The German Design Awards 2026 are open for submissions. Starting now, companies, agencies, designers, and architects from around the world can enter their projects.
Organised by the German Design Council, the German Design Awards are one of the most renowned distinctions in the design industry. They celebrate excellent achievements in Product Design, Communication Design, and Architecture. A cross-disciplinary jury evaluates all entries based on innovation, design quality, functionality, relevance, and sustainability.
Connecting global excellence
2026 will be a year of global change – across technology, the environment, and society. Design plays a key role in this transformation: as a driver of new ideas, a bridge between disciplines, and a connector between people and systems. The German Design Awards put this power of design in the spotlight, showing how form and function work together to create sustainable solutions – from circular products to AI-powered services. Alongside the main categories, special categories such as Circular Design, AI in Architecture and the Metaverse, and Service Design highlight emerging challenges and new fields of design.
A platform for international design culture
The call for entries also marks the start of new global connections. Exchange formats will bring together designers, brands, and institutions from across countries and industries. When the international design community gathers on February 6, 2026, in Frankfurt for the Awards Show, the city will serve as a global meeting point – fittingly, as the region has been awarded the title of World Design Capital Frankfurt RheinMain 2026.
Key Dates
Final registration deadline: September 5th, 2025
Award Show: February 6th, 2026, in Frankfurt am Main
More information and entry documents: https://www.german-design-award.com/en/participate
