National Design Award

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Judge a Book by its Cover
Do you judge books by their covers? What makes you pick up a book or magazine? A successful cover design might allude to the content within its pages, invoke feelings, or communicate a powerful message. Designers make distinct choices to create this dynamic first impression and invite people to open the book. Join us for...
National Design Awards Cities: Detroit
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum hosts this lively conversation among winners and jurors of the 2021 National Design Awards, which recognize innovation and impact and the power of design to change the world. The discussion looks at contemporary challenges and opportunities in design, including equity and climate change, as well as the role of collaboration...
A photograph of a blue building with four square wooden structures protruding. Each wooden structure has a large window on two sides. There are two doors into the building each framed by similar wooden structures.
14 Asian American National Design Award Winners to Know
Cooper Hewitt’s National Design Awards program honors innovation and impact in design. Since its inception in 2000, many Asian Americans have been recognized with a National Design Award. Here are 14 to know: Derek Lam 2019 Fashion Award Derek Lam is a leading designer of relaxed yet elevated American sportswear. His work is known for...
Image features a rough sketch in black, gray, tan, and blue, showing a long corridor that terminates in a view through a window onto a central stone garden. The view highlights the mirrored surface on the opposite side of the garden, which reflects the colors of the sky and landscape, here suggestive of a colorful sunset. Please scroll down to read the blog about this object.
An Infinite Reflecting Vista
In celebration of  National Design Month, October’s Object of The Week posts honor past National Design Award winners. This post was originally published on November 10, 2016. In the late 1990s, the Tacoma Art Museum (TAM) in Tacoma, Washington announced its plan to relocate from the bank building that it had occupied since 1935 to...
2020 National Design Awards Gala
Cooper Hewitt is proud to announce the 2020 National Design Award winners at our first-ever virtual gala, hosted by Bobby Berk, interior design expert and Emmy-nominated host of Netflix’s Queer Eye. Congratulations to all the winners!   Proceeds fund National Design Month programs and Cooper Hewitt’s work to educate, inspire, and empower people through design...
Image of four women looking at the camera.
2019 NDA Winners’ Salons: Patricia Moore and Open Style Lab
Celebrate the 20th anniversary of the National Design Awards at Cooper Hewitt! In this 20 minute talk, Patricia Moore | Design Mind Award + Pinar Guvenc, board member, Open Style Lab | Emerging Designer Award, talk with Cooper Hewitt Curatorial Director Cara McCarty speak on the topic “Why Inclusive Design Matters” ABOUT NATIONAL DESIGN WEEK...
Image of three people on stage in front of an audience. On the left is Matilda McQuaid, middle is Thomas Phifer, on the right is Cristina Grajales
2019 NDA Winners’ Salons: Thomas Phifer
Celebrate the 20th anniversary of the National Design Awards at Cooper Hewitt! In this 20 minute talk, Thomas Thomas Phifer | Architecture Design Award + Cristina Grajales | Cristina Grajales Gallery speak with Cooper Hewitt Deputy Director of Curatorial Matilda McQuaid on the topic “Collaborating with Clients.” ABOUT NATIONAL DESIGN WEEK Launched in 2006, National...
image of two women on stage, on the left is Kate Orff, wearing a red blouse under a brown suit jacket, she holds a microphone in her left hand, speaking into it, and gestures with her right hand. her hair is brown and above the shoulders. ON the left is Vasso Giannopolis who wears a dark purple dress and has long brown hair. She looks and listens.
2019 NDA Winners’ Salons: Kate Orff
Celebrate the 20th anniversary of the National Design Awards at Cooper Hewitt! In this 20 minute talk, Kate Orff, founder, SCAPE | Landscape Architecture Award Winner, talks with Cooper Hewitt National Design Awards Manager Vasso Giannopoulos speak on the topic Designer as Responsible Citizen. ABOUT NATIONAL DESIGN WEEK Launched in 2006, National Design Week is...
image of two people on a stage; on the left is Amy Smith, she has light hair and wears glasses, and a red blouse. on the left is Carolyn Royston, who has short dark hair and glasses, and wears dark clothing. Amy holds a microphone and is gesturing to the audience.
2019 NDA Winners’ Salons: Amy Smith
  Celebrate the 20th anniversary of the National Design Awards at Cooper Hewitt! In this 20 minute talk, Amy Smith, founder, MIT D-Lab | Corporate & Institutional Achievement Award Winner talks with Cooper Hewitt Director of Digital and Emerging Media Carolyn Royston on the topic Empowerment through Participatory Design. ABOUT NATIONAL DESIGN WEEK Launched in...