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Discover the world’s most prestigious awards recognising and celebrating innovation and creativity across interdisciplinary fields, dedicated to crafting impactful and distinctive visual messages and content.

Certification of excellence, of uniqueness and innovation; increased visibility and global recognition; the opportunity to create new relationships through the award’s communication within the design community and specialised media; and the promotion of design culture to an ever-expanding audience. Not to mention the significant economic boost for companies in the sector, driven by the promotion of competitions and their related products. These are the aims, indeed the ambitions, of international design awards. Many originated in the 1950s during the post-World War II industrial boom. Over time, as new disciplines emerged, international product design awards have evolved, with additional categories introduced, including those focused on visual communication.

An Essential Art for Businesses

Visual communication design is a discipline that employs a broad range of key elements (images, videos, graphics, typography, illustrations, and layouts) as well as materials and tools to convey information or ideas. This form of communication leverages the immediacy and impact of images to capture the public’s attention, convey information swiftly and efficiently, and most importantly, achieve the desired response. Visual communication is expressed through various tools and media, including advertising, branding, web design, graphic design, and packaging.

It encompasses multiple disciplines, each bringing their specific contribution to the creation of effective messaging. For this reason, it is rightly referred to as interdisciplinary. Visual communication is therefore an essential tool for companies seeking to stand out in the market and build a lasting connection with their audience. International awards not only celebrate excellence in this field but also serve to inspire industry professionals, continuously pushing the boundaries of creativity and innovation. Today, several international awards recognise excellence in visual communication design. In this article, DM presents the most prestigious among them.

THE GOOD DESIGN AWARD

The Good Design Award is the oldest global design award, founded in 1950 in Chicago by architects Eero Saarinen, Charles and Ray Eames, and Edgar Kaufmann Jr. The awards have always been organised by the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design, in collaboration with the European Centre for Architecture, Art, Design and Urban Studies. The iconic black dot logo, designed that same year by graphic designer Mort Goldsholl, is still in use today. Among the categories featured is visual communication. Over time, the selection criteria of the international jury have evolved: while the original focus on design quality and innovation remains, there is now greater emphasis on ergonomics, sustainability, and eco-friendly processes.

good-designawards.com

IF DESIGN AWARD

Established in 1954, the iF Design Award was founded to promote German design. Over time, it has evolved into one of the most prestigious and respected international design honours. Awarded annually by the International Forum Design during the Hannover Messe, it is renowned for its rigorous selection process and for recognising innovation and excellence in design. The iF Award logo signifies design quality across all major disciplines, including visual communication. Thousands of projects are submitted each year from around the world and are assessed by a jury of at least 50 independent international experts.

ifdesign.com

RED DOT AWARD

The Red Dot Award is one of the most prestigious accolades in the design world. Established in 1955 in Essen, Germany, it was initially created by the Verein Industrieform industrial association to recognise the best-designed product of the year. The award was initiated by the head of public relations and advertising at industrial steel manufacturer Friedrich Krupp. In 1990, Verein Industrieform was rebranded as Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen, and in 1993, under the leadership of Professor Peter Zec, the competition transformed from a national event into an international platform for recognising and assessing industrial design. The award was renamed the Red Dot Award, and Red Dot GmbH & Co. was founded.

Today, the Red Dot Award consists of three distinct competitions across three categories:

• Product design

• Design concept

• Brand and communication design

• The Brand and communication design category celebrates excellence in various aspects of visual communication, (brand identity, packaging, editorial design, web design)

red-dot.org

D&AD AWARDS

The D&AD Awards are among the most prestigious global honours in design and advertising. Founded in 1962 by a group of British designers and art directors to celebrate creative excellence in advertising, the D&AD Awards are organised by Design and Art Direction in London. They recognise outstanding innovation and achievement across various design disciplines, including graphic design, branding, advertising, and digital design. A jury of 400 industry experts awards the coveted pencils in over 40 categories.

dandad.org

THE A’DESIGN AWARD

The A’Design Award is an international competition founded in 2009 to promote and reward innovation and excellence in the design world. It is known for its broad range of categories, including packaging design, interface, interaction and user experience design, movie, video and animation design, food, beverage and culinary arts design, social design, and meta, strategic and service design. The award draws global participation every year.

competition.adesignaward.com

PENTAWARDS

Founded in 2007 in Brussels, the Pentawards is one of the most prestigious international awards in the field of packaging design. Unlike other design awards, the Pentawards focuses exclusively on packaging, emphasising the importance of this sector in marketing and product communication.

The jury is made up of over 50 members from more than 20 countries, including packaging experts from leading brands and design agencies such as Coca-Cola, Unilever, Estée Lauder, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, and WWF. The award recognises different categories, showcasing the diversity and creativity within the packaging industry.

pentawards.com

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