The compe­ti­tion is geared towards Swiss people working in the design industry, compa­nies, insti­tu­tions and manu­fac­turers who work here or abroad. Foreign designers, who work, study or are employed by a Swiss company can also enter.

There will be prizes for prod­ucts, projects, services and concepts from all the design disci­plines which are rele­vant to busi­ness. Research projects and disser­ta­tions can also enter the compe­ti­tion.

Eval­u­a­tion Criteria

The nomi­na­tion teams and jury under­stand design as the result of an inte­grated devel­op­ment process that lever­ages possi­bil­i­ties along the value chain, thereby creating added value.

All prod­ucts, projects, research works, services, and theses that offer inno­v­a­tive solu­tions through design-oriented devel­op­ment and design are eligible.

The common manda­tory eval­u­a­tion criteria for all cate­gories are:

Degree of Inno­va­tion and Social Rele­vance

What creative approaches does the project bring, and how does it solve existing chal­lenges? Does it have a posi­tive impact on society, industry, and/or culture?

Func­tion­ality and Sustain­ability

How well does the project fulfill its purpose, is it intu­itive to use, and does it consider sustain­ability (e.g., circular economy)?

Design and Execu­tion Quality

How high-quality is the design imple­men­ta­tion and tech­nical execu­tion?

Commu­ni­ca­tion and Presen­ta­tion

How clearly and convinc­ingly is the project presented?

  • Prod­ucts
  • Mate­rials
  • Research and devel­op­ment
  • Systemic inno­va­tion, circular struc­tures, infra­struc­tures and processes
  • Circular manu­fac­turing
  • Zero waste solu­tions
  • New circular busi­ness models and services
  • Recy­cling, reuse, redis­tri­b­u­tion, product life exten­sion / repair
  • Refur­bish­ment / reman­u­fac­turing
  • Energy and resource effi­ciency

In addi­tion to the regular compe­ti­tion entries, the experts actively nomi­nate in this award cate­gory.

All stages of the value chain are taken into account: > Extrac­tion and produc­tion of natural resources/materials or their impor­ta­tion > Manufacturing/production of parts and prod­ucts > Supply, whole­sale and retail > Consump­tion and util­i­sa­tion of prod­ucts and services > Return systems, mate­rial and product recy­cling, waste recy­cling and waste manage­ment.

«Circular economy» is omnipresent today and an impor­tant inno­va­tion factor. Under­lining the urgency for action in view of the climate change, the Paris Agree­ment of 2015 made it clear that reducing the consump­tion of resources and mini­mizing the ecolog­ical foot­print was crucial. Coun­tries are following suit with dedi­cated regu­la­tions that will accel­erate the tran­si­tion from a linear to a circular economy. The inte­gra­tion of design as a compre­hen­sive, contex­tu­al­ising work process is of central impor­tance in this tran­si­tion.

With the visionary goal of the circular economy in mind, the Circular Design cate­gory honours inno­v­a­tive achieve­ments that are already circular in them­selves, that can be inte­grated into the value chain as a partial solu­tion, and that benefit and rede­fine it.

Nomi­na­tions can be made for compa­nies, processes, mate­rials, prod­ucts, tech­nolo­gies and systemic inno­va­tions and, of course, prod­ucts. It is a must to show a clear record of the process. What they all have in common is the fulfil­ment of the criteria, inno­va­tion, recog­nis­able circular conti­nuity from research & devel­op­ment to produc­tion to the customer — and obvi­ously back again.

Previous Winners

In the Food Design cate­gory, two awards will be presented in 2025:

  • Food Design | Gastronomy: Inno­v­a­tive gastronomy concepts (restau­rant, bar, pop-up, etc.)
  • Food Design | Product: Newly devel­oped food/beverages

Food Design encom­passes, on the one hand, the devel­op­ment of new food recipes and dishes that are altered using chem­ical or other processes to meet specific customer needs. On the other hand, Food Design refers to the presen­ta­tion and prepa­ra­tion of dishes to promote gastro­nomic estab­lish­ments or food prod­ucts. Addi­tion­ally, the term repre­sents inno­v­a­tive gastronomy concepts that succeed in capti­vating guests and telling a story.

Food designers we aim to recog­nize do not merely create dishes. They explore new produc­tion tech­niques and excel with the skills of a chef—while also possessing a distinct aesthetic and artistic sensi­bility. Food designers know how to work with temper­a­tures, colors, textures, and shapes in the kitchen. Addi­tion­ally, they master­fully navi­gate the art of commu­ni­ca­tion, creating new offer­ings, services, and prod­ucts based on soci­etal trends and customer needs.

Eligible for nomi­na­tion are (food) designers, chefs, start-ups, restau­ra­teurs, agen­cies, compa­nies, inno­v­a­tive gastronomy and food concepts, manu­fac­turing processes, tech­nolo­gies, systemic inno­va­tions, as well as bever­ages, food prod­ucts, inno­v­a­tive food pack­aging, and campaigns.

  • Beds
  • Lamps, Lighting
  • Outdoor furni­ture
  • Racks and side­boards
  • Cupboards
  • Leisure Chairs
  • Sofas
  • Chairs
  • Modular furni­ture
  • Tables and side tables
  • Etc.

The compe­ti­tion is looking for high-quality, inno­v­a­tive furni­ture design that convinces with its aesthetic design and quality in addi­tion to its well thought-out func­tion­ality. Nomi­nated and awarded projects in the Furni­ture Design cate­gory are char­ac­terised by social and economic added value.

Previous winners

As part of Edition 25, the Inclu­sive Design cate­gory focuses on projects that specif­i­cally improve the lives of people who use wheel­chairs. In collab­o­ra­tion with the Swiss Para­plegic Foun­da­tion, we invite inno­v­a­tive ideas, prod­ucts, or services that make a tangible differ­ence in the daily lives of wheel­chair users.

The winning project in this cate­gory will be presented directly to the Inno­va­tion Board of the Swiss Para­plegic Foun­da­tion and will have the unique oppor­tu­nity to be further devel­oped to market readi­ness.

We are looking for:

  • Prod­ucts: Everyday aids, furni­ture, mobility solu­tions, or tech­nical devices.
  • Services: Services that remove barriers and promote self-deter­mi­na­tion.
  • Inno­va­tions: Systemic approaches or tech­nolo­gies that enhance the quality of life for wheel­chair users.

The projects must convince through func­tion­ality, acces­si­bility, and design quality, while demon­strating the poten­tial to create sustain­able improve­ments for the target group.

Take this oppor­tu­nity to turn your vision of inclu­sive design into reality and set new stan­dards together with the Swiss Para­plegic Foun­da­tion.

  • Inte­rior Design & Inte­rior Archi­tec­ture
  • Private or Public Build­ings
  • Retail, Gastronomy, Hotel, Tourism, Leisure
  • Exhi­bi­tions and Scenog­raphy
  • Exte­rior and Public Spaces
  • Health­care, Well­ness
  • Stage Design
  • Similar Others

In the coming years, Inte­rior design will become increas­ingly impor­tant. Build­ings will have to be converted and adapted to the new require­ments of social and ecolog­ical change.

We are looking for inno­v­a­tive projects, be it from resi­den­tial construc­tion, in the context of conver­sion and interim use, from gastronomy, the hotel industry or retail, well­ness etc. Nomi­nated and awarded projects in the cate­gory Inte­rior Design create a unique atmos­phere and have a direct influ­ence on the users of the space.

Previous winners

In the Product Design cate­gory, two awards will be presented in 2025:

Consumer Goods

  • Consumer Goods at large
  • Elec­tronics & Commu­ni­ca­tion
  • Home Appli­ances, Kitchen and Bath
  • Lighting
  • Shoes, Bags
  • Textiles
  • Watches, Jewellery, Acces­sories
  • Similar Others

Invest­ment Goods

  • Invest­ment Goods
  • Machines
  • Mate­rials
  • Medtech and Health­care
  • Micro­elec­tronics
  • Systemic and Tech­nical Goods and Instal­la­tions for the Industry
  • Textiles
  • Tooling
  • Trans­porta­tion and Mobility
  • Gastronomy, Tourism and Hotel Industry
  • Services
  • Similar Others

Having a strong impact on all areas of life and thus being a driver of inno­va­tion, product design is crucial, be it as medical equip­ment, means of trans­port or furni­ture. We are looking for prod­ucts that have an inde­pen­dent and compre­hen­sible design process and produc­tion quality, that take into account the cultural and social needs of the target group and that rely on sustain­able produc­tion methods.

Previous winners

Sub Cate­gories

  • Circular Design
  • Food Design
  • Furni­ture Design
  • Inclu­sive Design
  • Inte­rior Design
  • Product Design
  • Inter­dis­ci­pli­nary Projects

The cate­gory Young Profes­sionals Is intended for special­ists whose qual­i­fi­ca­tion from a design course or design-oriented training is not more than three years ago.

Eligible for submis­sion are prod­ucts, projects, concepts, and proto­types:

  • That include a final­ized, presentable concept.
  • That have been conceived, designed, or produced as orig­inal creations.
  • That have been devel­oped as limited editions or commis­sioned works for insti­tu­tions or galleries.

Excluded are commis­sioned works for commer­cial brands.

Previous winners

This is what you get

Already the nomi­na­tion is a distinc­tion and keeps the whole achieve­ment beyond the award cere­mony:

  • Prize money: CHF 1’000 to CHF 10’000 per cate­gory (winners only)
  • Marketing labels per cate­gory: Top 10 | Nomi­nees (Top3) | Winner
  • Profes­sional press kit (nomi­nees, winners)
  • Inclu­sion in our media work (nomi­nees, winners)
  • Promo­tion on our commu­ni­ca­tion chan­nels (nomi­nees, winners)
  • Portrayal with expert justi­fi­ca­tion in the Hall of Fame (nomi­nees, winners)
  • Inte­gra­tion into the digital Design Guide (winners)
  • Invi­ta­tion to the new Design Retreat format (Winner Young Profes­sionals)
  • 2 tickets for the award cere­mony on 07.11.25 (nomi­nees, winners)

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200828-Portrait_Andreas_Bechtiger
«Der Design Preis Schweiz ist für mich der national wichtigste Wettbe­werb für Gestalter. Mit der juri­erten Ausze­ich­nung wird die Rele­vanz des Designers und dem Werk gesteigert. Der Preis sensi­bil­isiert ein breites Publikum für gute, zeit­gemässe, inno­v­a­tive und sinnvolle Gestal­tung.» Andreas Bechtiger Indus­triedesigner