Shared Civic Life
Public spaces, services and visual systems that make participation easier.
SFAAAT PRESENTS / THE THIRD EDITION
2026 AADC
NORTH AMERICAN
APPLIED ARTS DESIGN COMPETITION
COMMON GROUND
Designing Between Worlds
Open to students, designers and artists worldwide. Themed entry is free: one work per participant, in any category. Open entries cover six categories.
Open03 OCT 2026
Deadline15 DEC 2026
Results25 DEC 2026
Entry feeThemed: free
Open: CNY 29 early / CNY 45 regular
Open: CNY 29 early / CNY 45 regular
2026 THEME
Common Ground
How can design help people use shared spaces, understand another culture or access a service? Develop a project around one of the three briefs below.
Translating Culture
Multilingual communication, cultural identity and new uses for traditional craft.
Human Interfaces
Products, spaces, sound and interactions that help people understand, participate and make choices.
ONLINE ENTRY
Three regions
All entries are submitted online. Each region provides local registration support; the judging criteria are the same.
WHAT TO ENTER
Themed & open entries
Themed entry is free. Each participant may submit one themed work in total, choosing one of the three briefs. Any art or design discipline, category or medium is welcome. Open entries are not restricted by theme; choose one of the six categories below.
01Art & Technology
Interactive installation design; Digital art creation; VR/AR immersive experience design; Sound art design; Robotic art design; Holographic image design; Data visualisation design.
02Fusion Art
Material fusion design; Information fusion design; Art and science interdisciplinary creation; Craft innovation design; Cross-cultural design; Multimedia fusion design; Architecture and fashion interdisciplinary design.
03Graphic Design & Fine Arts
Brand identity design; Packaging design; Book design; Poster design; Illustration design; Information graphics design; Information visualisation design; Cultural and creative design; Typeface design; Print design; Painting; Photography; Mixed-media art.
04Media Arts
Filmmaking; Animation design; Short-form video creation; Game art design; Interaction design; Sound design; Motion visualisation design; Web user interface design (UI).
05Environmental Art & Design
Urban planning and design; Public art design; Exhibition space design; Stage design; Lighting design; Wayfinding system design; Landscape design; Interior design; Architectural design.
06Product Design
Industrial product design; Furniture design; Smart product design; Medical device design; Transportation design; Consumer electronics design; Fashion product design.
JUDGING
Early Bird & regular review
EARLY BIRDROUND 01
Independent review pool
Both themed and open works submitted from 3 October to 25 November 2026 enter the independent Early Bird review pool, with its own award allocation.
Gold 2Silver 2Silver Mention top 2%Bronze top 2%
REGULAR REVIEWROUND 02
Regular review
All Early Bird entries advance automatically, with no additional entry fee. Regular-period entries join this round directly.
Gold 6Silver 6Silver Mention 5%Bronze 10%Honourable 10%
No Early Bird award
Your work moves directly into regular review.
Early Bird award received
Your award is retained. The second review can raise its level, but cannot lower it. The higher award is the final result.
REGULAR REVIEW
Awards & prizes
LevelAllocationReward
Gold Award6 total / 3 thematic + 3 free-formCAD 2,000
Silver Award6 awardsCAD 1,000
Silver Mention5%No cash prize
Bronze Award10%Certificate
Honourable Mention10%Certificate
Early Bird pool: 2 Gold Awards, 2 Silver Awards, Silver Mention top 2% and Bronze Award top 2%. Award allocations are calculated separately for the two rounds.
2026 SCHEDULE
Dates & deadlines
Online registration opensEarly Bird pool begins.
Early Bird entry periodCloses at 23:59 on 25 November. Both themed and open entries submitted in this period enter the independent Early Bird pool.
Regular entry periodOpens on 26 November and closes at 23:59 on 15 December.
Formal submission deadlineSubmit all works online by the deadline. Payment is required for open entries only.
Results announcedPublic award query and certificate status open after release.
All times are China Standard Time (UTC+8). Each entry period closes at 23:59 on its final day.
EVENT REPORT
2025 AADC Awards Ceremony
According to information supplied by the organiser, the 2025 North American Applied Arts Design Competition awards ceremony took place on 12 April 2025 in an academic lecture hall at McGill University.
Luc Tremblay attended as an award presenter and guest speaker, delivering a talk titled “Design and Market Demand”.
The theme addresses questions that many entrants encounter in their work: understanding an audience, communicating an idea clearly, and balancing a personal approach with practical needs. It offers a useful perspective on the relationship between artistic expression and application, encouraging designers to consider both what their work communicates and whom it serves.
FEATURED TALK
Design and Market Demand
A discussion of audience, communication and practical application.
PER WORK
Entry fees
Themed entry is free, with one work per participant in total and no category restrictions. Fees below apply only to open entries. Early Bird works advance to regular review without an additional fee.
Choose one of the three briefs. All art and design categories are welcome.
03 October–25 November 2026
CNY 29 / entry26 November–15 December 2026
CNY 45 / entry2026 AADC / ONLINE ENTRY
Submit your work
Submit one themed work for free, in any category, or choose a paid open entry.