Smashing the stars of architecture and design together in a supernova of creativity, the awards will recognise the practices, people, and projects with the most talent.  It is now accepting entries for the greatest assemblage of creativity you will see all year.

This year, The Scottish Design Awards are switching things up by introducing a dedicated conservation category to celebrate the abundance of class-leading work protecting Scotland’s built heritage. This category will be in concert with the award’s returning retrofit spot, which will focus on improving energy performance.

The Scottish Design Awards are also introducing three separate brand identity categories to better differentiate between corporate, consumer and civic work. It has also been working to turn the awards into a year-round showcase of new work, ideas and industry moves via The Scoop, its weekly diet of news and views delivered directly via the awards website.

Indicating what qualities the judges will look for from submitted work Cat Leaver, director of strategy & competitive intelligence at Visit Scotland, said: “I’m always on the lookout for creative work that has a clear purpose. Winning entries are a balance of form and function, where the design can intrigue and inspire but the work also clearly demonstrates how it supports the outcome. Award criteria provide a clear framework around which to document and evidence design thinking in a way that can, when leveraged effectively, create a great framework for exploration and debate.”

Entries must be filed before 28 March 2025 via the Scottish Design Awards. Early Bird entries available until 7 March. 

Categories judged by the design panel include:  

• Print design
• Brand Identity- Civic
• Brand Identity- Business
• Brand Identity- Consumer
• Design Effectiveness
• Campaign Design 
• Packaging
• Design for Good
• Experiential Design- Incorporating: audiovisual, graphic and object-based displays
• Craft - Incorporating: Photography, Typography, Illustration, Copywriting
• Interface Design including Website/Mobile/App Design 
• Visualisation
• Moving Imagery Design/ Animation Design
• Young Designer of the Year
• Client of the Year
• Design Excellence (to be entered only by nomination)
• Agency of the Year

Categories judged by the architecture panel include: 

• Practice of the Year
• Young Architect of the Year
• Regeneration & Masterplanning
• Residential 
• Conservation
• Affordable Housing
• Health Building or Project
• Education Building or Project
• Commercial/Office/Hotel Building or Project
• Public Building
• Planning
• Retrofit
• Interior Design
• Low Cost Project Schemes Under 250k
• Lighting
• Public Realm/Landscaping
• Client of the Year

 The 2025 Jury will be announced on 11 February 2025.

The Scottish Design Awards are supported by Narro, BoConcept, Nordan, Vision Events Glasgow, Porcelanosa Scotland and Rock Rose.