The Red Dot Design Award was initially awarded in 1955. The Red Dot is one of the most sought-after quality marks for good design, established internationally. To assess diversity in design professionally, the award is divided into three competitions: the Red Dot Award: Product Design, the Red Dot Award: Brands & Communication Design and the Red Dot Award: Design Concept – each organised annually. The Red Dot Award documents the most prominent trends worldwide from products, brand communication and creative projects to design concepts and prototypes. The award-winning designs are shown in exhibitions worldwide and the Red Dot Design Museums and yearbooks and online.
Evaluation
The jury reviews the products, brands, communication initiatives and ideas that have been given the Red Dot Prize. It consists of independent artists, design professors and specialised journalists who have dedicated themselves to the “Code of Honour”: they cannot be hired by an industrial production corporation or engage in adjudicating the designs they have been involved in. This avoids any scenario in which Red Dot Jury members measure their accomplishments or those of direct competitors. The assessment is carried out on the submissions, live and on-site, directly. They’re not in competition with each other. Instead, they are individually tested, discussed and evaluated. The adjudication process is based on various criteria, depending on the competition, which is continuously adapted to established requirements.
Red Dot Award: Product Design
Since 1955, the Red Dot Award: Product Design has been searching for the year’s best products. Producers and designers can currently submit their industrial products in 49 categories, from fashion to consumer electronics, vehicles, medical technology and furniture.
Participants entering a creative or smart product can win two awards in the contest. To do so, after registration in one of the traditional categories, they can register their product in the meta categories “Smart Products” or “Innovative Products”. Also, young professionals who have earned their academic qualifications in the past five years can qualify for one out of 50 free places in the competition every year. In doing so, they will measure themselves against renowned designers in an international comparison and test their know-how.
Furthermore, each year young professionals – designers with academic qualifications in the last five years – are given the opportunity of competing for one out of 50 free places. In doing so, they can measure themselves against renowned designers in an international comparison and test their know-how. In doing so, they can measure themselves against famous designers in an international comparison and test their know-how.
A winning product is given the “Honourable Mention” or “Red Dot” award. The “Red Dot: Best of the Best” award is only given to exceptional items in a category. Since 1988, the title of “Red Dot: Design Team of the Year” has been awarded to a design team that wins over the jury with consistently good design achievements. It earns the “Radius” award as a token of this achievement. By doing so, they can compare themselves against renowned designers in an international comparison and assess their know-how. By doing so, they can measure themselves against famous designers in an international comparison and test their know-how.
The Red Dot: The best of the best winners will be presented at the Aalto Theater in Essen during the Red Dot Gala award ceremony. The current Red Dot: Design Team of the Year hands over the Radius to the new titleholder. The Red Dot and the Honourable Mention winners will receive their certificates at the subsequent Designers’ Night party. During the winners’ exhibition, some 1,200 international guests will celebrate at the Red Dot Design Museum Essen.
Red Dot Award: Brands & Communication Design
The competition in existence since 1993 – launched initially as “Deutscher Preis für Kommunikationsdesign” (German Prize for Communication Design) – is geared to established and up-and-coming designers, agencies and companies. They can enter their projects for the design competition in two sections. The section “applicants can enter communication Design”, individual creative and design projects in one or several of the 17 categories, including Typography, Posters and Apps. Also, there are 36 industries to choose from in the section “Brands”. Companies can enter their integrated communication that portrays a consistent brand image across different areas in the Automotive, Furniture, Watches, Electronics, Financial Services or Retail industries, for example.
A winning brand or piece of work is awarded the Red Dot, while outstanding entries win a Red Dot: Best of the Best. In the “Brands” section, the jury can also distinguish “Red Dot: Brand of the Year” to the industry’s best brand. In contrast, in the “Communication Design” section the Red Dot: Grand Prix goes to the best piece of work in a category. Also, the Red Dot: Junior Prize comes with prize money of 10,000 Euros and is awarded each year to the best piece of work entered by an upcoming designer. The title of honour “Red Dot: Agency of the Year” is awarded to an agency that receives the “Stylus” trophy for its above-average design achievements. During the Red Dot Gala award ceremony, the winners of the Red Dot: Best of the Best, Red Dot: Grand Prix, Red Dot: Brand of the Year and Red Dot: Junior Prize receive their trophies in front of around 1,200 international guests on stage at the Konzerthaus Berlin. At the subsequent Designers’ Night party in the ewerk, the Red Dot winners are given their certificates. They have an opportunity to celebrate their success. The winners’ exhibition also presents the award-winning brands and projects to the guests for a one-night exclusive.
Red Dot Award: Design Concept
The Red Dot Award: Design Concept has been held in Singapore every year since 2005. Designers, companies, organisations and universities from all over the world have the opportunity to enter their visions and put their creative potential to the test. From living and medicine to communication and security, participants can submit their design concepts, studies and prototypes in 42 categories.
A winning concept receives an Honourable Mention or a Red Dot. At the same time, the Red Dot: Best of the Best is reserved for only the best designs in a category. The top individual award, “Red Dot: Luminary”, goes to the most outstanding concept of the year.
During the Red Dot Gala award ceremony, the Red Dot: Best of the Best laureates and Red Dot: Luminary award winner receive their trophies on stage. At the subsequent Designers’ Night party in the Red Dot Design Museum Singapore, the recipients of an Honourable Mention or a Red Dot are given.