2025 ICIAD Visual Design Award

The 2025 ICIAD Visual Design Award is anchored in the core concepts of "Cultural Decoding · Multidimensional Narrative · Visual Symbiosis," focusing on the innovative transformation of cultural symbols and the cross-media storytelling potential of visual design. The competition encourages designers to reshape and reinterpret cultural memory through visual language, deeply integrating traditional aesthetics with digital technology and balancing global vision with local expression. By advocating for dynamic visuals, interactive media, and immersive experiences, it aims to break traditional boundaries and explore the empowering role of design in cultural communication, social issues, and commercial contexts. The award recognizes works that combine cultural insight, technological innovation, and social resonance, aiming to inspire visual design as a bridge in cross-cultural dialogue and to build a visual ecosystem that unites artistic excellence with communication effectiveness for the global creative industry.

As a key category of the 2025 ICIAD International Cultural Innovation Art & Design Awards, the ICIAD Visual Design Award welcomes submissions from graphic designers, brand agencies, digital artists, and academic teams worldwide, seeking works that are rooted in culture and driven by innovation. Through project collection, expert evaluation, and exhibition, the award creates a platform for experimentation and exchange in visual design. It aims to set a new standard for the industry, balancing cultural empowerment, technological advancement, and social responsibility, and leading the multidimensional exploration of visual storytelling for the future.

Tags：2025 · Award · Design · ICIAD · Visual

Branding & Identity Design
- Corporate visual identity systems (VI/SI)
- Visual identities for public institutions and large-scale events (e.g., Olympics, World Expo)
- Personal and IP branding (artists, virtual idols, celebrity IP, etc.)
- Cultural IP and city branding
- Other branding and identity design
Packaging & Print Design
- Product packaging (food, daily goods, luxury goods, etc.)
- Publication design (books, magazines, newspapers, commercial brochures, etc.)
- Illustration and book illustration
- Gift box and limited edition packaging
- Other packaging and print design
Advertising & Communication Design
- Print and outdoor advertising
- Promotional posters and exhibition campaigns
- Signage and logo design
- Typeface and font family design
- Infographics and data visualization
- Other advertising and communication design
Multimedia & Digital Interface Design
- Web design and interactive experiences
- App interface and user experience design
- Game user interface and visual design
- Animation shorts and film title sequences
- Branded videos and visual content creation
- Other multimedia design
Public Welfare & Cultural Innovation Design
- Traditional pattern and motif digitization
- Cultural heritage innovation and revitalization
- Public service advertising and social visual communication
- Urban wayfinding and environmental information systems
- Key visuals and extensions for cultural events
- Other social good & cultural innovation design
Experimental & New Media Visual Design
- AI-generated art and algorithmic visual design
- Visual design for virtual reality and augmented reality
- Installation art and spatial visual design
- Parametric and tech-driven art projects
- Cross-media and experimental visual works
- Other experimental and new media design
Other Innovative Visual Design
- Cross-disciplinary, hybrid, or other innovative visual works not covered above

Submission Guidelines

Required Materials:

Project Image Set: Submit 5–10 high-resolution images (JPG/PNG, 300dpi), including design drafts, renderings, or photos of the actual work, to fully showcase the project's visual style and core details.
Design Statement: Bilingual (Chinese and English), within 500 words, detailing the cultural significance, innovative features, and application scenarios of the work to help judges fully understand its value.

Optional Materials:

Design Video: Up to 2 minutes (MP4 format), demonstrating the design process, interactivity, or project realization.
Supplementary Documents: Such as patent certificates, user feedback, or media coverage (PDF format) to provide additional evidence of the project’s innovation and societal impact.

Evaluation Criteria

Innovation (30%):
Assesses the originality and breakthroughs in concept, form, or technology demonstrated by the work.
Cultural Value (30%):
Focuses on the depth and breadth of innovative interpretation of traditional culture or the effectiveness of cross-cultural expression.
Practical Potential (20%):
Evaluates the real-world benefits and sustainability of the design in commercial, social, or environmental contexts.
Aesthetic Performance (20%):
Examines the visual expressiveness and overall user experience provided by the work.

Important Dates & Fees

Key Dates

April 20, 2025: Registration Opens
May 20, 2025: Early Bird Registration Deadline
June 20, 2025: Standard Registration Deadline
July 20, 2025: Late Registration Deadline
August 2025: Preliminary Judging
September 2025: Final Judging
October 2025: Online Announcement of Winners

Entry Fees

Entry fee is charged per submitted project.

Registration Period	Professional Group	Emerging Group
Early Bird ( until 2025/5/20)	$20 / project	$10 / project
Standard ( until 2025/6/20)	$40 / project	$15 / project
Late ( until 2025/7/20)	$60 / project	$20 / project

Main Category Honors

Award Tier	Percentage	Honor Benefits
Gold Award	Top 10%	Digitally Certified Credential + Exclusive ICIAD Online Gallery Space + Digital Annual Archive
Silver Award	Top 20%	Digitally Certified Credential + ICIAD Virtual Gallery Inclusion + Digital Annual Archive
Bronze Award	Top 30%	Digitally Certified Credential + Digital Portfolio Archiving

Annual Special Awards

Award Title	Criteria
Cultural Innovation Excellence Award	Best Cultural Value-Oriented Work of the Year
Sustainable Design Pioneer Award	Based on LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) Framework
Emerging Creator Elite Award	Supreme Honor for Emerging Group

All special award-winning works will receive international media promotion resources.

Terms & Conditions


Intellectual Property Compliance All entries must be original works free from third-party IP infringement. In case of copyright, patent disputes or related legal claims, the Organizer shall bear no liability, and the entrant assumes full legal responsibility.
Usage Rights Grant By entering the competition, participants grant the Organizer perpetual, royalty-free global rights to utilize submitted works (including derivatives) for non-commercial academic promotion, exhibitions, publications, and media outreach.
Fees & Disqualification Entry fees are non-refundable and non-transferable. Submissions failing technical specifications or violating competition rules will be automatically disqualified without prior notice.
Jurisdiction Clause The International Cultural Federation (ICF) reserves sole and exclusive authority to interpret or amend competition terms.

Intellectual Property Compliance

All entries must be original works free from third-party IP infringement. In case of copyright, patent disputes or related legal claims, the Organizer shall bear no liability, and the entrant assumes full legal responsibility.

Usage Rights Grant

By entering the competition, participants grant the Organizer perpetual, royalty-free global rights to utilize submitted works (including derivatives) for non-commercial academic promotion, exhibitions, publications, and media outreach.

Fees & Disqualification

Entry fees are non-refundable and non-transferable. Submissions failing technical specifications or violating competition rules will be automatically disqualified without prior notice.

Jurisdiction Clause

The International Cultural Federation (ICF) reserves sole and exclusive authority to interpret or amend competition terms.

Contact Information