Program Details

LEXUS DESIGN AWARD
PROGRAM DETAILS

Lexus invites today’s emerging design leaders to ‘Design for a Better Tomorrow’ for an extraordinary chance to achieve recognition on the world stage.

THE BRIEF

Concepts must anticipate a challenge of the future, address that challenge with an innovative solution, and captivate the imagination with its exceptional design.

LDA 2020 Mentoring Workshop (January 2020).

FOR WHO?

Open to professionals, students and design enthusiasts around the world. Entrants are individuals who have reached the age of majority in their home country. Last year, creators from 76 countries submitted design proposals, many of which leveraged the power of technology to design for a better tomorrow. The submissions spanned across the categories of Industrial Design, Architecture, Technology/Engineering, Interior Design, and Fashion Design.

PRIZES

6 Finalists will present their works to a panel of esteemed judges and one Grand Prix Winner will be selected.

Before the Grand Prix selection virtual event, Finalists will have an online workshop with world class design professionals serving as Mentors to develop their prototypes. There will be continual follow-up by the Mentors as the Finalists develop their designs into physical prototypes. Prototype production cost up to 3 million JPY (over $25,000 USD), including tax, is covered.

LDA 2020 Finalist Aqsa Ajmal with Mentor Joe Doucet (January 2020).

JUDGING

The Judges selected 6 Finalists from the Entries received.

The shortlist and Finalists are selected based on the following judging criteria:

ANTICIPATE

Does the concept and design anticipate not only the needs of the user experience, but the needs of society?

INNOVATE

Does the design demonstrate the new thinking and originality in its proposal and execution?

CAPTIVATE

Is the design intriguing and compelling when realized in concept and execution?

The same criteria is the basis in selecting the Grand Prix Winner.

JUDGES 2021

Each year, Lexus works with a world-class panel of Judges to select finalists who best embody the Lexus Guiding Principle. The Judges are some of today's most influential figures in art, design, and technology.

Past Judges include luminaries such as Aric Chen (2013 - 2017), and Sir David Adjaye (2017 - 2018).

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Details about the judges

MENTORS 2021

Mentorship with globally renowned creators is one of the most attractive benefits of participating in the Lexus Design Award. Mentors follow the young designers for months leading up to the Grand Prix Winner selection.

Past mentors include Jaime Hayon (2019), Neri & Hu (2015 - 2017), and Snarkitecture (2016 - 2017).

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Details about the mentors

AWARD MILESTONES

The 6 Finalists were determined and screened in January 2021. These Finalists will develop their prototypes with their assigned Mentor for the remote Grand Prix Selection Event with the Grand Prix Winner announced afterwards. See below for the full program timeline.