Next Gen Design Open Call is Here: Redesign Tomorrow, Today

Barcelona Design Centre and designaustria start a new design competition for Young Designers.

The Next Gen Design Competition invites submissions under the theme “Redesign Tomorrow, Today”. Designers are encouraged to propose solutions to pressing challenges, including circular product design, urban farming innovations, sustainable textiles, digital tools for inclusivity, and biophilic designs. The competition is open to individual designers or teams, with up to five submissions allowed per entrant.

As the world grapples with escalating environmental challenges, young people across Europe have demonstrated extraordinary energy and creativity, calling for transformative action. However, a critical gap remains between their calls and concrete solutions. Next Gen Design directly addresses this gap, inviting creatives aged 18-35 from across Europe to encourage reimagining a better tomorrow through design.

Selected projects will be featured in the Next Gen Design Traveling Exhibition, touring Europe at major festivals such as Mikser Festival, What Design Can Do, and Barcelona Design Week. Winners will also participate in the Next Gen Design Residency Programme, an immersive learning experience covering expenses and offering collaboration opportunities. A €2,000 Next Gen Design Residency Award will be presented to the best project at each residency location.

About Next Gen Design
Next Gen Design amplifies youth voices through surveys, open calls, and educational programs, fostering bold, inclusive, and circular design. Integrated into top design festivals, it highlights design’s role in global challenges and sustainability, aligning with the European Green Deal.

Recognising the urgency of the climate crisis and the power of design to drive change, five major European design platforms and festivals—Mikser Festival (Serbia), What Design Can Do (The Netherlands), designaustria (Austria), Barcelona Design Week (Spain), and Skopje Design Week (North Macedonia)—have joined forces to launch Next Gen Design. This three-year collaboration aims to empower young designers to shape a sustainable, circular future through innovation, creativity, and cross-border collaboration.

Submission Form: nextgendesign.eu/application-form/
Submission Deadline: 30 March 2025
There are no application fees.

More Information: nextgendesign.eu/open-call