From September 13 to 14, the Second Evaluation of the Main Competition of the 2025 Better Design Award was successfully held at the 3nod Smart Building in Shenzhen. After a rigorous evaluation process, a total of 312 entries advanced to the next stage, with 50 of them securing a spot in the final evaluation. The official results will soon be announced on the Better Design Award WeChat official account and the competition’s official website, where participants will also be able to check their entry status.
Since its global call for entries on May 23, the competition has received 15,691 submissions from 69 countries and regions worldwide. Entries cover a wide range of fields, including equipment manufacturing, aerospace and marine instruments, next-generation electronic information products, modern light industry and textiles, home and lifestyle, CMF, digital creativity and information services, smart cities, urban public design, green ecology, future industries, and social innovation.
▲ Second Evaluation Meeting of the Main Competition
▲ Second Evaluation Meeting of the Main Competition
Peng Xiaomao, former Deputy Party Secretary and Deputy Head of China Media Group Guangdong Headquarters, and Shirley Feng, President of the Shenzhen Industrial Design Profession Association, delivered speeches and presented appointment certificates to the jury experts. The organizing committee also provided a detailed introduction to the review rules and procedures, accompanied by a live demonstration of the judging system.
▲Speech by Peng Xiaomao, former Deputy Party Secretary and Deputy Head of China Media Group Guangdong Headquarters
▲Speech by Shirley Feng, President of the Shenzhen Industrial Design Profession Association
▲Appointment Certificate Presentation Ceremony for Judges
This round of review adopted a “visual materials + physical exhibits” evaluation model. Over two days, 25 experts, under the strict supervision of notary officers, conducted a comprehensive and meticulous assessment of the entries, following the principles of fairness, impartiality, objectivity, and professionalism. Through multiple stages including document review, on-site inspection, and collective deliberation, the list of advancing entries was finalized.
▲Main Competition Second Evaluation
The successful conclusion of the second evaluation marks a significant milestone in the judging process of the 2025 Better Design Award. In the upcoming final review, we look forward to uncovering more outstanding works that demonstrate foresight, industrial applicability, and public value - works that will help build a design evaluation system with a strong Chinese voice, telling China’s story of innovation with Chinese wisdom. We warmly invite every design enthusiast to continue following the exciting progress of the competition and to join us in celebrating the brilliance of better design!
For this second evaluation, we were honored to invite an esteemed panel of experts from diverse fields, including industry, academia, media, and investment. The organizing committee extends its heartfelt gratitude to the 25 jury members for their dedication and hard work: Timothy Jacob Jensen, Thomas Kvan, Hannu Kähönen, Kris Verstockt, BongKyu Song, Jun Katsunuma, Tapani Hyvönen, Juha Tapio Kosonen, Chen Dongliang, Albert Chen, Chen Jiang, Chen Guoqiang, Dai Bei, Duan Shengfeng, Cheng-Neng Kuan, Hang Jian, Li Xiaoling, Lu Dingbang, Joyce Mao, Qian Zhu, Wang Zheng, Yu Wei, Jamy Yang, Zhang Lei, Chao Sio Leong. (Experts are listed in no particular order.)