Shenzhen Design Award for Young Talents (SDAY) In association and cooperation with UNESCO Creative Cities Network
In association and cooperation with the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, the Shenzhen Design Award for Young Talents (SDAY) is an international design competition for young designers from the 350 UNESCO Creative Cities under the age of 35. The SDAY is organized by the Shenzhen Culture, Creativity & Design Association (SCCDA), and administered by the Shenzhen Innovation & Creative Design Development Office.
The purpose of the SDAY is to reward the efforts of young designers who, through their creativity, have made outstanding contributions to making cities more environmentally friendly and more livable, society more harmonious, development more sustainable, and above all, human lives better. Meanwhile, the SDAY aims to encourage the exchange between young creative talents from different countries, the cooperation between the Creative Cities, the sharing of those cities’ experiences and ideas for developing creative and cultural industries, the production and sale of creative design products, and the promotion of design thinking.
Theme for the 6th SDAY: Young Designs: Shaping the Future Together
The theme aims to inspire the power of youth designers, promote the deep integration of design innovation and sustainable development, and provide feasible solutions to the challenges faced by the world today.
Looking back on the 20 years’ journey of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, from just a small group of cities to a global network today, Creative Cities have become an important driving force for social, economic, and cultural development. The 2024 UCCN annual conference, themed “20 Years of UCCN: Bringing Youth to the Table for the Next Decade,” emphasizes that empowering youth is at the core of UNESCO’s mission. It aims to discover and recognize their capabilities and potential in creation, innovation, and transformation. UNESCO has been committed to supporting them in using design and creativity to promote sustainable development. Looking ahead to the next decade, youth will be indispensable participants and innovators in this process.
The SDAY advocates for young designers to prioritize social responsibility, use innovation as their driving force, and aim for sustainability. Through designs, they are expected to achieve both social value and environmental benefits, with the goal of building a diverse, inclusive, and sustainable ecosystem in the context of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.
Eligibility
Professional designers or teams, and design students from the member cities of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) who make outstanding contributions to building better cities and societies through their creativity can be registered as candidates for the SDAY.
Entrant can be individuals or teams. For a nominated individual, he or she shall be aged 35 or below by June 29, 2025. For a nominated team, all of its members shall be aged 35 or below by June 29, 2025.
Entrants from architectural design field shall be aged 40 or below by June 29, 2025. For the student group, entrants shall remain registered students in colleges or other educational institutions by June 29 2025.
Categories
- Communication: brand & identity, packaging design, publications, typography, posters, illustrations, information visualization
- Interactive media: interactive design, website UI design, PC and mobile UX design, animation design, game & software design, motion picture and television design
- Industrial design: automobile, furniture, product design
- Spatial design: architectural design, landscape design, interior design, urban and public guiding system design
- Fashion design: apparel, accessories, texture design, dyeing & knitting
- Public service design and design thinking in public policy
- Others: including designs generated with the assistance of AI
Deadline has been extended : June 29, 2025
Registration:
All entrants must register and submit documents online at the official website of the SDAY before 18:00 Beijing Time (GMT+8:00), June 29, 2025 by finishing the following steps (all materials must be in English):
- Read and agree to the Terms and Conditions
- Log in using the User Name and Password provided to nominators
- Fill out the registration form
- Fill out the description form, one for each entry
- Upload a photo of the nominee
- Deliver the tangible projects, if any, to the warehouse designated by the Secretariat and ensure that they arrive before 16 March 2025.
Fees
Registration, nominations and entries submissions are free. However, entrants are responsible for all logistic and insurance costs.
C O N T A C T
SDAY Secretariat
F18, New Media Industrial Park,
No. 3030, Fuqiang Rd.
Shenzhen, China 518048
Tel: + 86 755 83258290
Email: info@sday.design
Website: sday.design