GOOD DESIGN NEW HOPE AWARD 2025 top prize winner selected!

The NEW HOPE AWARD, now in its fourth year

The GOOD DESIGN NEW HOPE AWARD was launched in 2022 with the aim of supporting young talent who will shape the future of design. It recognizes excellent design not only from students in art and design fields, but also from those studying in a wide range of disciplines at universities and vocational schools, as well as recent graduates entering the workforce. Rather than treating the award as a destination, the program seeks to provide opportunities for recipients to continue growing and to thrive in society.

There are four application categories spanning a broad range of design： “product design,” “place design,” “information design,” and “systems design.” Experts from a variety of fields, including product designers and architects, as well as advertising designers, take part in the screening.

Final Presentation Filled with Energy

On December 20, the eight recipients of the Excellence Award delivered their final presentations. This year, many of the projects began with the designer’s own personal experiences and aimed to address pressing social issues through design.

Each presenter was full of energy, captivating the judges’ attention through imaginative presentations that featured poetic, spoken-word-like narration, as well as the use of animation and music. Their 5-minute presentations were packed with design ideas, and the materials projected on the large screen, together with their storytelling, conveyed meticulous research and sustained effort. In every design, the students’ sincerity and purity of intention were clearly reflected.

The finalists were also present at the final screening, and their focused expressions as they took notes left a strong impression. The venue, filled with students watching their peers’ presentations, was enveloped in a quiet, taut sense of tension, along with the unspoken passion each of them carried within.

After the presentations, a 5-minute Q&A session was held. The judges and students engaged in lively exchanges right up to the last moment, discussing topics such as reasons behind the final form and materials of each design, and what first led the students to recognize the social issues they aimed to address.

The final round of screening was conducted solely by the judges. Because every Excellence Award entry was highly polished and the presentations were outstanding, the judges agreed that “all of them are neck-and-neck,” and the discussion continued well beyond the scheduled time. After much deliberation, the judges at last reached a decision on the Grand Prize Winner.

Sound Stargazing Wins the Grand Prize

This year’s Grand Prize was awarded to Sound Stargazing, a project that enables people, even in light-polluted urban areas where stars are difficult to see, to experience the night sky through sound. It is a design initiative aimed at shifting participants’ awareness of the universe. By combining a scientific system that translates astronomical data into sound with an approach grounded in human perception and sensitivity, the project allows listeners to experimentally sense the presence and characteristics of stars that cannot be seen with the naked eye. It also proposes a new way of experiencing astronomical observation by having participants actively search for the sounds of the stars.

The star-filled sky I saw as a child became a formative experience that sparked my interest in the vastness and wonder of the universe and our planet. However, when I moved to Tokyo as a university student, I found the sky clouded by urbanization and air pollution, with almost no stars visible. I felt sad seeing that people in the city no longer looked up at the night sky. These experiences led me to wonder whether it might be possible to feel connected to the universe again by converting star data into sound, and from that idea the project Sound Stargazing was born.

With Sound Stargazing, participants wear headphones, the data of the stars they are facing is converted into sound in real time. This system transforms the essence of an active and exploratory observation experience into a different form based on hearing.

The sound settings were developed through collaboration with the Sendai Astronomical Observatory and through repeated testing with people who are visually impaired. These tests showed that pitch can convey a star’s temperature and color, while volume can express its brightness. The design of this system has already been put into practice in society, including events held in urban areas and elementary school classes where students learn about the life cycle of stars through sound.

The judges praised the project not only for providing an experience for situations in which stars cannot be seen due to urban environmental factors, but also for its potential to expand into various domains, such as offering celestial sound experiences for people with visual impairments and serving as an educational tool.

In her overall remarks for the 2025 NEW HOPE AWARD, Vice Chairperson Nagayama said, “Every year, I look forward to your presentations. Of course, the quality of the works is important, but what moves me most during the screening process is learning about the thoughts and processes behind them. Understanding how you identified the issues and the attitude with which you engaged with them gives me a chance to reflect on whether I myself am approaching design with the same sincerity.” She added that the judging experience provides her with great inspiration.

She also noted, “Although each work differs in perspective, approach, and output, what all of you share is the fundamental determination to take an idea rooted in everyday life and pursue it without giving up until it takes shape.” She encouraged the students by saying, “I hope you take pride in that attitude. I believe it forms the core of who you are and will become an important foundation for the future. I hope you continue to nurture and let it grow.”

Vice Chairperson Kuramoto, who participated in the screening for the first time this year, said, “The judging for the NEW HOPE AWARD was filled with a bright and enjoyable atmosphere. I felt that such open and relaxed idea emerged precisely because the participants were free to imagine the future without worrying too much about rough areas. As someone who has built a career as a designer myself, these presentations reminded me that there are things I have become less able to see.” He continued, “One of the great strengths of design is the ability to raise a question, share it with others, enjoy it together, solve problems, and turn it into something that belongs to everyone. What designers first notice and what questions they choose to raise are extremely important starting points in design.” He added, “Each of the eight groups had its own distinct questions and intentions, and their attitude was truly refreshing. I was amazed by the high level of competition in the presentations, which did not feel like the work of newcomers. I also sensed the strength of the education they received and was reminded of the power of learning.”

Finally, Chairperson Saito commented, “The NEW HOPE AWARD brings forth designs that emerge precisely because they have not yet been fully seen. Many proposals also looked ahead to real-world implementation, which was highly stimulating.” He also referred to this year’s GOOD DESIGN AWARD theme, “A Small Step, Design Leaps,” and noted that “each participant had clearly taken that small step.” He went on to say, “The experience made me reflect on whether adults and companies are truly taking their own first steps,” adding that design should be freer. “Design does not have to be bound by rules or conventions. It can be liberated,” he said, concluding that the NEW HOPE AWARD is an award that expands both the width and depth of design.

Celebration Filled with Expanding Connection and Smiles

Wrapped in a warm and festive atmosphere, the celebration began.

Yui Tezuka, a judge who was in charge of place design, offered words of encouragement, saying, “Congratulations to all of you today. It was such a close competition that the votes were split at the end, and even those who did not receive the GRAND PRIZE came incredibly close. I hope you continue to deepen your work with confidence in your own designs. It is wonderful to see students identifying issues from proposal experiences and developing their ideas to the point where they could be implemented in society. I believe that problem-solving begins with something you truly feel from the bottom of your heart. It is not about initiating others but about discovering what you genuinely think. Using design to figure out how to contribute to society and make those ideas real is the true power of design. I hope you all continue to do your best.”

Tamae Hirokawa, who participated in the screening for the first time and was in charge of product design, said, “Congratulations to all of you. Product Design Unit received a huge number of entries, and as I spent time exploring the concepts behind your work, I was repeatedly astonished by the originality of your ideas. It was incredibly stimulating. Some ideas are still rough or may not be ready for immediate implementation in society, but those very seeds of ideas are important, and I believe that nurturing them carefully will lead to a brighter future.” She continued, “Your ideas and materials were solid, and your awareness of real social contexts was impressive. For me, this award was truly exciting. I believe design plays an important role in connecting people. I hope you cherish the people and opportunities you encounter here and continue moving forward with confidence.”

The venue was filled not only with award recipients and judges but also with people from various fields, including company representatives, members of the media, and past NEW HOPE AWARD winners. The award recipients actively engaged in conversations, asking questions and exchanging ideas with those around them.

One of the past award winners who attended the event said, “When I received the award, many of the projects focused on human-centered design that addressed human problems. This year, however, as I spoke with the recipients, I felt that many projects explored new possibilities for humanity, such as our relationship with the global environment or themes related to migration. There were also many designs that sought to build relationships with subjects that had not previously been connected to us.”

They continued, “I was not originally a design major, but receiving this award led me to pursue a path in design. Talking with peers of the same generation through the recipient program helped me discover the excitement of design. I am still working on a project with some of the people who received the award in the same year. Like ripples spreading outward, I am grateful for the connections that this award has created.”

Another past award recipient spoke about their next goal, saying, “Compared with the GOOD DESIGN AWARD, the NEW HOPE AWARD has a lower barrier to entry and is easier to take on. It became a first step toward having my design evaluated. I hope to try for the GOOD DESIGN AWARD someday.” They also shared that applying for the NEW HOPE AWARD has helped boost their motivation to create.

Nurturing and Discovering New Talent

A corporate partner program was launched in 2025 to support the growth and activities of young creators who will shape the next generation of the design field. The program aims to revitalize the design community by encouraging deeper interaction between participating companies and award recipients. Through creating an environment where people inspire one another and support each other’s development, the program hopes to spark new ideas and new connections.

Representatives from companies who attended the final presentations and the celebration shared their impressions. One said, “Each work offered a unique perspective and reflected trends and shifts in the times that differ from when I was young. I also discovered new talent.” Another commented, “I was able to directly tell the recipients what was excellent about their designs. When I was young, receiving similar encouragement motivated me greatly. I hope opportunities like this to support young people continue, and I would like to be part of that support.”

There were also comments praising the students’ efforts, such as “It was an extremely high-level award in which the GRAND PRIZE had to be chosen from a wide range of genres. It was not simply about creating something and submitting it. The presentations, which incorporated how the designs were brought into society and the reactions they received, were highly polished and truly impressive.”

Applications for the 2026 Corporate Partner Program are now open. The deadline is February 15. Companies interested in participating are welcome to contact us.

Contact： newhope_award@g-mark.org

The GOOD DESIGN NEW HOPE AWARD not only discovers new talent but also highlights unexplored possibilities in design across generations, and its importance as a place where people come together continues to grow each year.

As part of our upcoming program for award recipients, we plan to offer post-award promotion, visits to design workplaces, and design workshops.

The award results for these students, whose future achievements we eagerly look forward to, are available on the official website. Please take a look!

Click here to see all award results： https://newhope.g-mark.org/award2025.html