Output Design Award
After 20 years of celebrating emerging talent, the :output International Student Award enters a new era with a new name: the Output Design Award. This milestone represents more than a rebrand—it’s a reinvention of how we champion creative excellence across design, art, and architecture globally. As we embrace this transformative chapter, we continue our commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, challenging creators to address global issues through innovative design solutions. Join us to design the future.
21st Output Design Award 2026
Renowned as one of the top international honors for emerging creative talent, the 21st Output Design Award 2026 is organized by the non-profit :output Foundation based in Amsterdam. Open to both students and professional designers, the competition receives approximately 3,000 submissions each year from over 40 countries, reflecting a wide spectrum of innovative design approaches. Award recipients gain global recognition. Serving as a prominent platform for forward-thinking and fresh design perspectives, the award highlights excellence across disciplines. The Awards Ceremony will be held in Amsterdam, celebrating the achievements of outstanding designers from around the world.
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About Output
The international design community stands at the threshold of a transformative milestone. In 2026, the renowned :output International Student Award—which has championed emerging creative talent across design, art, and architecture for two decades—evolves into the 21st Output Design Award 2026, marking both a celebration of legacy and a bold vision for the future.
This evolution represents more than a simple rebrand; it embodies a fundamental reinvention of how we recognize and nurture creative excellence. The 21st Output Design Award 2026 continues its mission to bridge the gap between emerging and established voices in the design field, ensuring that exceptional creativity receives the global recognition it deserves regardless of the creator’s professional status.
Since its inception, the Amsterdam-based non-profit organization has witnessed extraordinary growth, now receiving approximately 3,000 submissions annually from over 40 countries. This expansion reflects the award’s success in creating meaningful dialogue between diverse creative communities and fostering international collaboration.
The 2026 competition maintains its commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, challenging participants to address pressing global issues through innovative design solutions. From addressing climate action to promoting sustainable cities and communities, submissions will be evaluated based on four core principles: innovation in problem-solving, sense of solidarity, economic awareness, and positive user impact.
As the Output Design Award enters this new chapter, it reaffirms its position as one of the world’s premier platforms for forward-thinking design perspectives. The upcoming competition, running from November 28, 2025, to February 15, 2026, invites students, emerging talents, and professional designers worldwide to participate in shaping the future of creative excellence.
The future of design—fresh, bold, and boundary-pushing—continues to evolve in classrooms, studios, and creative spaces globally. Now, more than ever, it deserves to be seen, celebrated, and shared with the world.
