The new metric of design influence
In a field customarily judged by aesthetics, functionality, and individual achievement, what new criteria should govern its value? For the Seoul Design Award 2025, the mandate is clear: the efficacy of its impact on resolving pressing public challenges, regionally and globally.
Seoul consistently utilises design to address intricate urban challenges. Embodying this forward-thinking ethos, the Seoul Design Award 2025 champions design as a societal leverage point for solving critical public issues. Kang-heui Cha, CEO of the Seoul Design Foundation – the award organiser and an eminent figure in the Korean industrial design scene – underscores that their paramount standard is: “What genuine transformation can this design bring about in people’s lives?” Consequently, the award convenes a transnational jury capable of evaluating submissions within multifaceted socio-economic and cultural contexts.
The 13-member final jury, comprising distinguished global leaders, included Pradyumna Vyas, President of the World Design Organization; Andrea Cancellato, Director of the ADI Design Museum; Ezio Manzini, a world-renowned scholar of sustainable practice; and Dawn Lim, Executive Director of the Design Singapore Council. Notably, Cancellato and Manzini, both foundational advisors since 2019, established the award’s core principle: “How can design foster a harmonious interplay between people, society, and the environment?” This led to the five evaluation benchmarks, which comprehensively examine: relevance to daily problems, creative solutions, social impact, vision for the future, and feasibility of the concept.
Gallery
Open full width
Open full width
Reflecting commitment to the UN SDGs, the competition is structured around four categories: Health and Peace, Equal Opportunities: Universal Design, Energy and Environment: Upcycling Design, and Cities and Communities. Responding to strong interest, the award received 941 submissions from 74 countries. The final adjudication took place at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) on October 24th, with ten shortlisted teams delivering live presentations streamed internationally. The Grand Prize was determined using a unique, global-first methodology that combined jury, on-site audience, and citizen vote to ensure maximum public transparency.
In interviews, the jury highlighted the event’s distinctiveness. Cancellato noted: “The focus is less on products or individuals and more on the resolution of real-world problems through the entries’ viable responses.” Manzini commended the inclusion of ‘Peace’ among four categories, adding: “The focus is no longer designer-centric; rather, the impulse is moving from the designer’s ego toward the ecosystem- a paradigm shift from ‘Ego to Eco’.” This fundamental transition was manifested across all winning entries. Ultimately, the Grand Prize winner, Jaza Energy Hubs, and the nine Best of the Best projects comprise the primary group of awardees, detailed below.
Seoul Design Award 2025 – Grand Prize winner and Best of the Best projects:
Jaza Energy Hubs by Nonfiction Design (Nigeria) – Grand Prize winner
The Jaza Energy Hub is a decentralised energy platform that effectively mitigates the dual predicaments of chronic energy deficits and dependence on fossil fuels in rural Africa. The modular design, built from recycled resources, is optimised for transport and enables single-day installation for immediate power generation. Residents rent swappable battery packs to power essential services, thereby enhancing their quality of life. Five hundred hubs are being implemented across Nigeria, each managed by a trained regional female operator, known as a Jaza Star. This governance model serves as a potent driver, boosting limited female economic participation in non-urban areas while elevating education and local commerce, and cultivating community self-reliance.
Alusta Pavilion for Multispecies Encounters by Suomi/Koivisto Architects (Finland)
Located on the Aalto University campus in Helsinki, the Alusta Pavilion acts as a practical archetype for metropolitan ecological restoration. The open framework reminds us that human well-being is intrinsically linked to all life, even soil microbes. Designed for circularity, it is embedded within a porous clay base, incorporating decaying wood, pollinator-friendly flowers, and soil-enriching fungi to nurture a lush habitat for endemic fauna. This approach not only promotes a reciprocal ecology but also benefits humanity. In addition to offering a space for healing and rejuvenation for visitors, the edifice features programs that augment environmental awareness to drive action. It is a vital design blueprint that unfolds new possibilities for symbiotic thriving.
Emergency Folding Cradle by Anako (Italy)
Anako is a leading venture that harnesses design to deliver relief-focused interventions. It partners with international NGOs to develop survival solutions for the planet’s most vulnerable populations. Among its notable achievements, the cradle attests to the crucial lifesaving role of design, being exceptionally lightweight and engineered for rapid deployment. By utilising repurposed and local resources, it provides a secure space while showcasing environmental stewardship. To date, over 1,000 cradles and 500 birthing kits have been distributed. Moreover, Anako seeks to expand this effort by developing new field-ready devices, such as mobile life vests and plasma containers, and by establishing a worldwide network to substantially reshape the future of humanitarian assistance.
Crafted Liberation by RK Collective (Australia)
The Crafted Liberation epitomises collective undertaking, originating in Sydney in 2023 and spreading globally. This compelling upcycled seating followed the Women, Life, Freedom protests, sparked by the 2022 death of Mahsa Jina Amini in police custody after her arrest for allegedly violating mandatory headscarf rules in Iran. Colorful headscarves donated by Iranian women form a fibre composite with recycled plastic, which is then moulded into brightly patterned communal seating. After its showcase at Berlin Design Week in 2025, the pieces are scheduled for permanent installation at the Village Green Stadium in Sydney next year. The design reclaims the hijab, transforming it from a symbol of oppressive discipline into a vehicle for solidarity and creativity.
Golden Feathers by Golden Feathers – 6th Eco-Fiber Pioneers (India)
Golden Feathers, based in Jaipur, India, has pioneered the world’s sixth certified natural fiber. Derived from 100% reclaimed chicken feather waste, this innovative material—the outcome of 13 years of rigorous R&D—boasts up to 10 times the warmth, softness, and durability. Processed into fabric and paper, it replaces synthetics and wood, reducing landfill waste and pollution, serving as a pivotal pillar of the circular economy. Utilising a dispersed, handicraft model, production provides stable employment for tribal artisans, confronting both unemployment and ecological issues. This commitment to social value secures the livelihoods of over 2,000 tribal women, with skilled workers compensated up to 20 times the regional average wage.
Desert Ark by designRESERVE (China)
The Desert Ark is the pioneering 3D-printed concrete structure in the harsh Tengger Desert, integrating ecological remediation with a next-generation habitation model. Functioning as a self-sustaining sanctuary, the foundation uses crushed stone and recycled plastic pallets. Its curved design ensures architectural integrity against winds up to 34 m/s. The nine interior modules are designed for quick transport and assembly, allowing for composition in just three days. Designed for zero carbon emissions and self-sufficiency, the ark sources water from a nearby lake; wastewater is purified for desert afforestation. A solar system supplies power, and sunshades control extreme heat. This building demonstrates a viable alternative for sustainable living in barren environments.
The Borrowing Project by Hidden-domain Studio (Taiwan)
The Borrowing Project, unveiled at YODEX 2024, Taiwan’s largest student design exhibition, advocates Beyond Sustainability by disrupting the use of temporary structures through a borrow-return system. This approach defines a novel material culture grounded in responsibility, tackling massive waste from short-term events and providing a low-impact model. Designers rented local wood, metal pipes, and bricks for the booth and then returned them in their original condition. Assemblies were constructed solely with screws and Velcro, enabling maximum reusability. The process embodies the regenerative design philosophy, minimising input and maximising reuse. The next phase involves collaborating with the sector to initiate a continuous closed-loop supply chain and set a new industry benchmark.
Soft Solids Lighting by Daydreaming Objects (Denmark)
The Soft Solids Lighting represents the cutting edge of regenerative lighting. It combines salvaged vintage elements with proprietary natural wax shades, offering a solution for waste minimisation and addressing production constraints. The research team developed a wax blend with high-temperature resilience and structural strength. This breakthrough created a reliable, translucent medium compatible with LEDs. The soft, warm glow introduces tranquility and an affective connection with nature. It prompts users to reconsider consumption patterns and their interplay with everyday objects. Merging upcycling with emotional design, the project delineates an emergent framework for coexistence between people and the environment.
The City of Indigenous Arts by Estudio MMX (Mexico)
The City of Indigenous Arts is a holistic civic revitalisation initiative that weaves history, culture, and communal relationships. The complex revitalises a neglected site, honouring heritage, and implementing a participatory spatial design centred on artisanal activities. Comprising four buildings and open areas, the design incorporates local materials and traditional construction techniques, thereby enhancing regional adaptability. Learning, exhibition, and commercial spaces, alongside the riverside eco-leisure site, function as a flexible hub where indigenous knowledge and culture are dynamically shared. This instills a profound sense of belonging and historical continuity. The architecture thus typifies a core discourse and community cohesion, far exceeding mere physical forms.
LADIS LAmp DISinfection by Oh Hwan-jong (Laos)
LADIS, the world’s first cap-type UV water steriliser designed to fit a conventional PET bottle cap, offers a solution for obtaining safe drinking water anywhere. To optimize convenience, the process is straightforward: replace the cap and press a button for three minutes to activate the UV light, which eliminates 99.9% of bacteria. Operating without filters or chemicals, this device is rechargeable and reusable, guaranteeing both economic affordability and environmental viability. Field findings substantiated the efficacy; Laos’s Bokeo region showcased a 58% reduction in waterborne diseases within three months. Its performance has been attested across various rural areas and medical settings as well. The device’s minimal design, leveraging cap-sized technology, powerfully safeguards dignity via universal access.
About the author
A widely covered journalist specializing in design and culture, Seoung-joo YOO contributes to influential media outlets in Korea, Japan, Singapore, the UK, France, and Italy, particularly focusing on timeless values for humans and our environment. Driven by a passion for cross-cultural exchange, she fosters collaborations between multidisciplinary creatives across Asia and Europe.
Linkedin
