are also cat parents, the modular Mocats pet furniture by La Jato del Gato aims to encourage natural feline habits like scratching, climbing, playing, napping, and sneaking around while seamlessly adapting to human lifestyles and various spaces of the home.
Mocats Multifunctional Cat Furniture by La Jato del Gato
Pet Care, Toys, Supplies and Products for Animals Design Category, Silver Award, 2022-23
Mocats Multifunctional Cat Furniture by La Jato del Gato
Pet Care, Toys, Supplies and Products for Animals Design Category, Silver Award, 2022-23
Mocats Multifunctional Cat Furniture by La Jato del Gato
Pet Care, Toys, Supplies and Products for Animals Design Category, Silver Award, 2022-23
Mocats Multifunctional Cat Furniture by La Jato del Gato
Pet Care, Toys, Supplies and Products for Animals Design Category, Silver Award, 2022-23
Shenzhen Zhongshuge Bookstore
Channeling the large-scale public artworks of Anish Kapoor, this trippy bookstore features a giant bookshelf shaped like a spiral staircase that doubles as an art installation.
Shenzhen Zhongshuge Bookstore by Xiang Li
Interior Space and Exhibition Design Category, Platinum Award, 2022-23
“The design fuses commerce with art and breaks the shackles of the monotonous attributes of a space bound to function, bringing a new and novel place gene to consumers’ shopping experience,” explains Xiang Li.
Shenzhen Zhongshuge Bookstore by Xiang Li
Interior Space and Exhibition Design Category, Platinum Award, 2022-23
Shenzhen Zhongshuge Bookstore by Xiang Li
Interior Space and Exhibition Design Category, Platinum Award, 2022-23
Shenzhen Zhongshuge Bookstore by Xiang Li
Interior Space and Exhibition Design Category, Platinum Award, 2022-23
Honey Drop Lighting
This sweet fixture is, first and foremost, designed with disaster response in mind, though it still adds a touch of color to the home on regular days.
Honey Drop Lighting by Akira Nakagomi
Lighting Products and Fixtures Design Category, Platinum Award, 2022-23
“[Pour] honey in the glass container that looks like dripping honey and place it on a wooden pedestal with a rechargeable LED,” Akira Nakagomi describes. “In an emergency, the honey can be used as emergency food, and the pedestal can be used as a flashlight.”
Honey Drop Lighting by Akira Nakagomi
Lighting Products and Fixtures Design Category, Platinum Award, 2022-23
Honey Drop Lighting by Akira Nakagomi
Lighting Products and Fixtures Design Category, Platinum Award, 2022-23
Honey Drop Lighting by Akira Nakagomi
Lighting Products and Fixtures Design Category, Platinum Award, 2022-23
Honey Drop Lighting by Akira Nakagomi
Lighting Products and Fixtures Design Category, Platinum Award, 2022-23
Moccle Wooden Bicycle
Wood is traditionally used in Japanese architecture to withstand earthquakes, explains Masateru Yasuda. “The flexibility of wood and uneven fibers also provide excellent vibration absorption. I wondered if I could make a bicycle that takes advantage of the characteristics of this wood.”
Moccle Wooden Bicycle by Masateru Yasuda
Bicycle Design Category, Gold Award, 2022-23
The resulting piece, crafted from the natural, regenerative material, is also sleek enough to stand as a piece in the living room.
Moccle Wooden Bicycle by Masateru Yasuda
Bicycle Design Category, Gold Award, 2022-23
Moccle Wooden Bicycle by Masateru Yasuda
Bicycle Design Category, Gold Award, 2022-23
Origami Shikki Lacquerware Paper Plate
Another set of objects that plays around with material use, these origami shapes constructed from washi paper have a lacquer finish that turns them into usable plates. The inventive tableware based on ancient techniques is water- and oil-resistant, enabling it to be washed with water and kitchen soap, and reused.
Origami Shikki Lacquerware Paper Plate by Atsushi Morita
Bakeware, Tableware, Drinkware and Cookware Design Category, Silver Award, 2022-23
Since they’re made with paper, the plates are lightweight, foldable, and portable too, shares Atsushi Morita.
Origami Shikki Lacquerware Paper Plate by Atsushi Morita
Bakeware, Tableware, Drinkware and Cookware Design Category, Silver Award, 2022-23
Origami Shikki Lacquerware Paper Plate by Atsushi Morita
Bakeware, Tableware, Drinkware and Cookware Design Category, Silver Award, 2022-23
Origami Shikki Lacquerware Paper Plate by Atsushi Morita
Bakeware, Tableware, Drinkware and Cookware Design Category, Silver Award, 2022-23
Not Always Fun Print Ad
These posters spreading awareness about Harlequin syndrome, a condition resulting in one side of a person’s face being flushed while the other remains pale, use both interpretations of the term—the comical side and the medical definition—to illustrate “the reality of living with Harlequin syndrome,” explains Squared.
Not Always Fun Print Ad by Squared
Social Design Category, Silver Award, 2022-23
The key visuals express the importance of empathy and awareness of the rare condition, the designers add.
Not Always Fun Print Ad by Squared
Social Design Category, Silver Award, 2022-23
Not Always Fun Print Ad by Squared
Social Design Category, Silver Award, 2022-23
Suprala Font Family Typeface Specimen
What started out as a series of sketches for a sans-serif typeface evolved into a hybrid of varied forms and structures known as the Suprala font family.
Suprala Font Family Typeface Specimen by Paul Henry Robb
Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design Category, Gold Award, 2022-23
The mixed qualities make the typeface a uniquely versatile one. “The designs are rooted in the serif style, with some of the glyph terminals developed through sans forms, creating a modern adaptable font family,” notes Paul Henry Robb.
Suprala Font Family Typeface Specimen by Paul Henry Robb
Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design Category, Gold Award, 2022-23
Suprala Font Family Typeface Specimen by Paul Henry Robb
Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design Category, Gold Award, 2022-23
Suprala Font Family Typeface Specimen by Paul Henry Robb
Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design Category, Gold Award, 2022-23
Trido Magnetic Art Building Blocks
Concepts of abstract sculpting, origami, and platonic solids geometry combine to create this fun magnet system called Trido. “Each side of each shape connects to each other… with no repeating, which allows limitless construction possibilities,” says Artur Tikhonenko.
Trido Magnetic Art Building Blocks by Artur Tikhonenko
Toys, Games and Hobby Products Design Category, Silver Award, 2022-23
The vibrant colors are “harmoniously balanced” to form meaningful contrast. The toy set is topped off with expressive magnetized eyes to “bring any structure to life.”
Trido Magnetic Art Building Blocks by Artur Tikhonenko
Toys, Games and Hobby Products Design Category, Silver Award, 2022-23
Trido Magnetic Art Building Blocks by Artur Tikhonenko
Toys, Games and Hobby Products Design Category, Silver Award, 2022-23
Trido Magnetic Art Building Blocks by Artur Tikhonenko
Toys, Games and Hobby Products Design Category, Silver Award, 2022-23
Cool Line Liquor Bottles
These 2D-esque illusion bottles might look like caricatures of liquor carriers, but they actually store liquid. In fact, the packaging “accurately conveys that the function is served by the form,” describes Quan Yuan.
Cool Line Liquor Bottles by Quan Yuan
Packaging Design Category, Silver Award, 2022-23
“A complete unit consists of a pair of linear tubes,” the designer explains. Each half can hold two types of drink in its upper section and base, “so a pair of tubes can hold four different base liquors, with distinctive bottle colors to distinguish the flavors,” Quan Yuan elaborates. Notably, the parts can even be reassembled to form a new 3D shape.
Cool Line Liquor Bottles by Quan Yuan
Packaging Design Category, Silver Award, 2022-23
Cool Line Liquor Bottles by Quan Yuan
Packaging Design Category, Silver Award, 2022-23
Cool Line Liquor Bottles by Quan Yuan
Packaging Design Category, Silver Award, 2022-23
Simple Freestyle Wireless Charger
Unlike the cluttered charging systems most people are used to, this minimalist device—rightfully named ‘Simple’—is powered by flexible materials to be neatly folded or stashed away.
Simple Freestyle Wireless Charger by Yong Zhang
Digital and Electronic Device Design Category, Silver Award, 2022-23
“Its internal core is arranged in multi-coil matrix to increase charging efficiency,” adds Yong Zhang, the charger’s designer.
Simple Freestyle Wireless Charger by Yong Zhang
Digital and Electronic Device Design Category, Silver Award, 2022-23
Simple Freestyle Wireless Charger by Yong Zhang
Digital and Electronic Device Design Category, Silver Award, 2022-23
Ivau Apparel and Baby Wrap Collection
To address the lack of clothing options for new, style-conscious mothers who wish to carry their babies with grace, Chance Xie put together a full collection of “pioneering, fashionable babywearing [pieces]” to help moms make the most of this beautiful stage of their lives while creating a lovely environment for mother-and-baby bonding.
Ivau Apparel and Baby Wrap Collection by Chance Xie
Fashion, Apparel and Garment Design Category, Iron Award, 2022-23
“Inspired by the pristine nature of Fiji, our hand-painted bespoke prints bring spellbinding beauty of nature into daily wearing,” says Xie.
Ivau Apparel and Baby Wrap Collection by Chance Xie
Fashion, Apparel and Garment Design Category, Iron Award, 2022-23
Ivau Apparel and Baby Wrap Collection by Chance Xie
Fashion, Apparel and Garment Design Category, Iron Award, 2022-23
Ivau Apparel and Baby Wrap Collection by Chance Xie
Fashion, Apparel and Garment Design Category, Iron Award, 2022-23
Mountain Cabin Architectural Design
With its smooth curves and lines, this bed-and-breakfast supported on a slope effortlessly blends into its natural surroundings, and is even powered by them through flexible solar panels on the curved roof.
Mountain Cabin Architectural Design by Lino Liao
Architecture, Building and Structure Design Category, Bronze Award, 2022-23
Mountain Cabin Architectural Design by Lino Liao
Architecture, Building and Structure Design Category, Bronze Award, 2022-23
The cabin’s clear glass roof panel welcomes some of the mountainous landscape into its interior, notes Lino Liao.
Mountain Cabin Architectural Design by Lino Liao
Architecture, Building and Structure Design Category, Bronze Award, 2022-23
Mountain Cabin Architectural Design by Lino Liao
Architecture, Building and Structure Design Category, Bronze Award, 2022-23
K11 Art Mall Retail
This captivating “shopaholic’s dream,” as described by Carrie Ho, is a vibrant art mall reincarnation of a 20-year-old department store.
K11 Art Mall Retail by Carrie Ho
Interior Space and Exhibition Design Category, Gold Award, 2022-23
“With every inch of space being used, we’ve designed the mall to have an ‘Easter egg’ type of surprise in every corner,” the designer notes.
K11 Art Mall Retail by Carrie Ho
Interior Space and Exhibition Design Category, Gold Award, 2022-23
K11 Art Mall Retail by Carrie Ho
Interior Space and Exhibition Design Category, Gold Award, 2022-23
K11 Art Mall Retail by Carrie Ho
Interior Space and Exhibition Design Category, Gold Award, 2022-23
K11 Art Mall Retail by Carrie Ho
Interior Space and Exhibition Design Category, Gold Award, 2022-23
Villa Bianca Private House
Simple Architecture’s Alexander Yonchev wanted to imbue this new sea-facing private home with “a light, elegant, and ethereal atmosphere” that remains constant amid “the constantly-changing colors of the surrounding nature.”
Villa Bianca Private House by Alexander Yonchev - Simple Architecture
Architecture, Building and Structure Design Category, Silver Award, 2022-23
“Both the interior and the exterior have been decided in nuances of the white, with the only colorful touch being the works of art present in the house,” shares Yonchev.
Villa Bianca Private House by Alexander Yonchev - Simple Architecture
Architecture, Building and Structure Design Category, Silver Award, 2022-23
Villa Bianca Private House by Alexander Yonchev - Simple Architecture
Architecture, Building and Structure Design Category, Silver Award, 2022-23
Villa Bianca Private House by Alexander Yonchev - Simple Architecture
Architecture, Building and Structure Design Category, Silver Award, 2022-23
Kunming Zhonghaihui Delhi Garden Sales Department
Considering cities as individuals with real character traits, Du Wenbiao and his design team envision the city of Kunming as “a spring-like flower” that thrives all year round.
Kunming Zhonghaihui Delhi Garden Sales Department by Du Wenbiao
Interior Space and Exhibition Design Category, Platinum Award, 2022-23
The resulting work sees this sales office as “a floating island with a sea of dreamy flowers.”
Kunming Zhonghaihui Delhi Garden Sales Department by Du Wenbiao
Interior Space and Exhibition Design Category, Platinum Award, 2022-23
Kunming Zhonghaihui Delhi Garden Sales Department by Du Wenbiao
Interior Space and Exhibition Design Category, Platinum Award, 2022-23
Kunming Zhonghaihui Delhi Garden Sales Department by Du Wenbiao
Interior Space and Exhibition Design Category, Platinum Award, 2022-23
Kunming Zhonghaihui Delhi Garden Sales Department by Du Wenbiao
Interior Space and Exhibition Design Category, Platinum Award, 2022-23
Florid Sans Typeface Design
Based on well-calculated, gridded designs from 19th-century Swiss aesthetics, Florid Sans “perfectly balances minimalist quality with a combination of contemporary details and classic styles,” describes Paul Robb.
Florid Sans Typeface Design by Paul Robb
Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design Category, Gold Award, 2022-23
“The font family is geometric in nature with humanist quality rooted in the Swiss tradition, designed with comfortable, breathable apertures that make it stunningly versatile.”
Florid Sans Typeface Design by Paul Robb
Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design Category, Gold Award, 2022-23
Florid Sans Typeface Design by Paul Robb
Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design Category, Gold Award, 2022-23
Florid Sans Typeface Design by Paul Robb
Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design Category, Gold Award, 2022-23
Feeling inspired by the winners above? You could be one of them too! Don’t miss the chance for world recognition as a prominent designer. Register your work at the A’ Design Award to be a part of the next cohort of laureates.
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