You can register online via the my iF section on our website. As new participant you need to create a my iF user account first.

The following data are required for each entry:

Form Basic: Entry name, type of entry, selection of discipline and category

Form Media: Minimum of 4 images of the entry/product. One image should be in portrait format. (File types: JPG, PNG, max. resolution: 15-megapixel, max. file size: 5 MB, color Mode: RGB) Additional optional media: PDF, video link or weblink presenting your entry more detailed.

Form Description: Design statement = short product/entry description (max. 650 characters) as well as five short descriptions focusing on each of the five criteria (max. 650 characters each).

Form Details: Target group, market region, development time, project/product launch

Form Credits: Minimum one company each for design and client/manufacturer

No. Unfortunately, we can not accept descriptions written in Chinese. Please enter all information and descriptions in English, otherwise we are not able to process your registration.

Entries must be less than two years old at the date of registration, or must be launched, published or realized in the award year. Future-oriented, professional concepts and studies whose implementation is not planned or expected can be entered to the discipline Professional Concept.

No, the iF DESIGN AWARD is a professional award, and student concepts are not eligible.

As a student you are encouraged to participate in the iF DESIGN TALENT AWARD, free of charge.

Please send us an email with your entry-ID within 14 days. We will cancel the entry for you.

According to our terms you can cancel your entry free-of-charge within 14 days of submitting your online registration. Please also see our terms, point 3. After this date we will charge 100% of the Registration fee as cancellation fee.

Important: If you are a Finalist, meaning your entry has successfully made it through the Online Preselection and is sent to the Final Jury, it is no longer possible to cancel registration.

Yes, a product series can be registered as one entry.

There are a few requirements when submitting a series of products: All elements of the series must be made available to the jury, and at least one element must be submitted as an original product for the iF Final Jury. Other elements can be submitted in print format (brochure or charts/boards) or in digital format. In addition, please enter the following information in the online registration form:

Basic: Enter in the field 'Type of entry': Series of …

Media: Upload images that show all elements of the series

Description: Specify that your entry is a product series

Please keep in mind that when submitting a product series, the weakest element might negatively impact the jury’s decision. If the series does not have a very consistent design quality, it might be better to submit individual elements of the series as single entries. If you register a series and one or more individual elements of the series as single entries, you do not have to ship an extra product for the individual entry, since you will need to send the product as part of the series anyway.

Final products are best, but you can also submit prototypes or digital media (PDFs and/or video links).

Good to know: the closer your entry is to the final product, the better your chances are. A non-working model usually has fewer chances to win than a working prototype would. The final product always has the best chance of winning.

Yes. Please feel free to register the product for the iF DESIGN AWARD.

All registrations will be treated confidentially during the two judging steps, and only published afterwards.

The Online Preselection and the jury session itself are not public, and all jury members are requested to treat the entries confidentially. After the Final Jury session, we will publish all award winners on the iF Design website. Non-winning entries will not be published. If you wish for your awarded entry to not be published, please send us an email and we will find a solution.

Unique characteristics and innovations not visible at first glance.

Concentrate on the main innovation: you are limited to 650 characters including spaces and punctuation marks, so be brief! What makes your entry special and different from your competitors? What makes it relevant?

Avoid descriptions of the design quality (this is up to the jury to decide). Keep in mind that the jury can see your entry (either physically or digitally), so avoid describing anything the jury can see already by looking at the entry. Instead, explain something they cannot see (technical features, patents, production methods, innovative construction methods). Avoid describing the design process (your inspiration, thoughts, or methods), as in most cases these considerations are not relevant for the jury.

Yes, but you will need to create a separate my iF account for each client.

Here‘s why: For each registration there are different roles/addresses:

• participant

• client/manufacturer

• designer (can be more than one address)

• invoice recipient
  

In general, all roles/addresses can but do not have to be different. All roles/addresses consist of a postal address as well as a contact person (phone, email). All the communication concerning the award is done with the participant mostly via email. The invoice is sent via email to the contact person of the invoice recipient. The legal contract is between iF Design and the participant.

Yes, you can edit and change the text and image data of your entry in your my iF user account until the final registration deadline.

Not all data can be edited by participants. All data fields you can edit are white. The ones you cannot edit are grey. If you need to change data of a grey field, please contact us by Email.

After the final registration deadline, you cannot change any data yourself anymore, but you can request the change by Email.

By credit card or bank transfer – we will send you an invoice to the email address you used to register your entry.

You will receive an invoice for the registration fee. After receiving the invoice, you can pay via bank transfer or credit card. Important: Please use the invoice number and customer number as payment reference. Both numbers are indicated on the invoice.

For entries which have passed the online preselection, the invoice for the jury fee will be sent at the beginning of February. For award winners the invoice for the award-winning fee will be sent at the beginning of April. The same payment process applies as for the registration fee.

The bank information is printed on the invoice.

Bank Name: Norddeutsche Landesbank Hannover
Address: Georgsplatz 1, 30159 Hannover, Germany
IBAN: DE26 2505 0000 0101 4537 69
Bank No. (BLZ): 250 500 00
Account No.: 0101 453 769
BIC/SWIFT Code: NOLA DE 2HXXX
Beneficiary name: iF International Forum Design GmbH
Important: Please note the invoice number and your customer number as reference for your payment.

If you would like to check if we have received your payment, please email our accounting team at accounting@ifdesign.com.

Our invoices have a payment deadline of 14 days. If we do not receive your payment within 14 days after the payment deadline which stated on the invoice, you will receive a payment reminder (dunning letter).

Yes. The Winner‘s fee is mandatory for all award winners for every winning entry. The fee is part of the Terms of Participation which participants must read and accept when registering online. The fee includes a variety of services for winners - check out the benefits

No, you cannot change the invoice details yourself. Please send an Email and we will change the address for you.

Yes. You can pay in EUR or any other currency per bank transfer or per credit card. Once you have received the invoice you will find a link to my iF for the credit card payment. When paying, just convert the amount on the invoice into your currency using the daily exchange rate.

We want the award to be more eco-friendly. By making the first preselection a digital process, the carbon footprint of the iF DESIGN AWARD can be reduced by roughly 50%, because only 50% of the entries will be shipped to Germany.

Yes. Independent international experts will use our new iF Digital Jury Tool© to select the best 50% of all entries for the iF Final Jury.

Yes. Our newly developed criteria system with scores for five main criteria with additional sub-criteria and a resulting total score will enable a more objective and consistent judging process. Entries are more comparable now, even across different disciplines.

A scorecard is a tool that helps each entry be evaluated by the jury fairly and objectively. A newly developed scorecard with five main criteria and additional sub-criteria forms the basis for judging each entry. Scores will be used to choose the finalists and will be shared with participants.

Entries that successfully pass the Online Preselection will be judged by the iF Final Jury. Only companies whose entry makes it to this round are required to ship their products. If your entry is chosen, you will be informed after the Online Preselection.

An iF DESIGN AWARD is proof that an entry is well designed and well executed, and has convinced the independent expert jury that it fulfills the evaluation criteria.

An iF DESIGN AWARD Gold is the highest distinction a design can receive. The number of old awards are strictly limited each year, so when a design is honored with an iF DESIGN AWARD Gold, it must display an exceptional level of innovation and excellence. iF DESIGN AWARD Gold Winners often point the way towards future design trends.

Yes. Please contact the award team via Email and we will add the new brand name to your entry.

Keep in mind that in order to bear the iF winner‘s logo, the product itself cannot be changed in any way in terms of:

• Shape, Dimensions, Proportion

• Function

• Color, Decor

• Material
  

You cannot change the data yourself following the awards ceremony. Please contact us via Email and we will change the data for you.

Yes. You can order additional display certificates (21 cm x 21 cm brushed aluminum) and Gold Award trophies (only for Gold Winners) for an extra fee. Paper certificates cannot be ordered, but you can download a printable PDF file in your my iF account. Advance payment is required for all orders. Production and shipping time may amount to 4 weeks in total. You will find the order form in your my iF account in the BENEFITS section.

Yes. Each entry is judged according to a scorecard, which provides insight into the jury’s decision about your entry.

Yes, you can. Everyone who participates is invited. Please keep in mind that admission is first come, first served, as seats are limited. If you attend without winning an award, you‘ll be responsible for paying the admission ticket price. Details about the iF DESIGN AWARD NIGHT will follow soon.