I.About DIA 

Established in 2015, the Design Intelligence Award (DIA) is the first international academy award in China’s design field. It serves as a platform for the evaluation, promotion, exchange and cooperation of contemporary innovative design, as well as an innovation accelerator that transforms creative ideas into industry and the future. With “Mind of Agent, New Form of Intelligence, Intelligence of Humanity, Wisdom of Life, Fusion of Tech & Art, Brain of Industry” as its core values, DIA champions the return to the fundamental essence of design “Intelligent Manufacturing”. 

II. Award Group Setting & Participants

The 2026 DIA features two main groups: Product Group and Concept Group, both of which cover four categories: Digital Economy, Industrial Equipment, Life Wisdom, and Cultural Innovation.

• Product Group：

1. Open to all enterprises, universities & colleges, institutions, and individuals. 

2. Entries must be products launched within 2 years prior to the submission date, and be able to provide physical products once shortlisted for the Second Evaluation.

• Concept Group：

1. Open to all enterprises, universities & colleges, institutions, and individuals. 

2. Entries must  demonstrate  industrial feasibility, and be able to provide fully functional prototypes once shortlisted for the Second Evaluation.

The DIA Committee reserves the right to adjust entries’ group or category.

The detailed settings are as follows:

III. Awards Setting 

The 2026 DIA has established the Grand Award (1 winner with ¥1,000,000), open to entries from all groups. 

For the Product Group:

• Gold Award (4 winners, ¥300,000/winner)

• Silver Award (16 winners, ¥100,000/winner)

• Bronze Award (20 winners, ¥30,000/winner)

For the Concept Group:

• Future Talents (4 winners, ¥20,000/winner)

• Young Talents (10 winners, granted a trophy and certificate)

In addition, 50 entries from both the Product Group and Concept Group will be selected for the Excellent Nomination Award, and around 300 entries will be granted the Honorable Mention Award (the exact number is subject to the evaluation results).

The specific award setting is as follows:

IV. Categories

Four categories are established, and participants are free to choose their own topics. 

(1) Digital Economy

To emphasize the new economic model driven by digital technology, we focus on the digital transformation and upgrading of industries and the industrial application of artificial intelligence technology. This category encompasses products and services in the fields of the Internet economy, including spatial computing, smart cities, smart mobility, smart business, smart medical care, smart education, smart community, digital security, aerospace information, industrial internet, virtual reality products, etc.

(2) Industrial Equipment

To emphasize industrial upgrading as a driving force, we focus on the transformation and upgrading of industrial equipment, the future development of strategic and emerging industries, and the optimization of production system efficiency. This category encompasses products and services in the fields of high-end equipment, including; transportation and logistics, medical equipment, construction equipment, agriculture and forestry equipment, military equipment, office equipment, green energy, robots and automation tools, etc.

(3) Life Wisdom

To emphasize the way we live as a driving force behind ideas, we look at the wisdom they bring to daily life, intelligent approaches to everyday appliances and how they care for vulnerable groups in society. This category is open to products and services from the fields of modern consumer sector, including electronics and digital devices, household appliances, kitchen and bathroom essentials, smart home technology, elderly care products, maternal and child supplies, personal care items, pets supplies, toys and musical instruments, sports and leisure products, disaster prevention and protection products, application of new technologies and materials, etc.

(4) Cultural Innovation

To emphasize culture as the internal driving force behind ideas, we look at the contemporary revival of traditional culture, the design crafting of the idea, the value created both in culture IP and the green sustainable development. This category is open to products and services from the fields of cultural economics, including culture gifts, stationery, packaging, fashion accessories, tableware, furniture and lighting, social innovation and new cultural tourism economy,etc.

V. Registration 

(1) How to register

DIA adopts the selection mechanism of direct application and expert nomination. Entries submitted by the public will be evaluated in the Preliminary Evaluation, and entries nominated by experts can directly enter the Second Evaluation after being reviewed by the DIA Committee. To ensure the impartiality, a mechanism of mutual independence is implemented between nomination experts and evaluation experts. The same entry cannot be submitted to both the Product Group and the Concept Group. All participants should log into the DIA official website (https://en.di-award.org/) for registration. 

(2) Registration Period and Fees

The free registration period for 2026 DIA will close at 24:00 on June 1, 2026 (Beijing Time). DIA Committee encourages all participants to complete their registration during this free registration period. For participants who miss the free registration period, DIA Committee will offer an additional registration opportunity and charge a corresponding fee based on the extension, which will be used to extended evaluation and organizational costs. No fees will be charged for expert nominated entries throughout the process. The specific rules are as follows:

*Overseas remittances should be in US dollars.

VI. Evaluation

(1) Evaluation process

There are three rounds of evaluation, namely, Preliminary Evaluation, Second Evaluation and Final Evaluation. Graphic and text evaluation is adopted in the Preliminary Evaluation, a combination of physical product and video evaluation is adopted in the Second Evaluation, and on-site oral defense is adopted in the Final Evaluation.

(2) Evaluation Criteria 

In the context of the intelligent manufacturing era, the unique “DIA Evaluation System” includes three layers of criteria: a) The fundamental layer emphasizes the “Principles of Design”, covering evaluation factors such as functionality, aesthetics, technicality, user-experience and sustainability. b) The advanced layer emphasizes the “Direction of Design”, covering evaluation factors such as contribution to humanity, industry and the future. c) The top layer emphasizes the “Impact of Design”, covering evaluation factors such as social influence and exemplary role for the industry.

(3) Jury

Authoritative experts from all over the world are invited to serve as DIA judges. In order to highlight the cross-border integration of design and strengthen the comprehensiveness of evaluation, in addition to experts in the design industry, experts in other related fields such as science and technology, commerce and media are also introduced to be DIA judges.

VII. Winners’ Benefits 

(1) Trophy and certificate

Every winner will receive a trophy and a certificate (trophy received at the Award Ceremony). Winners whose entries are included in the annual DIA Exhibition will be awarded the DIA Exhibition Certificate. For the entries donated to the DIA Committee, the participants will be awarded the DIA Collection Certificate. 

(2) DIA logo usage

All winners are entitled to lifetime free use of the DIA logo on their award-winning entries.

(3) Yearbook inclusion and official website showcase

Award-winning entries will be included in the 2026 DIA Yearbook, and will be permanently displayed on the DIA official website.

(4) Exhibition tour

All award-winning entries will participate in the 2026 DIA Exhibition, with opportunities for display in other domestic and international exhibitions.

(5) Industry communication

All winners will be invited to attend this year’s DIA Award Ceremony, forum, exhibition, and other series of events, where they can engage in face-to-face and exchanges and collaborations with representatives from the global design, academic, media, and industrial sectors.

(6) Media promotion

DIA has established a promotion network together with more than 100 mainstream media in various industries around the world. Key events including the DIA Award Ceremony will be live-streamed online. Winners will be prioritized for featured interviews across major media platforms, further amplifying the societal impact of outstanding designs.

VIII. Agenda