[CHI16]

2016 Chicago Design Awards

spaces, objects, visual, graphic, digital & experience design, design champion, best studio & best start-up, plus over 40 specialist categories

accelerate transformation, celebrate courage, growing demand for design

Category Listing

Choose from one of the 10 Major Categories or
from the 99+ Specialist Categories

       
       
       


Design Commissioner - Chairman's Awards

The Design Commissioner Award celebrates the organization who consistently commissions excellent design work thereby providing instrumental support to the wider design community. The winner will be awarded according to the body of work submitted across all categories and the overall rating score. All eligible nominations will be automatically submitted into this category and no fee applies.  

 

Architecture - Commercial - Constructed

This award celebrates the design process and product of planning, designing and constructing form, space and ambience that reflect functional, technical, social, and aesthetic considerations. Consideration given for material selection, technology, light and shadow.   

 

Architecture - Residential - Constructed

This award celebrates the design process and product of planning, designing and constructing form, space and ambience that reflect functional, technical, social, and aesthetic considerations. Consideration given for material selection, technology, light and shadow.  

 

Architecture - Mixed Use - Constructed

This award celebrates the design process and product of planning, designing and constructing form, space and ambience that reflect functional, technical, social, and aesthetic considerations. Consideration given for material selection, technology, light and shadow.   

 

Pop-Ups, Display, Exhibit & Set Design

This award celebrates innovative and creative design for a temporary building or interior, exhibition, pop up site, installation, fixture or interactive element. Consideration given to materials, finishes, signage and experience.  

 

Interior Design - Corporate

This award celebrates innovative and creative building interiors, with consideration given to space creation and planning, furnishings, finishes, aesthetic presentation and functionality. Consideration also given to space allocation, traffic flow, building services, lighting, fixtures, flooring, colours, furnishings and surface finishes.  

 

Interior Design - Hospitality

This award celebrates innovative and creative building interiors, with consideration given to space creation and planning, furnishings, finishes, aesthetic presentation and functionality. Consideration also given to space allocation, traffic flow, building services, lighting, fixtures, flooring, colours, furnishings and surface finishes.  

 

Interior Design - Public or Institutional

This award celebrates innovative and creative building interiors with consideration given to space creation and planning, furnishings, finishes and aesthetic presentation. Consideration also given to space allocation, traffic flow, building services, lighting, fixtures, flooring, colours, furnishings and surface finishes.  

 

Interior Design - Residential

This award celebrates innovative and creative building interiors with consideration given to space creation and planning, furnishings, finishes and aesthetic presentation. Consideration also given to space allocation, traffic flow, building services, lighting, fixtures, flooring, colours, furnishings and surface finishes.  

 

Urban Design

This award celebrates creativity and innovation in the process of designing and shaping cities, towns and villages, and is about making connections between people and places, movement and urban form, nature and the built fabric. Consideration given to giving form, shape and character to groups of buildings, streets and public spaces, transport systems, services and amenities, whole neighbourhoods and districts, and entire cities, to make urban areas functional, attractive and sustainable.  

 

Studio - Small

This award celebrates the best studio or other design professional that consistently achieves excellence in design. Winners will be awarded according to the body of work submitted across all categories and the overall rating score and will be presented in three categories based on business size Small - less than 5 employees, Medium - 5-20 employees and Large - greater than 20 employees. All eligible nominations will be automatically submitted into this category and no fee applies.  

 

Graphic Design - Illustration and Type

This award celebrates creativity and innovation in the traditional or digital visual representation of ideas and messages. Consideration given to clarity of communication and the matching information style to audience.   

 

Studio - Medium

This award celebrates the best studio or other design professional that consistently achieves excellence in design. Winners will be awarded according to the body of work submitted across all categories and the overall rating score and will be presented in three categories based on business size Small - less than 5 employees, Medium - 5-20 employees and Large - greater than 20 employees. All eligible nominations will be automatically submitted into this category and no fee applies.  

 

Product Design - Sport - Active Life

This award celebrates creative and innovative design for either a component or overall product. Consideration given to aspects that relate to human usage, aesthetics, selection of components and materials, and the resolution of assembly, manufacturing and the overall function.  

 

Product Design - Office

This award celebrates creative and innovative design for either a component or overall product. Consideration given to aspects that relate to human usage, aesthetics, selection of components and materials, and the resolution of assembly, manufacturing and the overall function.  

 

Product Design - Personal Use

This award celebrates creative and innovative design for either a component or overall product. Consideration given to aspects that relate to human usage, aesthetics, selection of components and materials, and the resolution of assembly, manufacturing and the overall function.  

 

Product Design - Medical

This award celebrates creative and innovative design for either a component or overall product. Consideration given to aspects that relate to human usage, aesthetics, selection of components and materials, and the resolution of assembly, manufacturing and the overall function.   

 

Studio - Large

This award celebrates the best studio or other design professional that consistently achieves excellence in design. Winners will be awarded according to the body of work submitted across all categories and the overall rating score and will be presented in three categories based on business size Small - less than 5 employees, Medium - 5-20 employees and Large - greater than 20 employees. All eligible nominations will be automatically submitted into this category and no fee applies  

 

Event Experience

This award celebrates creative and innovative design for a business event. Consideration given to originality, creativity; theming;  audience connection and engagement and how the event created a seamless experience for the visitor and helped to reinforce the program's core message  

 

Digital - Games

This category relates to games including action adventure, sport simulation, educational, board, card and dice developed for the mobile platform.