design for humanity at play: compasso d’oro international design award 2027 calls for entries

COMPASSO D’ORO INTERNATIONAL DESIGN AWARD OPENS SUBMISSIONS

Entries are open until January 20, 2027 for the Compasso d’Oro International Design Award 2027, organized by Association for Industrial Design (ADI) in collaboration with the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE). Centered on the theme ‘Design for Humanity at Play,’ the award invites designers, brands, and institutions participating in Expo 2027 Belgrade to submit projects developed between  January 01, 2023 and December 31, 2026. Framing play as a vital mechanism for connection and speculative thinking, the competition challenges the creative community to explore how design can foster connection, participation, and resilience across nine distinct project categories.

Compasso d’Oro International Design Award 2027 | all images courtesy of ADI

DECADE OF GLOBAL EXPOS THROUGH THREE THEMATIC LENSES

For the 2027 edition, the ADI’s award interprets play through three distinct lenses: ‘Power of Play’ centers on individual health, wellbeing, and sustainability; ‘Play for Progress’ shifts focus to scientific and creative discovery, leveraging trial and error to fuel innovation; and ‘Play Together’ views sport and music as universal connectors that rebuild community bonds. Across categories spanning living, lighting, food, communication, and social innovation, the call urges designers to anchor spatial and product solutions in shared human experience.

This initiative builds on a tradition of international Compasso d’Oro exhibitions connected with World Expos, including Milan 2015, Hangzhou 2017, and Osaka 2025. Solidified by a ten-year Memorandum of Understanding between ADI and the BIE to accompany major Expos through 2035, the platform offers participants extraordinary global exposure.

Compasso D’oro International invites global creators to explore participation, connection, and imagination through play

SOME DESIGNS WIN AWARDS, SOME BECOME HISTORY

Conceived by Gio Ponti in 1954 and managed by ADI since 1958, the Compasso d’Oro holds a singular place in design culture. On May 24, 2027, an international jury selects projects representing absolute excellence, conferring 20 Compasso d’Oro awards and up to 50 honourable mentions. The ceremony will also present up to three International Career Awards to non-Italian designers, companies, institutions, and schools that have advanced global design culture.

Selected  finalists will be showcased in a dedicated Compasso d’Oro pavilion within the Best Practices area at Expo 2027 Belgrade through August 15, 2027, framed by six thematic weeks of public programming and interactive installations. Post-exposition, all awarded works permanently enter the ADI Compasso d’Oro Historical Collection at the ADI Design Museum in Milan, turning contemporary recognition into an enduring legacy.

Spun, Thomas Heatherwick, Magis, Compasso d’Oro 2014

Zoombike, Richard Sapper, Francis Ferrain, Elettromontaggi Avionic, Compasso d’Oro 1998

Atollo, Vico Magistretti, Oluce, Compasso d’Oro 1979

exploring participation and imagination through play, the Compasso D’oro International Design award 2027 opens entries

project info:

name: Compasso d’Oro International Design Award 2027

organizer:  Association for Industrial Design (ADI)

submissions: until January 20, 2027

ceremony:  May 24, 2027