A Revamped Category Structure for the ED-Awards 2026

As part of our ongoing commitment to reflect the evolution of design practice and to better serve the European design community, we are introducing a comprehensive update to the European Design Awards category structure for the 2026 edition.

This refinement follows the most extensive consultation process in the ED-Awards’ 20-year history. Over the past months, we engaged in:

• A detailed questionnaire completed by hundreds of past participants, jurors, and partners
• A series of one-to-one conversations with leading designers, editors, educators, and studio founders from across Europe
• A thorough internal analysis of current industry practices and emerging paradigms

The result is a revised and expanded category list that aims to be clearer, more precise, and more closely aligned with how design is actually practised today.

The updated structure:

• Uses clearer and more specific language in both category titles and descriptions
• Introduces new categories in areas such as motion, emerging technologies, verbal identity, and complete branding systems
• Better accommodates hybrid and multidisciplinary work
• Retains the competition’s legacy categories while reducing ambiguity and overlap

As Demetrios Fakinos, Director of the European Design Awards, explains:

“While the original structure served us well for many years, design as a discipline does not stand still, and neither should we. Our aim is to provide categories that are not only fair and accurate for the purposes of judging, but also meaningful and useful for professionals themselves, helping them present the nature and scope of their work in the most appropriate way. The European Design Awards have always been an organic institution: we evolve continuously, just as the design profession evolves. And we will continue to listen, learn, and adapt.”

A key priority throughout this process was to make category definitions more intuitive, helping both entrants and jurors place work in the most relevant context. As always, we remain committed to being a community-driven, editorially curated platform — one that values clarity, rigour, and inclusivity.

These updates are intended to reinforce that commitment and to ensure that the European Design Awards continue to reflect the best of European communication design today.

The updated category list for the European Design Awards 2026 is now available here