The true art form of our age is what? Certainly not the fine arts like painting or sculpture. Not music nor fashion. Hardly literature or the theatre.

The most expressive artistic culture of our age is design. The design of the products we use in our daily surroundings is a true expression of our lifestyles, morality, and culture. But design today also extends beyond physical objects into visual storytelling and interactive media — including ACG (anime, comics, and gaming) — where worlds, characters, and experiences are carefully crafted through illustration, animation, and digital interaction. Together, these forms shape how we see, use, and imagine our world.

When design reaches its peak — whether in smartphones, cars, trains, furniture, or influential ACG works — we encounter artifacts that can transcend centuries, on a par with the impressionists and the classical composers of the past.

Is that an exaggeration? At GDA we don't think so. The designers, artists, and companies shaping both our physical and digital environments carry a huge responsibility to get things right. That responsibility deserves recognition, because it is not an easy undertaking

So send in your work, your finished products, your ideas, your concepts. Let us know your thinking and how they affect people.

See also the application menu for more detailed information as well as the Q&A section.

There are two deadlines for the INNOVATIVE PRODUCT AWARD the first is in the springtime - 20th of January 2026 at 20.00 UTC - Coordinated Universal Time. This second is in the Autumn - 20th September at 20.00 UTC.