Communication Arts 2027 Interactive Competition

The Communication Arts 2027 Interactive Competition is the interactive edition of one of the longest-running competitions in visual communication. It looks for the best digital work of the year: websites and microsites, apps, games, interactive installations, product displays and online services. Winning projects are published in the Communication Arts Interactive Annual, in print and digital editions, and on commarts.com.

Communication Arts, the US magazine for design, advertising, illustration and photography, runs a separate competition for each discipline. The Interactive Competition is judged by a panel of developers, interface designers and creative directors from around the world, and acceptance is highly selective. There is no cash prize: the reward is selection itself and the visibility that comes with being published in the annual that agencies and studios study each year.

Entries for the 2027 competition are already in the late period. Projects can still be registered until 23 October 2026 with a late fee for each entry.

Who Can Enter the Communication Arts 2027 Interactive Competition?

The competition is open to anyone who created or commissioned an eligible interactive project: design studios, digital agencies, in-house teams, freelancers, developers and clients, from any country. Students can enter their own work in a student category at reduced fees.

It is particularly relevant to:

• Digital and interactive design studios
• UX and UI designers and product teams
• Creative technologists and developers
• Agencies producing campaigns and brand experiences online
• Students of interaction and digital design

What Can You Enter?

Any interactive project created for digital distribution is eligible: interface design, educational and entertainment programmes, interactive product displays and applications made for desktop, interactive installations, handheld devices, online services or the web.

Typical Entry Groups

• Websites and microsites: browser-based sites for commerce, news, education or entertainment
• Mobile and handheld: apps, mobile-optimised sites, games and location-based services
• Social: applications, extensions and games made for social platforms
• Installations and environments: interactive work shown in physical spaces

The full category list, with descriptions, is in the category PDF on the official competition page. A project that has already appeared in a previous CA Interactive Annual cannot be entered again.

Entry Fees

Fees depend on the type of entry and are listed in the official category PDF. Students pay reduced fees for their own work. Entries registered after the regular deadline of 9 October 2026 carry a late fee of $10 per entry. Fees are not refundable.

What Do Selected Entrants Receive?

• Publication in the Communication Arts Interactive Annual, in print and digital editions
• A feature on commarts.com
• A personalised Award of Excellence, milled from solid aluminium
• Award certificates for the firms, individuals and clients credited on the work

Submission Requirements

Entries are registered online through the Communication Arts entry platform.

For each project, prepare:

• A live URL or the files the jury needs to experience the work
• A short description of the project and its purpose
• Basic credit information for judging; full credits are requested for publication if the work is selected

The category PDF and the competition FAQs explain the accepted formats for each type of entry.

Important Rules

• Each project is entered in the category that best describes it.
• Work that has appeared in an earlier CA Interactive Annual is not eligible.
• Late entries are accepted until 23 October 2026 only, with the late fee.
• Entrants keep their rights but allow Communication Arts to reproduce selected work in print and online.

When Will Entrants Be Notified?

The 2027 Interactive jury is made up of Davide Baratta (Unlearn Studio, London), Valerie Carlson (Critical Mass, Los Angeles), Gabrielle Harlid (Decimal Studios, New York), Laura Licari (Publicis Sapient, Milan), Kenta Toshikura (Garden Eight, Tokyo) and Alex Wittholz (Helios Design Labs, Toronto).

Accepted entrants are notified roughly three months after the final deadline, around January 2027.

Things to Consider

• Make the work easy to judge. Jurors review many projects; a stable URL that loads quickly and works without logins is essential.
• Explain the problem. A clear description of the goal and the audience helps the jury understand what the project achieves.
• Check the credits. Communication Arts publishes full credits, so confirm names and roles with clients and collaborators.
• Do not wait for the last day. The final deadline is 23 October 2026, and every late entry costs $10 more.
• Students should enter. The reduced student fees make this an affordable way to have work seen by leading creative directors.

Enter the Competition

Interested in submitting your work?

Enter the Communication Arts 2027 Interactive Competition

For the complete category list, fees and the entry portal, visit the official Communication Arts competition page.

Looking for more open calls? Browse all competitions and opportunities on Good Stuff Weekly.

Last verified: October 12, 2026