Entries are judged on their own merits through a rigorous, three-stage process. Judges are leading figures from design commissioning businesses across industry and have been carefully chosen for their business experience and acumen, as well as their understanding of how design can - and does - create change in business and society. From global companies, through to start-up challenger brands, their organisations understand how design can be used to create results.
At the first stage of judging, judges determine which entries will make it through to stage two, selecting the entries that make a strong and clear case of design effectiveness.
Entries are not judged in categories or against one another, but instead an entry is judged entirely on the merits of the case it makes for design effectiveness within its own context. The entry must evidence and prove that design led to the results achieved, by contextualising and evaluating the market and business environment in which it was created, and clearly exploring and explaining the impact of any other influencing factors. At stage one, entries that have made a significant enough case for design effectiveness will proceed to the next round of judging.
During the second stage of judging, the strength of the entry and the significance of the results achieved by design are assessed by the panel. Again, entries are judged entirely on their own merits, and are not compared to any other entry. It is important that entries contextualise their results within their wider commercial, societal or behavioural background in order for the judges to understand the scale of impact achieved by design and reward this appropriately with a Bronze, Silver or Gold award.
The third stage of judging specifically considers the Grand Prix winner. The third panel of judges select the winner of the Grand Prix from amongst the Gold awards.
Results will be communicated once all stages of judging are complete. There are no limits to the number of Bronze, Silver and Gold awards and only one Grand Prix winner.
Bronze
Bronze awards go to entries that conclusively prove design’s contribution to the commercial or societal success of the work and have evidenced strong results.
Silver
Silver awards are reserved for excellent examples of design effectiveness. Entries will have provided impressive evidence to prove the work exceeded expectations and led to significant results.
Gold
Gold awards go to outstanding projects that have provided unquestionable and considerable evidence of exceptional results that have created powerful business or societal impact.
Grand Prix
The Grand Prix is chosen from amongst the Gold winners and rewards the entry that the judges feel demonstrates the most significant and impressive evidence of design effectiveness.