Anthony Kong (left), project coordinator of the HKDA Global Design Awards 2021, Victor Tsang (center), head of Create Hong Kong of the Hong Kong SAR government, and Karr Yip, chairman of the Hong Kong Designers Association, pose for a photo at the awards' opening ceremony on June 18, 2021. (PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

The Hong Kong Designers Association Global Design Awards is more than just a design competition in tribute to global design excellence. It’s aimed at linking up design experts around the world for the promotion, conservation and assurance of the esteem of design, say industry experts.

“With the HKDA marking its 50th anniversary next year, the association’s Global Design Awards has become an iconic pioneer for the industry in the Asia Pacific,” said HKDA Chairman Karr Yip.

After a year-long campaign to promote Hong Kong as one of the major creative hubs in the Asia-Pacific region, the Hong Kong Designers Association Global Design Awards 2021 has begun inviting international entries for all categories in the competition.

“I cordially invite all design talents to enter the HKDA’s Global Design Awards 2021,” said Anthony Kong, an assistant professor with the School of Design at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and project coordinator of the HKDA GDA 2021.

“Let the global audience recognize your works, which will be featured in various publications and at exhibitions and conferences, and hear them talking about your companies and brands,” he said.

Established in 1972, the HKDA – one of the first and biggest organizations of its kind in the city for practicing designers and design administrators – strives to uphold the status of practitioners and encourage the use and appreciation of quality design in the community

Established in 1972, the HKDA – one of the first and biggest organizations of its kind in the city for practicing designers and design administrators – strives to uphold the status of practitioners and encourage the use and appreciation of quality design in the community.

The HKDA Global Designs Awards competition is widely acclaimed as one of the most established multi-disciplinary design award schemes in the Asia Pacific since its inception in 1975. 

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CreateHK – set up by the HKSAR’s Commerce and Economic Development Bureau to propel the development of the city’s creative economy – is the sponsor of the HKDA’s Global Designs Awards to promote Hong Kong’s design industry. Victor Tsang, Head of CreateHK, said he’s grateful to the HKDA and called on those in the industry to actively sign up for the competition.

Yip noted that this year’s Global Design Awards will present itself as a “significant brand, setting the benchmark for excellent global designs, while unveiling another new page for the design industry in the Asia-Pacific region”. 

The HKDA GDA 2021 is accepting entries from global designers, design owners or users of design (clients), brand owners, designers or design consultants, who may submit an unlimited number of entries. There are eight design award categories (Digital, Graphics, Products, Spatial, Rising Creative, Experience, Impact and Design Clientele) spanning 50 sub-categories. The contest is open to participants from all sectors in the design business. The deadline for the submission of international entries is September 17, 2021. 

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For this year’s HKDA Global Design Awards, there will be a new “Design Clientele Award”, aimed at encouraging support from businesses and strengthening business collaboration, to provide opportunities for both designers and their clients to demonstrate their works and promote innovative designs.

Entries for the HKDA GDA 2021 will be judged by a world-class panel of 12 prominent representatives of the design industry from the HKSAR, the Chinese mainland, Taiwan, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States and the Netherlands.

The judges will adjudicate the entries in October this year before announcing the winners in the various categories. 

The HKDA GDA 2018 drew more than 2,000 entries from 40 countries and regions, demonstrating the world’s recognition of the awards.