Seoul Design Award 2024 reveals the winners
With 575 entries submitted from 65 countries, the Seoul Design Award has once again taken center stage as a pioneering platform celebrating sustainable and impactful design solutions worldwide. The 2024 edition witnessed an unprecedented surge in global participation, underlining its role as a unifying network for designers striving to solve pressing social and environmental issues. From Mexico to Singapore, 23 winners were revealed at the Award’s ceremony held in Seoul, including projects that address dementia-friendly designs, a portable eye-examination kit, homeless identification solutions, and solar batteries to ensure access to education.
the Seoul Design Award 2024 winners ceremony was held at the iconic Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) in Seoul, the 2024 award ceremony featured vibrant exhibitions of the top entries
Recognizing projects that combine creativity and sustainability
Organized to promote design-driven innovation, the Seoul Design Award serves as a global hub connecting designers, communities, and industry leaders. The award focuses on recognizing solutions that inspire, improve lives, and foster sustainable development. Held at the iconic Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) and Ondream Society in Seoul, the 2024 event featured vibrant exhibitions of the top entries, encouraging public engagement and showcasing the transformative power of design. The winners, revealed during the Award’s ceremony, reflect a diverse array of projects addressing challenges to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, such as 2. Zero Hunger, 3. Good Health and Well-Being, 11. Sustainable Cities and Communities, and more.
EYELIKE PLATFORM by LABSD, INC. (India, South Korea)
the awards competition Highlights design’s meaningful impact
The Grand Prize was awarded to EYELIKE PLATFORM (India, South Korea), a revolutionary solution combating preventable blindness in underserved regions. By repurposing recycled smartphones and harnessing AI-powered diagnostics, the platform empowers local medical staff to conduct rapid, precise eye examinations. The project not only fosters global community support but also ensures the longevity of eye care initiatives through its integrated donation system. As put by designboom’s co-founder and judge of the Award, Birgit Lohmann: ‘The user-friendly ophthalmoscope exemplifies the potential of smartphone technology and is an essential idea combining sustainable and innovation.’
Water Hyacinth Floating Garden by AC/AL studio (Cambodia, France)
Among the Best of Best winners, the Water Hyacinth Floating Garden (Cambodia, France) stood out for its innovative approach to food self-sufficiency. The project repurposes invasive water hyacinths to create arable floating land. This empowers Cambodian villagers to grow fresh produce sustainably, reducing reliance on imported food and strengthening community resilience.
Chaki Wasi, Handicrafts Center by La Cabina de la Curiosidad (Ecuador, France)
Other notable Best of Best winners include Chaki Washi, Handicrafts Center (Ecuador, France), an Indigenous handicraft center that revives traditions through the power of the local community. Located in the Quilotoa Lagoon, the town of Shalalá promotes sustainable tourism by intensifying the experience of nature through a handicraft center added to a wooden lookout. the thatched center, called Chaki Wasi, benefits 24 Indigenous families, preserving Andean architecture while boosting local tourism income.
Solar Cow & AYANTU by YOLK (Ethiopia, South Korea)
Solar Cow & AYANTU (Ethiopia, South Korea), an initiative addressing energy accessibility by providing solar-powered batteries to incentivize school attendance. With most rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa both reliant on expensive, harmful fossil fuels and child labor, Solar Cow provides an affordable, clean power source with tangible incentives for parents to send their children to school. The system comprises of solar panels, storage batteries, and charging stations that can energize hundreds of portable batteries at once at schools. Each student is given a battery, called Solar Milk, to charge whilst in class and then take home afterwards.
Proxyaddress by Chris Hildrey (UK)
Proxyaddress (UK), designed by Chris Hildrey, received the Honorable Mention for a solution that provides the homeless with an address. With addresses used more and more as a means of identification, those without a location are also cut off from services needed to recover: apply for jobs, benefits, open a bank account, and receive post. Proxyaddress offers a consistent proxy by using existing data to securely and privately access services, protecting the original property, and complying with anti-fraud laws.
Presentations of the TOP 10 Winners of the Seoul Design Award 2024
The conference held at DDP showcased presentations from the 10 teams given Honorable Mentions and featured a keynote speech delivered by Professor Ezio Manzini. SolarCow clinched the Korean Citizen’s Prize, as determined by the public voting held at the event. In a worldwide vote conducted during Seoul Design 2024, Classe Rouge (Niger, Italy) – an innovative, thermally efficient classroom design – received the Global Citizen’s Prize.
Keynote speech by a Jury (Ezio Manzini)
Classe rouge by ACTA – Action through architecture (Niger, Italy)
On-site voting for the Korean Citizen’s Choice
the Seoul Design Award 2024 exhibition showcased at DDP
As the world’s only award where citizens participate in voting for differentiated, public, and sustainable design, Seoul Design Award is expanding globally to spread the positive values of design. The Award’s ceremony was a vibrant affair attended by the Mayor of Seoul and ambassadors from various countries, reflecting the global significance of the event. Fourteen teams were honored for their outstanding contributions, as applause filled the hall in recognition of their transformative work. After the ceremony, a lively networking session brought together winners, design leaders, and industry professionals, fostering collaboration and future innovation. In post-ceremony interviews, winners expressed gratitude and emphasized the role of the Award as a catalyst for impactful design.
The 2024 Seoul Design Award not only celebrated innovation but also strengthened its global network of designers and changemakers. Through exhibitions, video content, and an activated social media presence, the event successfully engaged a broader audience and inspired future participants. As the Seoul Design Award continues to position itself as a premier platform for sustainable design, it invites designers worldwide to join this dynamic network, pushing boundaries and solving global challenges through thoughtful, impactful design.
The call for entries for the 6th Seoul Design Award will commence in April 2025.
the winners, revealed during the awards ceremony, reflect a diverse array of projects addressing challenges such as healthcare accessibility, food security, and environmental sustainability
the Seoul Design Award ceremony was a vibrant affair attended by the Mayor of Seoul and ambassadors from various countries
after the ceremony, a lively networking session brought together winners, design leaders, and industry professionals, fostering collaboration and future innovation
View the complete list of winners HERE
project info:
name: Seoul Design Award 2024
winners: Canal Park (Mexico); Chaki Wasi (Ecuador, France); Classe rouge (Niger, Italy); EYELIKE PLATFORM (India, South Korea); Lighthouse & Buoys: Dementia Friendly Neighbourhood (Singapore); MO de Movimiento (Spain); ProxyAddress (United Kingdom); Skyblox Co-Living Housing (Malaysia); Solar Cow & ATANTU (Ethiopia, South Korea); Water Hyacinth Floating Garden (Cambodia, France); O-Oyster (Taiwan); Golden Capsule (South Korea); Apollo Wooden Wheelchairs (France); Balena (Italy); Bio-invasive Textile Library (United Kingdom); Chiayi City capital of wood 2.0 Work Settlement (Taiwan); Jojutla Central Gardens (Mexico); Kelp Chair (Sweden); PROSERVATION (Germany); Tebet Eco Park (Indonesia and Singapore); Wheely-X (South Korea); HabiTide (South Korea, United Kingdom); Sustainable RFID Tags (United Kingdom, South Korea)
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