February 3 2025

The Scottish Design Awards are picking up the pace in 2025 with a revamped selection of awards and all-new content. 

Smashing the stars of architecture and design together in a supernova of creativity, the awards will recognise the practices, people, and projects with the most talent. We want you to be a part of it, so we are now accepting entries for the greatest assemblage of creativity you will see all year.

This year, we are switching things up by introducing a dedicated conservation category to celebrate the abundance of class-leading work protecting our built heritage. This category will be in concert with our returning retrofit spot, which will focus on improving energy performance. We are also introducing three separate brand identity categories to better differentiate between corporate, consumer and civic work.

We have also been working to turn the awards into a year-round showcase of new work, ideas and industry moves via The Scoop, our weekly diet of news and views delivered directly via the awards website.

Indicating what qualities our judges will look for from submitted work Cat Leaver, director of strategy & competitive intelligence at Visit Scotland, said: "I’m always on the lookout for creative work that has a clear purpose. Winning entries are a balance of form and function, where the design can intrigue and inspire but the work also clearly demonstrates how it supports the outcome. Award criteria provide a clear framework around which to document and evidence design thinking in a way that can, when leveraged effectively, create a great framework for exploration and debate."

Entries must be filed before 28 March 2025 via the Scottish Design Awards.

4 Comments

#1 Posted by FHM on 4 Feb 2025 at 10:24 AM

"Smashing the stars of architecture and design together in a supernova of creativity, the awards will recognise the practices, people, and projects with the most talent."

Notwithstanding the awful use of AI to generate the article, but there needs to be a huge caveat added that people will only be recognised if they can afford to pay £195.00 + VAT per entry. For an Architect, they will be paying £205.00 for ARB membership. Now, if they are also registered with RIAS, then they pay min. £161.00. Therefore, for many Scottish Architects registered with RIAS, they have to work out whether spending £600.00 is worth potentially being recognised in a supernova of creativity.

#2 Posted by John Glenday on 4 Feb 2025 at 14:21 PM

@1 Hyperbolic, perhaps, but it does convey the shifting centres of gravity across the creative arena!

#3 Posted by considering my membership on 4 Feb 2025 at 14:31 PM

£161 for RIAS membership!!! Only for newly qualified. The rest pay nearer the £500 mark - and for what?

It's paying for a very elitist clique where if you are in the very closed inner circle it might do you well for some promotion or contracts - or a couple of membership closed soirées! As well amalgamating it with the RIBA now, we all know that's where it's heading.

#4 Posted by FHM on 4 Feb 2025 at 20:55 PM

#2 Whilst you may suggest it is hyperbolic, I would argue it is simply correct. In fact, I downplayed the costs, as #3 pointed out, RIAS membership is much more for those who are not newly qualified. I have not even covered PI costs or those who also hold RIBA dual memberships as well. Overall, it is an extremely disappointing state of affairs that you can only be recognised to have talent if you pay a minimum of £600.00 for one entry. Does anyone know if you have to pay for a seat at the soirée as well?

#3 I did specifically state "min. £161.00" but I agree with your points.

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