Selection of the jury members
The European Design Awards juries stand apart from other similar competitions, as they are composed of design writers, editors, authors, and publishers—in other words, design critics, including curators, researchers, and academics—individuals who evaluate communication design as part of their everyday work.
Chairperson
The organisers appoint one chairperson for each of the juries.
Examination of the entries
The judges shall examine all the designs submitted by the participants, determine whether they conform to the rules and conditions, and exclude any which do not.
International Diversity
The jury must consist of members from as many different European countries as possible. No one country shall have a majority representation in the jury.
Substitutes
If for any reason an appointed jury member becomes unable to be present at the jury meeting, the organisers are entitled to appoint a substitute.
Any alterations of the jury members must be announced on the awards’ web site.
Pre-Selection
In the case where in any specific category the number of submissions is too high to be accommodated by the normal jury procedures a Pre-selection committee might be formed.
This will have a minimum of five members and it will be international in its composition.
The task of this body is to facilitate the work of the regular jury by providing it with a number of finalists among which the awards and distinctions will be decided.
The methods and criteria implemented by the Pre-selection jury will be the same as the ones implemented by the regular jury.
Standard Criteria
- Design quality: Design excellence including use of images, typography etc.
- Creativity: Originality and artistic quality.
- Relevance: To what extent the design serves the specific purpose it was designed for.
Criteria for Websites
- Usability.
- Technical quality.
- Design quality: Design excellence, including use of images, typography etc.
- Creativity: Originality and artistic quality.
- Relevance: To what extent the design serves the specific purpose it was designed for.
Criteria for Typefaces
- Creativity: Originality and artistic quality.
- Readability: How easily or comfortably a typeset text reads.
- Legibility: The ease and speed with which the reader can decipher each letterform and word.
Awards
- There are three levels of distinction: Gold, Silver and Bronze.
In each category, a Gold award is only granted if the jury deems the work to be of exceptionally high calibre. Gold winners receive a trophy during the Award Ceremony. In rare cases, a maximum of two Gold awards may be given in a single category.
Silver and Bronze winners receive a diploma at the Award Ceremony, with a maximum of two Silver and two Bronze awards per category. While Gold winners receive a trophy, Silver and Bronze winners have the option to purchase one if they wish.
ED-Awards Catalogue
All award winners (gold, silver and bronze) and finalists will be published in the ED-Awards catalogue and on the ED-Awards website.
Announcement of Judges Decisions
- The award winners will be informed at least one month before the award ceremony but not officially announced before the award ceremony.
- The participants who did not win will also be informed via e-mail no later than two weeks before the award ceremony.
Time
-
The submission rules must be published at least one month before the submission period begins. The submission period for the European Design Awards 2025 runs from 15 December 2024 to 14 February 2025.
-
For a submission to be valid, the entry fee must be paid before the deadline, and any required physical sample must arrive at the European Design Awards office in Greece no later than 21 February 2025. The organisers reserve the right to extend the deadline, provided that an announcement is made in due time.
-
Only work published between 1 January 2024 and the submission deadline (14 February 2025) is eligible for entry.
Return
-
Any submitted material can be returned, except in cases where it has won a prize. Winning entries become part of the festival’s archive and, therefore, the property of the organisers.
-
If submitters wish to have their samples returned, they must indicate this clearly during the submission process by ticking the designated box before checking out. Requests for sample returns after the submission process is complete will not be accepted.
-
All packaging and shipping costs, along with a non-refundable administration fee of €50 per submission, are the responsibility of the submitter.
Reproduction Rights
- Entries cannot be submitted without the prior permission of the owner of the rights to the work.
- The organisers reserve the right to publish submissions in the ED-Awards catalogue, the ED-Awards website, promotional material and exhibitions. When doing so they must always acknowledge the designer/company. They also reserve the right to record and publish videos and pictures from the award ceremony.
Form of Submissions
The exact requirements for each submission are stated under each category (e.g. size, resolution, document formats). Submissions can be made online via the ED-Awards website.
Shipping
- For samples arriving from outside of the EU, customs invoice should be included with the shipment when applicable, marked “Contest material – no commercial value.” If the courier company requires a declared value for the goods, please use nominal values (e.g., €1 per item).
- It is the participant’s responsibility to ensure that the shipment is delivered to the European Design Awards office in Athens and to cover all courier, mailing, and insurance costs, as well as any import duties.
Payment Fees
European Design will cover standard credit card processing fees. However, if participants choose to pay via bank transfer or money transfer, they are responsible for covering any associated transfer or exchange fees.
Withdrawal
Participants may withdraw their submissions at any time up to the jury meeting. If they withdraw their submission before the end of the submission period, the submission fee will be refunded, minus a 15% deduction to cover credit card fees and administrative expenses.
Right to Participate
All designers living or working within Europe may participate. Designers in Europe may submit work done for clients outside Europe. Designers who are not based within Europe may only submit work that was created for the European market.
Excluded From Competition
- Designers who do not have a business or home address in Europe, unless they are submitting work created for European clients.
- Jury members and their immediate family members.
- Organisers and their immediate family members.
European Countries
- Andorra
- Albania
- Armenia
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Belgium
- Bosnia & Herzegovina
- Bulgaria
- Cyprus
- Croatia
- Czechia
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Georgia
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Italy
- Kazakhstan
- Kosovo
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Montenegro
- Netherlands
- North Macedonia
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- San Marino
- Serbia
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Türkiye
- Ukraine
- United Kingdom
The competition results are final and binding, and entrants agree not to dispute the outcome, except in cases of proven foul play. The organisers reserve the right to review and investigate any allegations of foul play; however, in all other cases, the results will not be subject to review or appeal.
Entrants accept the results as conclusive and acknowledge that the organisers shall not be liable for any damages or losses incurred in connection with the competition. Additionally, entry fees are non-refundable, and those who do not win are not eligible for reimbursement, regardless of the outcome of their submissions.
By participating in the competition, entrants agree to be bound by these rules and the decisions of the organisers.