Submissions are invited for the Kokuyo Design Award 2024. Submit your entries by October 11, 2023, and win very exciting prizes!

About Kokuyo

Kokuyo Co Ltd (Kokuyo) is aΒ manufacturer and marketer of stationery and furniture products. The company operates through its spatial, stationery, and furniture business divisions. Its stationery segment manufactures and sells stationery.

About the Kokuyo Design Award 2024

KOKUYO DESIGN AWARD isΒ an international competition for product design that aims to co-create with talented designers and support their activities.

Since its establishment, excellent product designs have been selected from entries that represent current social conditions, and award-winning works have been turned into commercial products through co-creation between KOKUYO developers and the award winners.

By delivering designs to the world that breathe new life into the tools we regularly use in our daily lives and at work as reliable products, KOKUYO aims to support the future activities of designers and at the same time, bring you a tomorrow you can’t wait for.

More than 20 years have passed since the founding of the award, and more than 20 products have been

created to date.

It is continuing to evolve as a project that conveys value reflecting the times, and not simply as something to be selected and awarded.

Theme

The theme is ‘Primitive’.

  • What do you picture upon hearing the word β€œprimitive”? Is it the β€œoriginal” state, close to nature, the bare form before it is polished, refined, or developed? Or the β€œprimordial” state, which predates artificial touches?
  • For this year’s KOKUYO DESIGN AWARDS, they interpreted β€œprimitive” as β€œredefined essence.” If we return to the idea of β€œprimitive” in order to create the future, what form of evolution can we imagine?
  • When we take a fresh look at our familiar materials, we may discover the possibility of further development.
  • By utilising your unique perspectives and creativity, we can explore the β€œprimitive” in each of us.
  • Kokuyo invites you to show us the β€œessence” of the future.

Eligible Entries

Any stationery, furniture or tool used in working, learning and living scenes.

Eligibility Criteria

The competition accepts entries from any corporation, individual, or group that fulfills all the following requirements, regardless of their age, sex, occupation, or nationality.

  • Persons who are able to give a presentation at the final judging (March 16, 2024): The contest organizer will pay expenses incurred by participants for travel and lodging (up to two individuals for group entries).
  • Persons who consent to these Rules: In cases when an entrant is a minor, the consent of their parent or other statutory agent is required.

Number of Submissions Allowed

Unlimited: Entry eligibility is limited to those designs never before shown publicly (in Japan, other countries).

How to Submit?

To submit your entries, click here.

Prizes

  • Grand Prix (one winner): Β₯2,000,000 (Rs. 11.2L+).
  • Merit Award (three winners): Β₯500,000 (Rs. 2.8L+).
  • New Generation Award (up to ten winners): Β₯30,000 (Rs. 16.9k+). [This award is for School Students].

About the New Generation Award

  • This award is selected by KOKUYO Co., Ltd. from among all entries submitted by students (from elementary school to graduate school students) in the hope for their future success. They will select up to 10 outstanding entries that, based on their presentation sheets, make them β€œfeel that their futures will be exciting” (without judging the models).
  • Not all prizes may be awarded for all categories if there is no winner selected.
  • Prize money will be paid net of withholding tax, surtax for reconstruction funding, and other applicable deductions.
  • The amount shown in dollar is that calculated at the time of publication. The prize will be calculated according to the exchange rate at the time of payment, from the amount shown in Japanese yen.

Click here to read the official notification of the Kokuyo Design Award 2024 [Total Prizes of Rs. 15L; New Generation Award for School Students].

Image taken from here.