This design competition invites students and recent graduates from the UK, China, and beyond to respond creatively to the pressing global challenges of our time. Through the lens of inclusion and sustainability, participants are encouraged to propose thoughtful, innovative design solutions that reflect empathy, responsibility, and forward-thinking.

The competition is a key activity within the “Women in Design” programme, celebrating diverse voices in the design community and supporting new talent in both countries.

Who can participate

This competition is open to current students and recent graduates, from universities in the UK and China; applications from other countries are also welcome.

Submissions are welcomed from areas including but not limited to:

• Industrial/product design
• Interaction/UX design
• Service design
• Graphic design/communication design

All submitted work must clearly address a challenge related to either sustainability (e.g., designing for circularity, behaviour change for sustainability), inclusive design (e.g.,addressing gender equity, age inclusion, and/or underrepresented user groups), or both. Participants are expected to articulate how their proposal responds to these themes in the design rationale.

Prizes

• 🥇 First prize (1 winner) – £500
• 🥈 Second prize (2 winners) – £200
• 🥉 Third prize (2 winners) – £100
• 🎖 Honourable mentions (up to 10) – Certificate and online showcase

Top entries will also be showcased online, included in the project report, and promoted through social media and partner networks.

Please note: Final prizes will be issued in the form of gift vouchers of equivalent value.

Submission requirements

Participants must submit:

Participants must submit:

1. Design boards (digital)

• Maximum two A3 pages, in PDF format
• Please ensure a good level of resolution for future printability (no larger than 300 dpi)
• To ensure accessibility, texts used in the board must not be smaller than 14pt
• No personal identifiers (e.g. name, institution, logos) should appear on the boards

2. Design rationale form

Please fill this form below and submit it together with the boards. Identifiable information (e.g., name, contact details, university) should only be submitted via this form, not included in the creative materials.

All submission (the boards and the form) must be in English.

Please submit your work via the Submission page.

Key dates

Submission deadline	30 July 2025
Judging & review	31July–20 August 2025
Winner announcement	Mid Sept 2025 (to be jointly held with other events of this project)
Online exhibition	Mid Sept onwards 2025

Judging

All submissions will be reviewed by a diverse panel of academic and industry experts. Entries will be evaluated based on:

• Relevance to inclusion and sustainability
• Originality and innovation
• Design process and rationale
• Visual and communicative clarity
• Feasibility and potential impact

All entries will be judged anonymously.

Contact

Please contact rfd2024@163.com for questions.