The GOOD DESIGN NEW HOPE AWARD supports young talent who will pioneer the design of the future. This award is open to students attending universities and vocational colleges, as well as new members of the workforce who have just graduated or completed their courses. Applicants can make use of their work so far, such as pieces created for assignments or on their own initiative while studying, to apply for the award in free-thinking ways. In this article, we introduce the attractive features of the NEW HOPE AWARD, which acts as the impetus for applicants to take new steps as designers.

The 2026 GOOD DESIGN AWARD marks the 70th year since the awards were set up. A new team of judges was announced in March, and Jun Nakagawa (Manager/Consultant; Representative of VISION to STRUCTURE, Representative of PARaDE) took up the post of Chair. The selection of Nakagawa, who is the former President of Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten Co., Ltd. and has spent a long time in the world of business, to lead the screening for a design award can be seen as highly unusual, even from a historical perspective. On the occasion of his appointment, Nakagawa said that he would like to strengthen the aspect of the GOOD DESIGN AWARD as “a place where managers and designers work together.” How will we pass on the value that the GOOD DESIGN AWARD has built up to date, and what challenges will we take on in order to meet the next era? Together with Seiichi Saito, who served as Chair for 3 years from fiscal 2023 to fiscal 2025 before passing the baton to Nakagawa, he told us about where we are now and the future.