[SFO16]

2016 San Francisco Design Awards

spaces, objects, visual, graphic, digital & experience design
design champion, best studio, best start-up & best supplier
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 organisation who consistently commissions or champions design work thereby providing instrumental support to the wider design community. The winner is assessed based on a review of their body of work.


All eligible nominations will be automatically submitted into this category and no fee applies.
  

 

Service - Community

This award celebrates creative and innovative solution design for the successful delivery and provision of services. Consideration given to system integration, user experience, product design 

  

 

Startup

This category relates to Startups who are still in the initial stages of design. It may still be in concept stage or with working prototypes. It has yet to be released as a commercial project.  Startup projects need to be new and emerging. We want to see a great idea that is in its incubation stage. 

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.   

 

Architecture - Proposed

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. The project can be a concept, tender or personal project, i.e. proposed space.   

 

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 - Retail

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

  

 

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.
  

 

Maker Design - Method

Nothing speaks more than a maker's method. For some it starts with an idea in a coffee shop, others it's the complex mix of tools, materials and craft. The projects that will shine here will be strong in new methods, strong in craft and most likely to generate lots of  ''how did you do that'' discussion.

Your project will fall into one of the following markets:

Domestic - Domestic Maker projects represent the consumer connecting with a unique piece, be it a tool for home, an artefact or a practical item to assist with a regular home function.

Community - Community Maker projects represent the community connecting with your project. It might be an item to create a mood, a learning device to help advance your community or a practical item to assist with a community function.

Commercial - Commercial Maker projects find their way into corporate and government environments, sometimes as highly functional low production runs, other times as one off custom items designed specifically for task. Projects that show the maker's skill, courage and design insights will shine here.

  

 

Graphic Design - Identity and Branding

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

 

Graphic Design - Three Dimensional

This award celebrates creative and innovative design in traditional or digital visual representation of ideas and messages used in packaging. Consideration given to: 

  • clarity of communication and the matching information style to audience; 
  • the approach, including marketing and branding concerns, the dynamics of the retail environment, environmental considerations, and legal requirements; 
  • the component parts of packaging graphics such as colour rationalisation, information layout, feel and tone of illustration and photography, and finishes, and how they are used in isolation and in relation to each other; and 
  • the relationship to the anatomy of the structural design.
  

 

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 - Technology

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 - Home & Garden

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 - Commercial & Industry

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 - Entertainment

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 - Concept

This award celebrates creativity and innovation for either a product design at conceptual stage - an early sample or model of a product that has not reached the manufacture stage nor available to the market.  

 

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.
  

 

Digital - FinTech

Fintech is radically changing how we live as society and how we do business professionally. We're looking for great apps and sites that are disrupting sectors such as mobile payments, money transfers, loans, fundraising, financial management.