2021 'Korea+Sweden Young Design Award' Opens

2021 'Korea+Sweden Young Design Award (KSYDA) opening poster

Corporate NewsRetailMay 10, 2021Last edited: August 26, 2021

Invites young Korean designers to unleash creativity with 'Sustainable design for a better future'

[Seoul – May 10, 2021] The 2021 'Korea+Sweden Young Design Award (KSYDA)' will open in collaboration with the Embassy of Sweden in Seoul, Korea Institute of Design Promotion (KIDP), and IKEA Korea. Under united efforts to nurture young design talents, the award has recognised 40 designers with outstanding passion and creativity over the previous two years. Marking its third year, the award is expected to reach and inspire the youth of Korea to ma

KSYDA is an annual award that aims to further expand cultural exchange between Korea and Sweden and incite interest around the importance of design. Innovation, sustainability, and a better future are three core values of the award. The special annual theme of 2021 is ‘Sustainable Design for a Better Future’, featuring the power of design that will enable the many people to overcome the challenges of climate change and emerge stronger in the post COVID-19 era.

Any Korean designers aged 34 and under (as of May 10) are eligible to apply. Entries will be accepted online from June 1 (Tue) to 30 (Wed), and applicants can submit images of their designs or design concepts with descriptions through the official KSYDA website (https://www.ksyda.com). All applications within any field of design and form, except for food and music, are welcome to apply.

A jury of 10 Korean and Swedish design experts, including representatives of the three co-organizing institutions, will evaluate the entries based on the following criteria: creativity, aesthetics, relevance, and influence. The results will be announced on the official website in late August, offering 20 finalists the exciting opportunity to exhibit their designs at the upcoming ‘Design Korea 2021 (Design Exhibition)’ in October. Among them, three final winners will be selected to receive support to further grow as global design talents, including a design trip to Sweden, prize money or internship opportunities (subject to change in response to the COVID-19 restrictions). Further details on KSYDA are available on the official website.

“I am thrilled about the success of the ‘Korea+Sweden Young Design Award’. It’s such a pleasure to launch it for the third year running”, stated Ambassador Jakob Hallgren, adding “with green issues on the top of the agenda in Korea, it is a great opportunity to further drive innovation and to “future proof” the design industries. I hope this award can inspire young Korean designers to innovate for a sustainable future.”

EUNE Juhyun, the President of the Korea Institute of Design Promotion, stated, “As the Nobel Prize that started in Sweden is an honorable award granted to those who have contributed to humanity, the Korea+Sweden Young Design Award seeks to grow and develop into such respectable standard of the Nobel Prize in the field of design, acknowledging designers who contribute to humanity through design that showcases innovation, sustainability, and creation of a better future. As the essence of design is to embrace and bring happiness to the nation, society, and humanity as a whole, we look forward to numerous participations of excellent designs that demonstrate sustainability for a better future through this award.”

“As sustainability becomes more important than ever in our everyday lives, we are truly excited to take part in the ‘Korea+Sweden Young Design Award’ this year and look forward to creating a brighter future for the many people, our society and the planet driven by sustainable design,” said Fredrik Johansson, Country Retail Manager at IKEA Korea. "We at IKEA Korea are committed as ever to supporting young talents in design to unleash their potential and lead the way towards a more sustainable future for us all."