Which Award Is Right for Your Project?
Each award has a different focus. The key is to identify which achievement you want to showcase through your project.
| Award | Focus | Particularly suited to … |
| German Brand Award | Strategic brand management and brand success | Companies and agencies that want to showcase their brands, campaigns and strategies and view brand management as a strategic business task. |
| German Design Award | Design achievements | Pprojects in which design quality is central to the project’s context. |
| German Innovation Award | Innovations and their tangible benefits for people, businesses and the environment | Products, technologies and services with clear added value and innovation at their core. |
| ICONIC AWARDS | A holistic approach to architecture, interior design and product design | Projects that bring together design, function, technology, context and responsibility. |
German Brand Award: Celebrating Brand Success
The German Brand Awards honour outstanding brand management. A panel of experts from business and academia evaluates the entries. The focus is not only on individual design elements, but on the development and management of a brand.
This award may be right for your project if you want to show:
- how you have strategically positioned or developed a brand,
- how you make brand values tangible across different touchpoints,
- how design, communication and corporate culture work together,
- what impact consistent brand management has.
German Design Award: Connecting Global Excellence
The German Design Awards recognise outstanding achievements in product design, communication design and architecture. Since 2012, they have identified significant design trends and brought them to the public. For your entry, the key question is which aspect of the design you want to showcase and how it works in its specific context.
This award may be right for your project if you want to show:
- how design solves a specific task,
- how form, function and use come together,
- how a project stands out through quality, innovation or a focus on users,
- how design works in an architectural, communication or product-related context.
German Innovation Award: Your Stage for Innovation
The German Innovation Awards celebrate products, technologies and services that break new ground and deliver real added value for users, businesses and the environment. The key question is which challenge the solution addresses and how its benefits can be demonstrated.
This Award may be right for your project if you want to show:
- which problem or need the innovation addresses,
- what sets the new approach apart from existing solutions,
- what benefits the innovation offers users, businesses or the environment,
- how the solution has been implemented and how it works in everyday life.
ICONIC AWARDS: The Whole World of Architecture
The ICONIC AWARDS recognise holistic projects and sustainable solutions in architecture, product and interior design. They celebrate concepts that combine design, technology and responsibility.
This award may be right for your project if you want to show:
- how design, function and the context of a space or product work together,
- how materials, technology and use are integrated into the concept,
- how the project responds to social or environmental needs,
- how a holistic solution goes beyond individual design elements.
The German Design Council also supports emerging talents through German Design Graduates and the German Design Award – Newcomer of the Year distinction. Each of these has its own objectives, entry requirements and selection procedures. Visit the relevant programme or award page for the latest information.
How to Choose the Right Award
The right award for your project depends on the achievement you wish to have recognised. Choose the award whose focus and categories best reflect the nature and strengths of your project.
Before submitting your entry, please check the current entry requirements, categories, deadlines, fees and benefits for the relevant award year. You will find all the information you need on the individual award pages.
Explore our awards and find the right fit for your project.