NEWS

Registrations and submissions are now being accepted for the KOKUYO DESIGN AWARD 2027 contest.

The theme for the KOKUYO DESIGN AWARD 2027 is “dialogue”
This theme focuses on the reciprocal relationships that lie behind excellent design, specifically between “the people who create objects, and the users,” “the users and the objects,” and “the objects and their surrounding environment.” Under this year’s theme, “dialogue,” we are seeking designs that explore unknown ideas and insights within this new “space” and expand the possibilities of living, learning, and working.

Gen Suzuki (Product Designer) will be invited to participate as the sixth judge alongside the other five judges, Shogo Kishino, Nao Tamura, Kunihiko Morinaga, Satoshi Yoshiizumi, and Hidekuni Kuroda (Representative Corporate Officer and President of KOKUYO Co., Ltd.).

“Any stationery, furniture or tool used in working, learning and living scenes” is eligible to be entered. The judges will focus on the following points: “The idea reflects an interpretation of the theme,” “The idea engages with a social issue,” and “The idea has potential for real-world production.”

We will also be giving the “NEW GENERATION AWARD” again this year. The NEW GENERATION AWARD is selected by KOKUYO from all submitted works by students (elementary school to graduate students), with the hope that they will achieve great things in the future. KOKUYO believes that curiosity is essential for enriching one’s life. In addition to proposals related to the theme, we will select up to 10 excellent designs from the submitted presentation sheets that spark the curiosity of users and evoke a sense of an “exciting future” (no model review).

The deadline for entries and design submissions is 12:00 noon (Japan Standard Time) on Wednesday, October 7.
We are eagerly awaiting your designs.