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2025 Design Awards

Call for Entry: November 25, 2024 - March 21, 2025
Eligibility Period: March 2024 - March 2025
Results Notification: Mid–March 2025

Elevate your work

Have your work seen by the best of the best. An international jury of design professionals will select the 2025 Design Awards winners.

Winning an Applied Arts Design Award can lead to new business, a career shift, and, most importantly, creative recognition across the industry. Winning entries will be published in the Design Awards Annual, alongside the 2025 Photography & Illustration winners, online in the Winners Gallery and the Awards archive.

International design studios and designers are eligible to enter their latest corporate design, interactive, editorial, packaging, promotional, and web/digital work into the 2025 Design Awards competition.

Enter today to continue to set the creative bar.

For current students, you are ONLY ELIGIBLE to enter the Student Awards Competition where work is judged alongside your peers at a similar level of experience.

2025 Call for Entry Kit 2025 Design Awards Categories Kit Awards Entries

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Jury & Judging Process
Eligibility
Categories & Entry Fees
Entry Material Guidelines
How to Enter
Payment & Refunds
Winners
Frequently Asked Questions
Contact
Disclaimer

Enter Now

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Design Awards Jury

Our Design Awards jury panel consists of 16 award-winning creatives working in the design industry today, both in Canada and abroad. They lend us their discerning eye and expertise and, in so doing, enable us to celebrate the best design in all its facets—whether editorial or environmental design. With their help, we continue to spotlight the best of the best.

Judging Process

All work is entered and judged digitally. There are no hard copies. Therefore, please read our RECOMMENDED BEST PRACTICES, under the ENTRY MATERIAL GUIDELINES section to ensure you submit your work properly for maximum impact.

The judges are divided into groups, with each viewing a different and random group of entries. Each judge reviews and scores entries separately. Judges do not confer or discuss the work and there is only one round of judging.

• Each entry is judged independently on its own merit. Judges are asked not to rank or compare entries.
• We have no predetermined quota of winners. If a category has no winners it is eliminated. Similarly, a category may have multiple winners. All entries above the cut-off score are declared winners and are published.
• We do not rank winners (i.e. no gold, silver, etc.). Every entry above the cut-off score is given equal exposure as a winner.

Entries are given one total score, based on three criteria only:

1. Creative merit.
2. Technical excellence.
3. Suitability for end use in the category it was submitted to.

NOTE: Entries submitted to the Young Blood categories are judged with the level of experience and/or available resources taken into consideration.

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Eligibility

Open internationally to all forms of commissioned, published, unpublished and personal work from professionals and enthusiasts created between March 2024 and March 2025 (but not entries that have been submitted into last year's competition). Only digital entries are accepted for this competition.

Young Blood
For professionals that have graduated within the last five (5) years. Work submitted to the Young Blood categories can be from any application from the Professional groupings of categories.

Students
Students are only eligible to enter the Student Awards competition, a stand-alone awards competition for students studying in a creative arts program at the post-secondary or high school level. Work from any year of study is eligible and may be entered up to one year after graduation. Visit Student Awards for eligibility and deadlines.

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Categories & Entry Fees

Entry fees vary per sub-grouping and category. Download the 2025 Design Awards Categories Kit for detailed pricing.

ENTIRE DESIGN PROGRAMS - $125
Cause-Related/Social Responsibility Program
Complete Brand Identity
Complete Rebrand Identity Program
Entire Design Program
Entire Packaging Design Program
Entire Promotional Design Program
Guerrilla Marketing Program
Pro Bono/PSA/Charity Design Program
Small Community/Business Design Program*

DESIGN – SINGLE: $65/SERIES: $85*
Annual Report
Brochure/Catalogues
Cause-Related Creative Response
Data Visualization
Environmental Design (Signage, Complete Environment, Experiential/Event)
Brand Identity (Logo design, Rebranded Logo and Applications)
Poster
Pro Bono/Public Service/Charity
Small Community/Business Design*
Unpublished/Personal

EDITORIAL DESIGN – SINGLE: $65/SERIES: $85*
Book Design
Publication Design

PACKAGING DESIGN – SINGLE: $65/SERIES: $85*
Beverages (Alcohol and Alcohol-Free)
Consumer Products
Food
Promotional
Rebrand
Retail Applications
Sustainable

PROMOTIONAL DESIGN – SINGLE: $65/SERIES: $85
Artist/Design Firm Promotions
Point-of-Sale Messaging
Premium/Gift Item
Promotional Collateral
Promotional Messaging

TYPOGRAPHY – SINGLE: $85/SERIES: $125*
Corporate Application
Digital Application
Environmental/Experiential Application
Motion Application
Packaging Application
Promotional Application

TYPEFACE DESIGN – SINGLE: $65/SERIES: $85

CRAFT – SINGLE: $65/SERIES: $85
Calligraphy/Hand Lettering
Motion/Animation
Illustration
Photography
Printing/Bindery/Finishing

DIGITAL DESIGN – CONTENT/WEBSITE SINGLE: $100
Content
Apps (Desktop, Mobile/Tablet)
Augmented & Virtual Reality
Editorial – Digital Editions
Experimental/Innovative
Gaming
Social/Viral Promotional
Self-promotion

Website
Business-to-Business
Consumer Products
Consumer Services
Commerce
Educational/Reference
Entertainment, Art & Tourism
Public Service/Charity
Self-Promotion

MOTION DESIGN – SINGLE: $100/SERIES: $150*
Educational and explanatory, social media, event or online graphics

YOUNG BLOOD - SINGLE: $50/ SERIES: $65/CAMPAIGN: $85

*Rates vary by sub-grouping and categories. Refer to the 2025 Design Categories Kit for details.

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Entry Material Guidelines

• Submit entries in digital, hi-res format.
• Actual creative work must be entered. Brief descriptions or case studies for the judges may only be added as a supporting file.
• Do not add a watermark that identifies the entrant Self-promotion work is exempt.
• Entries must be in English or include an English translation for any important text (e.g. headlines AND entry titles).
• Complete the Winners' Information, including the Description of Entry and Creative Credits, at the entry stage. NOTE: Winners will only have 48 hours to review and make edits.

Acceptable file formats and restrictions

STILLS

• File Format: PDF*, JPG, PNG, GIF
• File Dimensionst: 8-inches (or 2,400 pixels) on the longest dimension
• Resolution: 300 DPI (min.)
• Colour Mode: RGB
• File Size: Max. 5 MB

* Multipage PDFs are allowed and recommended over individual PDF or JPG files.

MOTION

• File Format: MP4, URL to a video-sharing site (e.g. YouTube, Vimeo).
• File Size: Max. 80 MB
• IMPORTANT re MP4: Video files will be resized by our system to 800px wide keeping aspect ratio.

RESTRICTIONS

• Password–protected sites not allowed.
• MPEG, WMV are unsupported.
• Uploading materials through file sharing sites such Dropbox, Google Drive, WeTransfer, etc.

Main Entry Files

REQUIRED
Main Entry File(s) must clearly show the images (ideally with no additional graphics) to be judged in hi-res format.

PERMITTED

SINGLE | 1 File

A single design unit – Such as an annual report, book/publication, multiple-page brochure, package, poster, environmental signage for an event/storefront, website, etc.

SERIES | 3 Files maximum

2 – 3 design units – Such as a family of logos, packages, posters.

CAMPAIGN | 9 files maximum

Up to 9 elements/units from an entire campaign or program to promote an event, brand, product, service or business.

*Exceptions are noted in specific categories.

NOTE ON MULTIPAGE PDFS: Recommended when incorporating any additional images into the maximum number of files allowed (e.g. the image in context, inside pages from a book, or multiple views of 3-dimensional entries such as packaging). It only counts as 1 file.

Support Files

Support Files are for clarity to assist the judges. They are not for publication (except where noted) and do not count towards the file limitations noted above. These files can be added to your main entry material or uploaded to the Supporting Materials of the ENTRY MATERIALS section. Only one file/URL may be uploaded.

REQUIRED
~ English translations for non-English entries: Include any important text (e.g. headlines and the entry title) either as a Support File or within a multipage PDF as your Main Entry File.

PERMITTED
~ Brief descriptions: Are recommended in cases where the use/intention is not obvious or to provide further clarity for the judges. Limit to 50 words in English (10-second intro for motion).
~ Case studies: Not recommended (as outcomes are not a consideration for judges in scoring), case studies can be added ONLY as a Support File and should be limited to max. 50 words in English (or up to 45s for videos). REMINDER: The actual creative is to be judged as your Main Entry File.

NOT PERMITTED
~ Uploading the same creative: Do not submit the same creative either as a file or URL if it's already been added as the Main Entry File.
~ Entrant information: Do not add a watermark that identifies the entrant on the Support files/URLs.

RECOMMENDED BEST PRACTICES

Judging is online. Here's how to help the judges:

• A multi–page PDF is preferred over multiple, individual PDF or JPG files.
• More is not better. Curate your images to the maximum indicated for each category, except where noted below.
• Give the judges the full picture at-a-glance. Show multiple views of 3D pieces, zoom in on small print or details and show complex/novel work in the context of how the audience saw it.
• Include supporting material within a multipage PDF as your Main Entry File when requested.
• Look at your entry on a smaller screen and ensure all important details are legible at that size, as that's how a judge may view it.

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How To Enter

The Entry Form consists of five (5) steps. You will have the option to save your progress during each step of the process.

Create your Account.

This is your Applied Arts account. To start entering or to review existing entries, go to My Account and click on the Awards Entries link. Account information can be edited by clicking the "Edit Profile" on the My Account homepage.

Bookmark https://www.appliedartsmag.com/myaccount/ for easy access to your account later.

NOTE: If you've entered the Applied Arts Awards previously, please use the email address associated with your account.

All entrants must complete an online entry form in Awards Entries, regardless of payment method, to be eligible for entry.

View a sample entry

Step 1: Entry Information

Select from one of the Awards competitions, choose a sub-group, category and your entry title.

Step 2: Entry Materials

Entry format: All entries are to be submitted in digital format. See ENTRY MATERIAL GUIDELINES section above for detailed specifications and helpful tips.

Step 3: Winners' Information

THIS SECTION IS FOR PUBLICATION ONLY AND IS NOT VISIBLE TO THE JUDGES. Please review the information carefully. After the winners have been notified, you will only have 48 hours to make edits.

The "Winner" field is the primary company or individual you want to be credited on the piece (i.e. company name, photographer, illustrator, Young Blood, etc.).

NOTE: In the instance that a team (e.g. AD & writer) worked together (typically for the Young Blood or Student categories), enter only the first individual of the team as in the "Winner" field. The other team member(s) should be added in the CREATIVE CREDITS section. (See Step 4: CREATIVE CREDITS for further explanation on how to enter additional names so that they are properly credited as "Winners").

Optional fields: Phone, email, web address, social handles, and the URL to the winning entry (typically, for websites and motion entries). If these are entered, they will be published beside your winning work.

NOTE: We recommend including the URL as, due to file sizes, we don't upload the MP4 files directly for viewing in the Winners Gallery. They are only used for judging.

Description of Entry: For the purpose of providing a brief creative summary of the project to be published beside your winning entry. The description is limited to a maximum of 500 characters (includes spaces).

NOTE: The "Descriptions of Entry" are for publication use only and are not shown to the judges.

Step 4: Creative Credits

Credits are a summary of the individual's or companies that have worked on the project.

A credit can be designated with an individual's name or an organization's. A credit role is a job function (e.g. Creative Director, or Production House). Multiple names can be assigned to one credit role (i.e. if you have two Creative Directors, they are counted as only one credit role).

A maximum of 6 creative credit roles will be published in the Annual, however, any/all creative credits you entered will appear in the online Winners Gallery.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

• In instances of a team entry (e.g. Young Blood or student group project), enter the subsequent names here (Reminder: you entered one name in the "Winner" field). Choose the "Other" role and enter Young Blood (or Student, or Winner) as a custom role field. They will not be counted towards your 6 credit roles, and will be credited together as the "Winners". These individuals may also be added a second time, identifying their specific roles on the project (e.g. Art Director, Writer).
• Credits only need to be entered once. Credits automatically get saved to your account to be used for any competition. For subsequent entries, select either a saved credit or add a new credit. To change the order of your credits, change the number from the sort column and select "Update Sort" when finished.
• Creative credits must be completed at the time of submission. If selected as a winner there will be only 48 hours to edit or add the creative credits. Be sure to review your creative credits carefully, particularly the credits to be printed in the Annual.

Step 5: Certificate information

Winners will receive one certificate for each winning entry. Complete the winning company/individual and/or client you wish to appear on the certificate. The entry title and the category the project won in will automatically be included on the certificate. You will have the opportunity to order additional certificates once winners have been notified.

NEXT: FINALIZING YOUR ENTRY
After Step 5, the entry form is complete. Press the "Save" button to return to the "Awards Entries" dashboard to submit a new entry, copy an existing entry to a new category, or submit payment.

IMPORTANT: A submitted entry is not final and entered in the competition until it's paid for. Entries may be edited until paid. Once payment has been processed, it is final and cannot be modified.

Enter Now

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Payment & Refunds

Entry fees vary. Check the categories kit for entry fees. Once an entry is paid it is officially in the competition and cannot be modified.

Payments can be made by Visa, MasterCard or American Express (AmEx is for Canadian payments only at this time), or PayPal. US and international entry fees are payable in US funds.

We only accept cheques or direct deposits in special circumstances. These cases must be pre-approved. To request them, contact awards@appliedartsmag.com.

Entries are non-refundable. If an entry is submitted to the same category, entrants will have the option to move the entry to another category or enter new work in its place.

Keep a record of your submissions.

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Winners

All entrants will be notified by late April 2025 via email. At that time, you will have only 48 hours to correct or finalize any creative credits and descriptions.

To ensure you don't miss the results notifications, add winners@appliedartsmag.com to your white list.

Award recipients will earn the following recognition for their outstanding work:

• Published in Applied Arts Magazine: Winning entries are featured prominently in the Summer 2025: Photography, Illustration & Design Awards Annual, showcasing the best creative work in the industry. The Awards Annual provides winners with valuable exposure and recognition within the creative community and will be received by all winners.

• Online Gallery: Showcasing the Winners' work in the Applied Arts Awards online gallery, a digital exhibition of the awarded entries. This online presence can increase exposure and visibility for the winners' work.

• Digital Winners' Badge: Winners are granted the right to display the Applied Arts Awards winners' badge on their website, portfolio, or marketing materials. This badge serves as a visual mark of distinction and can help enhance their professional reputation.

• Award Certificate: Winners receive an official certificate acknowledging their achievement in the Applied Arts Awards competition. This certificate is a tangible symbol of their accomplishment and can be used for promotional purposes.

• Industry Recognition: The Applied Arts Awards are highly regarded within the creative industry, and winning an award can significantly enhance a professional's reputation and credibility. It can also attract attention from potential clients, employers, collaborators, and peers, opening up new career opportunities and collaborations.

ADD-ON OPPORTUNITIES FOR WINNERS*

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Frequently Asked Questions

Eligibility FAQ

Can students enter? No. Students may only enter the Student Competition. Go here for categories, eligibility and deadlines for the Student Awards competition.

Can I enter something I entered last year? Not in the same competition, but if it meets the eligibility period for a different competition, then yes.

Can I enter something in multiple Awards competitions? Yes. Each competition has different eligibility periods; please check each competition for eligibility requirements.

Judging FAQ

Will the judges see my descriptions during the judging? Judges do not see the creative descriptions you have entered. These are only for publishing beside your entry if chosen as a winner. If you feel judges need an explanatory note, you may include a brief description as a Support File (no more than 50 words or 10 seconds for broadcast/video).

Categories FAQ

Can I enter a piece in multiple categories? Yes. In your account on the Awards Entries home page, click "Copy" on any entry you've created. Be sure to change the discipline and/or entry category to the new one you want to submit to.

Which category does my entry belong in? Often the best way to understand a category is to see previous work that won in that category. Check our online winners Gallery for examples. If you still have questions regarding our categories or require assistance in selecting the appropriate category, contact awards@appliedartsmag.com.

NOTE: Applied Arts reserves the right to move an entry to another category if we feel it unsuitable or incorrectly categorized.

What is a single, series, and campaign? A single means one piece. Series means you are submitting more than one piece of the same project to a maximum of three (five pieces for the Photography & Illustration competitions). A campaign is up to nine pieces (six pieces for the Student competition). NOTE: Exceptions are noted in specific categories. If an entry contains more than the specified images, we will either contact you to split the submission into multiple entries, or choose which ones will be judged, so it's best to stick to the indicated number of pieces specified.

What is the Young Blood category? Young Blood is a series of categories open only to entrants who have been out of school for up to a certain number of years (three for the Photography and Illustration competitions and five for the Design and Advertising competitions). As with all categories, they are judged on creative excellence, technical merit and suitability for end use, but the jury also takes into account the level of professional experience. You will be required to specify the name of the Young Blood entrant to qualify.

Entry Material FAQ

At what specs do I need to submit my entry? Refer to ENTRY MATERIAL GUIDELINES section for specifications.

Can I submit a hard copy or disk? No. Only digital uploads are accepted.

The program crashed. Did I lose everything? No. You are saving your work as you go through each section of the entry form. If the program crashes as you are completing a certain section, it may not have been saved in that section.

The file I uploaded won't show me a preview. Why? You may not see the image preview if you haven't followed the specs outlined in ENTRY MATERIAL GUIDELINES. Check your file and re-upload. If you continue to experience difficulties, try clearing your browser history or contact awards@appliedartsmag.com.

I uploaded the wrong file. Can I change it? Yes. You can resubmit images at any time until payment is made. Click the "X" beside the appropriate file and re-upload your image.

NOTE: The thumbnail image may not correctly display your new image. If this happens close your browser and log back into "Awards Entries" for the changes to show. If you continue to experience difficulties, try clearing your browser history or contact awards@appliedartsmag.com.

Rights FAQ

Do I need to get the rights of the subjects or material used from external sources in my entry? It is the responsibility of the entrant to ensure copyright is not infringed. Upon entry you must grant us the rights to reproduce the image or images for both our online and print publications, so you would most likely need to have these rights in place to protect yourself. Although you do not need to send us a copy of the release forms, we do suggest that you have them. Entrants who request we don't run their winning work because they don't have the rights will not be refunded for their entry. NOTE: Student work is often exempt from copyright rules.

What rights do I retain if my work is chosen? You retain all rights to your images.

My client has revoked the right for me to enter work I've won for. What do I do? We do not issue refunds in these cases, but please contact awards@appliedartsmag.com if you need the entry removed from the Winners' pool.

Payment FAQ

Can I submit more entries after paying? Yes. In Awards Entries, you will have the opportunity to submit additional entries even if others already entered have been paid. This will simply generate a new confirmation email when you complete your entries with payment.

I want to change something after I've paid. What do I do? Once an entry is paid, you cannot change the category, entry title, entry format, winner's information, description of entry, or creative credits. A paid entry is final, so check it carefully before proceeding to the payment field. If chosen as a winner, you will be given a small window of time to add or edit information.

Can I get a refund? Entries are non-refundable; costs cover administration, processing and the judging of the entry. A submission of entry acknowledges acceptance of these rules.

My client has revoked the right for me to enter work I’ve already paid for. What do I do? We do not issue refunds, but contact awards@appliedartsmag.com if you need the entry removed from the judging or winners' pool.

I'm getting error messages when I try to pay. What do I do? If you entered your payment information incorrectly on your first attempt, any subsequent attempts would be declined, even if you change your payment type. Close your browser and log back into Awards Entries. You should now be able to proceed with payment. If you continue to experience difficulties, contact awards@appliedartsmag.com.

Winners FAQ

If I win, what image will you use for reproduction? We will use the image(s) you submitted on entry. In the case of series, complete, campaign, we select a sampling at our discretion from the images/files submitted. For digital or motion, we will contact you to provide us with final image selects.

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Contact

Questions? If you've checked all of the above sections and cannot find the answer to your question, or if you are having difficulty entering, contact awards@appliedartsmag.com.

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Disclaimer

Applied Arts reserves the right to amend these rules throughout the competition. Applied Arts assumes all entries are original and the property of the entrant, with all rights granted therein. Applied Arts reserves the rights to publish or exhibit entries for our print or electronic formats, or related promotions. Entries are non-refundable. Costs cover administration, processing, and the judging of the entry. Entries may be moved to a more suitable category, if Applied Arts deems the category chosen unsuitable. All descriptions and credits are subject to be edited for length, clarity and grammar in accordance with the Applied Arts editorial style guide. A submission of entry acknowledges acceptance of these rules.