As a hub of creative talents, Hong Kong paves the way for design industry and celebrates those who push creative boundaries. This year, DFA Awards recognises over 200 creative talents and the most innovative design projects with the potential to improve the quality and vibrancy of life in Asia through the creation of globally sustainable ideas. The DFA Awards, through its five major award programmes, is highly recognised among local and international design professionals and experts.

Talents from around the globe have been awarded the followings: one DFA Lifetime Achievement Award, one DFA Design Leadership Award, one DFA World’s Outstanding Chinese Designer, 186 DFA Design for Asia Awards and 17 DFA Hong Kong Young Design Talent Award.

Honours to Design Giants

Design is beyond aesthetics, and it presents an attitude, innovative thinking and creative confidence by the designers. The DFA Awards underpins the roles of designers in society and to celebrate design leadership and exemplary design in Asia. As the highest honour and recognition to design leaders, the DFA Lifetime Achievement Award 2017 is conferred to the international acclaimed fashion designer Mr. Yohji YAMAMOTO, while the DFA Design Leadership Award 2017 goes to the influential hospitality leader Mr. Adrian ZECHA, and the communication design giant Mr. Alan CHAN is honoured with the DFA World’s Outstanding Chinese Designer.

Salutation to Design Excellence

The DFA Design for Asia Awards aims to raise awareness about the value of good design as an essential component in quality of life for a betterment. Measured by four perspectives, namely, impact in Asia, overall excellence, use of technology, as well as commercial and societal success, it appreciates and celebrates the designs that embodies Asian aesthetics and affects the world so as to bring about new design trends.

In 2017, it received more than 1,000 entries from over 23 economies, a reflection of the awards prestige and the growth of Asian design power, with the highest entry number from Mainland China   and closely followed by Hong Kong. The judging panel comprised of industry leaders and experts recognised 186 design projects for their design excellence, including 16 Grand Awards and 170 awards from four design disciplines (a total of 26 categories) in Category Award, while Japan tops the leaderboard, followed by Mainland China and Hong Kong.

Cultivating New Design Force

As the design hub in Asia, Hong Kong is always a window to the international stage and the DFA Hong Kong Young Design Talent Award (DFA HKYDTA) is an important platform recognising local young design talents, aged 35 or below, and serving to maintain the city’s competitiveness. This year, 17 design practitioners or graduates are awarded. 13 out of the 17 awardees will receive a financial sponsorship amount up to HKD500,000 for six-to-twelve-month overseas work attachment or study to further stimulate design thinking and thus contributing to Hong Kong’s ever-expanding creative industry upon return.

DFA Awards events in December 2017:

6 Dec Presentation Ceremony of DFA Design for Asia Awards and DFA Hong Kong Young Design Talent Award

7 Dec DFA: Design for Asia at BODW Summit

8 Dec Presentation Ceremony of DFA Lifetime Achievement Award, DFA Design Leadership Award and DFA World’s Outstanding Chinese Designer

7-9 Dec DFA Awards exhibition at DesignInspire at Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre

To know more, please click:

• Here to view the profile of DFA Lifetime Achievement Award winner

• Here to view the profile of DFA Design Leadership Award winner

• Here to view the profile of DFA World’s Outstanding Chinese Designer winner

• Here to view the winning project of Design for Asia Awards winners

• Here to view the portfolio of DFA Hong Kong Young Design Talent Award award