Service Design Award 2026

We’re excited to launch the latest edition of the Service Design Award. This is your moment to showcase impactful work, share your insights with our global community, and gain the international recognition your work deserves.

Submission categories:

Choose the category that best reflects who your project was created for:

• Commercial / Private Sector
  For projects delivered to private organisations.Your work must be validated by an external client or, in the case of in-house projects, an internal stakeholder.
• Non-Profit / Public Sector
  For projects developed for public services, NGOs, or non-profit organisations. Submissions must also be validated internally or externally.
• Student
  For projects completed during academic studies.Students are eligible if currently studying or recently graduated from 2025 onwards.Validation must come from your university, a stakeholder, or a user group.

Confidentiality
If you have concerns about client confidentiality and NDAs, clearly highlight any sensitive information. Your materials will only be shared with and reviewed by our Jury.

The "Summary" document you provide must not contain confidential content, as it will be shared with your SDN community.

Important
We only accept implemented projects. Make sure your submission clearly demonstrates real-world application, outcomes, and impact.

A quick tip

Impact takes time. If your project was launched several years ago,  results may only now be becoming measurable and demonstrating impact. Strong, proven outcomes matter more than how recent the work is.

DATES AND PRICES:

Early Bird (until May 31, 2026)

• Professional SDN members: €165
• Professional non-members: €220
• Student SDN members: €65
• Student non-members: €80

Regular (June 1 – July 31, 2026)

• Professional SDN members: €220
• Professional non-members: €280
• Student SDN members: €75
• Student non-members: €100

Late (August 1 –  August 15, 2026)

• Professional SDN members: €240
• Professional non-members: €320

^{* A 7% VAT applies to entrants within Germany
** A 7% VAT applies to entrants in Europe without a valid VAT number}

Find your membership discount code in your dashboard (My SDN).

What to Submit:

An entry consists of four separate parts, please use the templates provided for submission parts 1, 2 and 3.

1. Single-page summary (Download Template)for judging & media coverage with a maximum of 450 words. Save as a PDF file named 'Summary_Your Project Title'.
   
   
2. Submission report (Download Template) A maximum of 5 pages and, 2.350 words.  You are allowed 1 additional A4 page only to be used for endnotes and references (if you have referenced academic articles or publications for example), these references will be excluded from the word count. Save as a single PDF file named 'Report_Your Project Title'. If the entry exceeds five pages or the word limit, this content will not be considered by the jury.
   
   It is important to adhere to the structure of the submission template provided. 
   
   
3. A single-page, signed validation to confirm your work. This will be viewed by judges in the final round of judging once finalists have been selected.
   
   1. For professional submissions, this should come from your main client (Download Template).
   2. For student submissions, this should come from an external stakeholder or professor who oversaw your work (Download Template)
      
      
4. Visual document (6-15 pages) of photos or graphics about the project for judging & project promotion (high resolution, RGB, single PDF, maximum size 15MB). We strongly recommend that you supplement your written submission with photographs, graphics, and/or service design artifacts that will help the judges better understand your project. Artifacts that are helpful for the judges include, but aren’t limited to: user journeys, service blueprints, stakeholder maps, personas, or other tools or outputs employed in your work.

    

   Make sure your visuals clearly connect to your written submission. Please reference your images with a number and name within the written submission.

Ensure all documents are clearly labelled and connected with references between text and visuals. Please note if your project is shorlisted we might ask for additional material for promotion (poster and/or short video).

Submitting your Project:

All parts of the entry must be uploaded to the entry system. Entries must be uploaded to the Service Design Award website by 23:59 CEST 15 August, 2026. No physical entries or additional materials are accepted. Further details about the entry requirements below.

Questions or problems? Write to us at awards@service-design-network.org and we’ll help you!

What do winners get?

Winning the Service Design Award is more than a moment on stage — it’s a platform to amplify your work, build credibility, and extend your reach across the global service design community.

We recognize excellence at two levels: Winners Block and Category Winners.

One overall winner per category:

The jury will also select one overall winner in each category  highlighting a project that stands out for its exceptional impact, execution, and contribution to service design.

This means:

• Greater opportunity for your work to be recognised and celebrated
• More visibility for the unique context and impact of your project
• Stronger exposure within a diverse and growing service design community
• The chance to be named overall winner in your category

Winners Block Benefits:

All selected projects receive:

• Global visibility across SDN channels — your work is actively promoted through our website, newsletters, and social media
• On-stage recognition at the Service Design Global Conference (SDGC26)
• Exhibition presence at SDGC26, putting your project in front of an international audience
• Discounted access to SDGC26, helping your team join and connect with the community
• Official recognition with a certificate and winner’s badge for your communications
• Feature in the SDN Case Study Library, making your work discoverable long-term

Category Winner Benefits:

One project per category is selected for an additional level of recognition.

• One free in-person SDGC26 ticket per winning project
• Speaking opportunity at SDGC26, giving you a platform to share your work and thinking
• Service Design Award trophy, recognising outstanding achievement
• Feature on the Service Design Podcast
• Publication opportunities in Touchpoint
• One-year free SDN membership for your team

How do we elevate your work?

We don’t just celebrate your work — we help it reach the right audience.

As a winner, your project becomes part of how the Service Design Network shares knowledge and inspires the community:

• Featured across SDN’s global communication channels
• Included in our Case Study Library, one of the most visited resources in our network
• Highlighted during and after the Service Design Global Conference
• Positioned as a benchmark for excellence in service design

Keep in Mind:

• The Importance of good English
  Service Design Award only accepts submissions in English. If your project was developed in another language, please translate it before submitting.
• Clear Communication
  Clear, concise entries are easier to read and understand and make a stronger impression on the jury. Concise submissions make a stronger impression. Your summary is especially important, make it count.
• Evidenced Results
  The jury is looking for evidence of what results were achieved, not why a particular approach was chosen. Prove conclusively the cause and effect between service design and the results of your submission. Provide evidence of targets set in the overview of the project being met in the impact of your work.
  
  Demonstrate clear cause and effect between your service design work and the outcomes achieved.
• Scale of Impact
  Consider the broader impact of your project on users, employees, and organizational performance.

Other Entry Criteria: 

• Disqualification
  Entries submitted to the Service Design Award must be true and comply with the rules. Entries must be accurate and truthful. Misleading or false submissions may be disqualified at any stage.
• The right of the judging panel
  The jury’s decision is final. The jury has the right to reject entries that do not comply with the entry rules. The jury has the right to move an entry from one category to another, if appropriate.
• Confidential information
  Submitted materials, which contain sensitive or confidential information, must be clearly labeled as confidential. The summary document must be devoid of any confidential information.
• Copyright
  By submitting an entry to the Service Design Award, each entrant is responsible for acquiring the approval of the client and/or consultant for submitting the work, on behalf of themselves and their clients/consultants. Furthermore, by submitting an entry to the Service Design Award, the entrant allows the Service Design Network as organiser of the Award, the right to reproduce all or part of their entry, except for that which is labeled confidential, at any time in the future. The organisers reserve the right to give permission to third parties to publish the whole or any part of the submitted material as part of the Award, Award benefits or reporting thereon. This includes publication in the Service Design Award Annual.

Entry Support

If you have any questions about the entry process, please contact the organisers by email at awards@service-design-network.org. We are very happy to help.

Usefull links:

• About
• Winners & Finalists

• A guide for Award-Winning Service Design Projects by Luis Alt

Awards Newsletter - Stay updated:

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Showcase your brilliance.

Inspire the world.

ENTER THE SERVICE DESIGN AWARD 2026!