Where Great Work Meets the People It's Made For
Design Authority began as a platform connecting discerning clients, collectors, and design enthusiasts with the designers, architects, and makers who deserve to be found. Our awards span the full spectrum of the designed world — from architecture and interiors to fashion, leather goods, jewellery, furniture, and product design.
This is not a programme created by the industry to recognise itself. It is recognition decided by a hybrid model: editorial rigour (70%) plus the voice of the people who buy, wear, live with, and commission exceptional design (30%).
Recognition means more when great design resonates with the people it was made for.
An Audience That Acts
The Design Authority platform reaches design-conscious consumers and clients who are actively making decisions, not passively browsing. When they see a DA Awards badge, they are seeing a signal from a platform they already trust — that this creator does work worth paying attention to.
Content That Has Graced Singapore's Finest
Design Authority's editorial publications have graced the lobbies, suites, and residences of Singapore's most prestigious hospitality addresses — a testament to the quality of the content and the audience it reaches.
Not All Recognition Is Created Equal
Most design awards are judged by the industry, for the industry. The Design Authority Awards are different — in three ways that matter.
Judged by a Hybrid Model
Winners are determined by editorial rigour (70%) plus public vote (30%). Our editorial team scores every entry against a published rubric. Then the public — property owners, collectors, and design enthusiasts with real skin in the game — adds its voice. No single group decides alone.
Rooted in the Client Community
Design Authority is not a trade publication. We are a platform built for the people who hire designers. Our audience is the same audience your studio needs to reach — and the awards live within that ecosystem.
Open on Merit Alone
No nominations by invitation, no minimum fee thresholds, and no advantage for larger studios. Every practice competes on the strength of one project. The best work — as judged by editorial rigour and public resonance — wins.
How the Awards Work
From submission to announcement — a transparent, straightforward process designed to put great work in front of the right people.
Submit
Enter your strongest project into the most relevant category. Include a project description and portfolio link.
Review
Our team reviews all entries for eligibility. Accepted entries are evaluated by the DA editorial team against five published criteria.
Public Appreciation
Public voting opens 1 Feb 2027 (first round) and 1 Aug 2027 (second round). The Design Authority audience browses entries and casts their votes — contributing 30% to the final score.
Final Score
Final Score = (Editorial Score × 70%) + (Public Appreciation × 30%). Entries are ranked within their category and recognised at three tiers: Laureate, Distinction, and Highly Commended.
Win
Winners announced at the end of Feb 2027 (first round) and the end of Aug 2027 (second round). Digital emblem, editorial profile, and Winners Directory listing.
Closing the Gap Between Great Work and the People Who Need It
Too much exceptional work goes unrecognised outside the profession. A creator may win the admiration of peers and still struggle to reach the clients, collectors, and buyers whose commissions would allow them to grow. We believe that gap is a problem worth solving.
The Design Authority Awards exists to surface the creators who deserve to be found — and to put them in front of an audience that is already looking. Every entry, every win is an opportunity for a creator's work to reach someone who might commission, buy, or wear it next.
That is the recognition that matters. Not a certificate on a wall — but a client on the phone.
Deserves to Be Seen
First-round submissions open 16 Oct 2026; second-round submissions open 16 Apr 2027. Single entry — USD 250.