Indigo Design Award 2027

The Indigo Design Award 2027 is an international competition for graphic design, digital design, branding and design for social change. Now in its tenth edition, it stands out for its jury, which is drawn largely from the in-house design teams of major technology and consumer companies, including Google, Meta, Microsoft, Nike, Amazon and Spotify. That gives the award a strong digital and product-design perspective.

Indigo separates entrants by size. Students and early-career designers, independent designers, and teams and agencies each pay different fees, so a freelancer is not priced like an agency. Entries are judged blind on creativity, craft, innovation and impact.

Winners are presented in the Indigo showcase for a year, promoted to the award's newsletter audience and invited to the Indigo Design Party, a ceremony held each spring in a different city; past editions have taken place in Lisbon, Bangkok, Tokyo and Tbilisi.

Who Can Enter the Indigo Design Award 2027?

Designers and design companies from every country. Work must be completed within the last five years, and all entries must be in English.

Each entrant chooses one of three types:

• Emerging designers: students and designers with less than two years of experience
• Independent designers: professionals who earn most of their income from design
• Design teams and agencies: studios and companies with several employees

It is particularly relevant to:

• Branding and graphic design studios
• Digital product, web and app designers
• Freelance designers and illustrators
• Design students and recent graduates
• Designers working on social and environmental causes

What Can You Enter?

Projects in four main categories.

• Graphic Design
• Digital Design
• Branding
• Design for Social Change

Awards are also given for titles such as Graphic Design of the Year, Branding of the Year, Digital Design of the Year, Freelancer of the Year and Discovery of the Year.

A project can be entered in more than one category for an additional fee.

Entry Fees

• Emerging designers: $100 per entry, plus $30 per additional category
• Independent designers: $150 per entry, plus $50 per additional category
• Design teams and agencies: $250 per entry, plus $70 per additional category

Entries submitted by 30 November 2026 receive a 10% discount.

What Do Selected Entrants Receive?

• A winner's certificate, seal and digital badge
• A year-long place in the winners' showcase on the Indigo website
• Promotion in the Indigo newsletter, which reaches more than 30,000 subscribers
• An invitation to the Indigo Design Party for the winner and guests
• Designer of the Year: a trophy and a featured interview
• Gold winners: a featured interview and a newsletter feature

Submission Requirements

For each entry, prepare:

• Up to ten images in JPG, PNG or GIF, up to 5 MB each
• An optional PDF document
• The entry title, design director, company or school, client and project URL
• A project description in English

Important Rules

• Work must have been completed within the last five years.
• You must own the work or have permission to enter it.
• Entries must be in English.
• Designers keep the copyright; Indigo may use images of winning work, with credit, to promote the award.

When Will Entrants Be Notified?

All entries are judged blind by the international jury in March 2027, on creativity, craft, innovation and impact within their category. Winners are notified by email and the results are published on the Indigo website in April 2027, ahead of the Indigo Design Party in May.

Things to Consider

• Use the extended early bird. Entering by 30 November saves 10% on every entry.
• Choose your entrant type honestly. The emerging rate is for students and designers with less than two years of experience.
• Show impact. A jury from digital companies responds to results: how a brand performed, how a product is used, what a campaign changed.
• Use all ten images. Show the system, details and real applications, not only a hero image.
• Keep text short. Explain the challenge, your approach and the outcome in a few clear sentences.

Enter the Competition

Interested in submitting your work?

Enter the Indigo Design Award 2027

For the complete category list, jury and current fees, visit the official Indigo Design Award website.

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

Last verified: October 2, 2026