eight designboom competitions with submission deadlines in october

see all the designboom competitions running until october

Between September and October, designboom is spotlighting a diverse range of international competitions that invite architects, designers, and creatives to push the boundaries of innovation before submission deadlines draw near. From the 5th edition of Tactical Urbanism NOW!, which calls for hyperlocal yet scalable public space solutions addressing environmental and social challenges, to The Architect’s Chair #4, where participants distill their architectural philosophy into a single, iconic piece of furniture, the span of briefs encourages both visionary thinking and practical creativity.

designboom’s competition platform has become a springboard for creatives of all kinds, giving designers, architects, and artists the opportunity to promote their open calls to a global audience of over 3.5 million readers each month. Submitting is simple: just complete the self-submission form with essential details like jury members, awards, prizes, and the official call-for-entry link. Once live, we ensure maximum visibility for the challenge, connecting it to our international readership.

Check out the complete list here and submit your open call!

UNESCO ANCIENT THEATRE by TerraViva

Organization: TerraViva
Competition name: UNESCO ANCIENT THEATRE

Submission deadline: October 10, 2025

Terraviva launches UNESCO ANCIENT THEATRE, a new architecture competition which invites participants to design a unique space where past, present, and future merge through architectural and urban continuity. Projects will seek to unify the various elements of Ohrid’s Ancient Theatre through a cohesive integration of architectural and landscape features – materials, textures, and spatial relationships – enhancing the overall sense of harmony within the site.

CREATIVE HACK AWARD by WIRED Japan

Organization: WIRED Japan
Competition name: CREATIVE HACK AWARD

Submission deadline: October 6, 2025

Established in 2013, the CREATIVE HACK AWARD is an annual award for next-generation creators, who value ambitious vision and think beyond the borders of countries and regions. The theme of the award is “HACK”, in which the award describes as – a desire to improve something you absolutely love; a desire to overthrow something you absolutely detest. This year marks the 13th year of the award, and only requirement to enter the award is to clearly state ‘what’ you hacked and ‘how’ and ‘why.’ Entry is free.

The Architect’s Chair by Buildner

Organization: Buildner
Competition name: The Architect’s Chair

Submission deadline: October 23, 2025

The Architect’s Chair Competition offers architects and designers an exciting opportunity to showcase their creativity by designing a signature chair that embodies their unique architectural vision. Inspired by the tradition of renowned architects creating custom furniture as an extension of their work, this competition challenges participants to distill their design philosophy into a single, iconic piece.

Denver Affordable Housing Challenge by Buildner

Organization: Buildner
Competition name: Denver Affordable Housing Challenge

Submission deadline: October 20, 2025

The Denver Affordable Housing Challenge is an international architecture competition organized by AIA Colorado, the City and County of Denver, and Buildner. As the 19th installment in Buildner’s Affordable Housing Challenge series, the competition explores how affordability and design excellence can be harmonized to create innovative, high-quality housing solutions tailored to Denver’s specific context.

Global Design iT Award 2025 by Korean Federation of Design Industry Associations (KODIA) 

Organization: Korean Federation of Design Industry Associations (KODIA) 

Competition name: Global Design iT Award 2025

Submission deadline: October 10, 2025

Since 2011, the Korean Federation of Design Industry Associations (KODIA) has hosted the ‘iT Award’, recognizing outstanding achievements by designers, companies, directors, and agencies in Korea. In 2022, the award expanded globally and was relaunched as the ‘Global Design iT Award’. The Global Design iT Award selects and honors exceptional “it(special)” designs from around the world through fair and transparent judging conducted by a global panel of experts representing both domestic and international design industries.

TACTICAL URBANISM NOW! by TerraViva

Organization: TerraViva
Competition name: TACTICAL URBANISM NOW! The Revolution of Public Space

Submission deadline: October 31, 2025

The annual Tactical Urbanism NOW! competition is set to encourage creative and forward-thinking designers to propose new original spaces fostering long-term and sustainable changes. For its 5th edition, the competition invites participants to embrace a ‘hyperlocal yet scalable’ mindset. The challenges of the 21st century demand new models of urban living, driven by evolving environmental concerns, shifting social dynamics and technological innovation. In recent years, cities have become laboratories for bold experimentation, rethinking how public spaces can respond to the complexities of contemporary life.

Indigo Design Award

Organization: Indigo Design Award
Competition name: Indigo Design Award

Early Bird deadline: September 30, 2025

The Indigo Design Award features a wide range of categories, including Graphic Design, Digital Design, Branding, and Design for Social Change. Entries are evaluated by an esteemed international jury of creative professionals from leading companies such as Spotify, TBWAChiatDay NY, NIKE (via AKQA), Google, IBM, Apple, Microsoft, as well as acclaimed independent designers and creative experts.

 NY Product Design Awards

Organization: NY Product Design Awards
Competition name: NY Product Design Awards

Submission deadline: Sep 18 – Oct 22, 2025

The NY Product Design Awards was launched to honor the efforts of talented product designers, design teams, and manufacturers from all over the world, whose designs have made daily living that much better with their practical and ingenious creations. Recognizing that excellence exists in various forms in the design industry, the NY Product Design Awards intends to celebrate excellence in all its facets that are found in design work and its designers.

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