Elevate Your Work onto the Global Stage!
iF DESIGN has been a symbol of design excellence and an active member of the international design community since 1953.
Today, the iF DESIGN AWARD is the world’s largest independent design award and among the most prestigious, with nearly 11,000 entries from 70 countries submitted each year across nine design disciplines. These include Product, Packaging, Branding & Communications, Service & Systems, UX, UI, Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Concepts. The incredible iF DESIGN AWARD Jury is made up of over 130 industry professionals from across the world who come together in a rigorous and transparent two-step process to recognize and celebrate the best in global design and innovation.
Do you have what it takes to win? Register your project by June 27th to take advantage of reduced Early Bird fees, or by September 25th to secure Regular deadline pricing. You’ll still have until the Final Entry deadline on November 5th to finalize your submission(s)!
Please note: the iF DESIGN AWARD is a professional award and does not accept student submissions. We encourage students to apply to the iF DESIGN STUDENT AWARD free of charge! Learn more at here.
iF DESIGN AWARD 2026 - Overview
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT
Easily Apply Today
Getting started is fast and simple. Create a free my iF account, enter your project’s basic information, and finalize your entry before November 5th.
Want to put your best foot forward? Contact us for help or visit our FAQs to learn more.
Detailed Feedback
From almost 11,000 entries, the iF Expert Jury selects the top 50% of projects to advance to the Final Jury. After these two jury steps, Jurors select Winners based on scores across five key criteria. Scoring for both rounds is detailed in the iF Jury Feedback Chart(s).
Your benefit: Compare your success to the average scores of all other submitted entries.
International attention
Gain recognition and prestige for you, your team, your project, and your design! Through the iF Winners Campaign in press, on social media, at events, and via global design platforms, we help spread the word about your success.
Win Gold and take the stage live before thousands at our international Winners Gala in Berlin.
"Such an honor to participate in the iF DESIGN AWARD 2025. This award means so much to us because of the caliber of the competition and the excellence it represents."
Be Among the Best
The iF DESIGN AWARD enters its 72nd season with updated disciplines, 93 categories, and simplified entry guidance. Take advantage of reduced Early Bird rates—valid until June 27th—to save up to EUR 200 per submission.
Register now and still have until the final deadline on November 5th to complete your entry submission(s).
Any Questions?
The iF team is happy to advise and assist you! Leave your address here and we will get back to you.
Jury Process
The iF DESIGN AWARD jury process is divided into two stages: An online preselection, sorting out about 50 percent of all entries - and a physical final jury, deciding on the winners.
All entries are evaluated based on five updated criteria, developed together with a team of international design experts. Each juror enters his or her detailed assessment of each entry into the iF Digital Jury Tool©, which will then be available to ALL participants as a feedback chart.
Dates for the 2026 Award
Early Bird Registration Deadline | 27 June 2025 |
Regular Registration Deadline | 26 September 2025 |
Last Chance Registration Deadline | 5 November 2025 |
iF Online Preselection | 1– 4 December 2025 |
iF Final Jury in Hamburg | 10 – 12 February 2026 |
iF DESIGN AWARD NIGHT 2026 in Berlin | 27 April 2026 |
iF Design Trend Conference 2026 in Berlin | 28 April 2026 |
Fees at a Glance
Registration Fees | |
|---|---|
Early Bird Deadline until 27 June 2025 | EUR 300 per entry |
Regular Deadline until 26 September 2025 | EUR 400 per entry |
Last Chance Deadline until 5 November 2025 | EUR 500 per entry |
Jury Fees | |
|---|---|
For all entries qualified for the iF Final Jury | EUR 300 per entry |
Winners Fees | |
|---|---|
Product Design / Packaging Design | EUR 3,300 per entry |
For all other disciplines | EUR 2,900 per entry |
“The global recognition that accompanies an iF DESIGN AWARD is a signal and a symbol of the power of design, and the important role it plays in delivering new and better solutions across industries, portfolios and brands.”
COMMITMENT TO THE NEXT GENERATION
Belief in the power of design has always been at the heart of iF Design. The non-profit iF Design Foundation is the only shareholder of iF International Forum Design GmbH and its global subsidiaries. Through the free-to-enter iF DESIGN STUDENT AWARD and the iF SOCIAL IMPACT PRIZE, iF supports those who are using design to improve society based around the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.
iF DESIGN STUDENT AWARD
Students anywhere can submit their ideas. An independent jury honors the best projects with marketing support and EUR 50,000 in prize money.
iF SOCIAL IMPACT PRIZE
With two juried competitions hosted each year, socially impactful initiatives are awarded with marketing support and EUR 100,000 in prize money.
iF Design Foundation
The iF Design Foundation's goal is to promote design, education, and its social value away from economic conditions or constraints. It replaced the iF Industrie Forum Design e.V., which operated from 1953 to 2018 with more than 160 members.