DDA 2026 is open for submissions

You can submit entries from April 9 at 12.00 pm until May 11, 2026 at 12.00 pm.

Who can take part?

All private and public organizations, as well as designers with a connection to Denmark, are eligible to apply. This includes Danish companies collaborating with designers from outside Denmark, and designers based in Denmark working with companies abroad.

Each project may only be submitted once – either as a Design Solution or as a Young Idea.

Does it cost anything to submit?

Registration is free, and there is no submission fee – whether you’re submitting a Design Solution or a Young Idea.

What do we mean by “Danish design”?

Danish design spans across disciplines and industries – from digital solutions to physical products, materials and spatial experiences, and beyond. At the Danish Design Award, we recognise the full spectrum of design that shapes and improves our lives – design that dares to think differently, inspire, and push the field forward.

Submission criteria – Design Solution

You can submit your design solution in the following categories:

• Visual – branding, visual identity, packaging, graphic design, etc.
• Digital – apps, platforms, services, digital systems, etc.
• Product – physical products, furniture, industrial solutions, etc.
• Spatial – architecture, spatial experiences, exhibitions, etc.
• Materials – new materials, resource innovation, production methods, etc.

Choose the category or categories that best reflect the primary domain of your design solution. You may select more than one, but each must represent a key aspect of your design.

At the time of entry, products must be on the market and/or published. Note that design solutions must not have been on the market or in use for more than four years.

Projects, concepts, and prototypes cannot be submitted, except under Young Ideas.

All contributors involved in the creation of the product or solution must have given their consent to participate.

Design solutions that have previously won a Danish Design Award cannot be submitted again.

Submission criteria – Young Ideas

To qualify for the Young Ideas category, the design must not have been on the market. It can be a project, concept or prototype.

This award celebrates projects from academic institutions in Denmark. Applicants must be current students or have graduated within the past two years.

How do I submit?

Follow the link 'Submit Now'. Note that all submissions must be in English.

How will the design solutions be judged?

Each year, a new jury is appointed, consisting of key figures from the design community. See this year’s jury here.

The jury evaluates submissions based on their ability to build on the Danish design tradition while redefining what Danish design is today – why it matters – and what it can become.

At its core:

Danish design is CRAFT – how does the design solution demonstrate strong craftsmanship?

Danish design is PROGRESS – how does the design solution create something new, improve, or rethink what already exists?

Danish design is RELEVANT – what problem does the design solution solve, and what difference will it make?

Danish design is VIABLE – how does the design solution create tangible, measurable change?

Read more here.

All information will be treated as confidential by the jury.

Awards

We present five awards across the main categories, as well as two special awards: Young Ideas and the Jury Award – the jury’s honorary prize, given to exceptional design that stands out and sets a new standard.