2023 National Design Award Winners

The National Design Awards honor innovation and impact and recognize the power of design to change the world. Established in 2000 as a project of the White House Millennium Council, the National Design Awards bring national recognition to the ways in which design enriches everyday life.

Meet the 2023 Winners

Seymour Chwast

Design Visionary

Seymour Chwast. Photo: Camille Murphy

Seymour Chwast has been at the forefront of graphic design since the 1950s and continues to explore new frontiers in design and typography. He is a founding partner of the celebrated Push Pin Studios, whose distinct style has had a worldwide influence on contemporary visual communications. His designs and illustrations have been exhibited in major galleries and museums in the United States, Europe, Japan, Brazil, and Russia. Chwast and Push Pin were honored at the Louvre in Paris in a two-month retrospective exhibition titled The Push Pin Style in 1970. His posters are in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art, Cooper Hewitt, The Library of Congress, The Gutenberg Museum, and The Israel Museum, among others. A graduate of The Cooper Union, Chwast holds an honorary PhD in Fine Arts from the Parsons School of Design and The Rhode Island School of Design. He has received numerous awards including the 1985 AIGA Medal and is in the Art Directors Hall of Fame.

Graphic image with two sections of small text on the left and on the right: a drawing of an individual in blue and yellow tones with a small black and white photograph of a person’s face. — Seymour Chwast, *Push Pin Graphic* #54, The South. Juxtaposing southern imagery, haunting song lyrics, and photographs of slain civil rights leaders, The South stands as a powerful political statement (1969). Photo: Courtesy of Seymour Chwast

A poster featuring a diagram of a gun on a grey background. — Seymour Chwast, *The Nose* #20, Crime Today. The Nose was an occasional journal published by The Pushpin Group and sent to friends in communications and the media. It is committed to presenting some challenging and thoughtful content along with not a small amount of trivia. While presenting design and illustration by Seymour Chwast, it is also a demonstration of fine printing and paper (2009). Photo: Courtesy of Seymour Chwast

An illustrated image of a man looking into a mirror and shaving while wearing a gas mask; bold text reads “A CLOUDY MORNING, EARTH DAY ’95.” — Seymour Chwast, Earth Day 95. An Earth Day poster with a more graphic image, suggesting an uncomfortable future (1995). Photo: Courtesy of Seymour Chwast

Children’s book cover with big block letters “ARNO AND THE MINI-MACHINE” with small illustrations on top, and a lime green background. — Seymour Chwast, *Arno and the Mini-Machine*, Seven Stories Press. A children’s tale of Arno overcoming the future where electronics overtake nature (New York, New York, 2019). Photo: Courtesy of Seymour Chwast

An illustration of a person with a green face and American flag clothing and top hat, mouth open revealing small plane and house icons, with radiating blue and white stripes. — Seymour Chwast, End Bad Breath. The Vietnam War and his personal convictions were the inspiration for a series of posters (1968). Photo: Courtesy of Seymour Chwast

Large red and blue colored text reading “DESIGN & STYLE-7 BAUHAUS 1919-1933” on a black background. — Seymour Chwast, *Design & Style* #7, Bauhaus. One of seven editions exploring Victorian to Bauhaus. It was a twice-yearly survey of historic design style and typography and its influence on contemporary graphic design (1991). Photo: Courtesy of Seymour Chwast

Large black text reading “HELL,” with smaller text “The People and Places,” centered with red-orange background and white illustrated figures scattered. — Seymour Chwast, *Hell, The People and Places*, Princeton Architectural Press. A descent into discovering different versions of hell and its realms of torture around the world across literature, religions, culture, and folklore, illustrated and accompanied by writing on the origins and details of each hell (Ed. Seymour Chwast and Steven Heller, Princeton, New Jersey, 2022). Photo: Courtesy of Seymour Chwast

Vertical poster filled with illustrations of various people and small text boxes pointing to certain individuals, with text “KNOW THE SIGNS OF DEPRESSION” in the upper lefthand corner. — Seymour Chwast, Signs of Depression. This poster is part of a series of posters, booklets, a game, and web material created over the past 25 years pro-bono for the non-profit Learning about Diabetes, directed to low-literacy diabetes patients, printed in English and Spanish (2006). Photo: Courtesy of Seymour Chwast

Dynamic text in white, green, orange, and blue reading “GRAPHIC STYLE 4th EDITION” on a black background. — Seymour Chwast, *Graphic Style*, Abrams. Originally published in 1988, Steven Heller and Seymour Chwast recently produced a fourth edition. It is a visual history of style and has become required reading in graphic design classes (Ed. Seymour Chwast and Steven Heller, New York, New York, 2018). Photo: Courtesy of Seymour Chwast

Book cover of black-and-white illustration of person in war helmet with pained screaming face on yellow background. — Seymour Chwast, *At War with War: 5000 Years of Conquests, Invasions, and Terrorist Attacks*. Thirty-five wars since 3300 BCE illustrated with drawings and woodcuts (2016). Publisher: First edition self-published through Kickstarter; second edition published by Seven Stories Press (New York, New York, 2017). Photo: Courtesy of Seymour Chwast

Biocement Tiles by Biomason

Climate Action

Biomason acting CEO, Bert Bruggeman. Photo: Courtesy of Biomason

Founded in 2012, Biomason’s mission is to reduce CO2 emissions generated by global cement manufacturing, which accounts for approximately 8% of global CO2 emissions. Inspired by a study of coral structure, a very hard cementitious material created by nature in ambient sea temperatures with low energy and material inputs, Biomason has developed a scalable and sustainable biological approach to the production of cement and concrete materials. Over the past decade, Biomason has harnessed biology to develop technology using microorganisms to grow strong, durable Biocement®-based construction materials to lead the global transition to planet-friendly construction. Biomason’s current product, the Biolith® tile consists of 85% natural locally-sourced aggregates and 15% Biocement and can be used in various construction applications, including walls, floors, and facades. Biomason has partnered with Danish concrete manufacturer IBF to open the world’s first Biocement manufacturing facility to commercially produce Biolith tile in 2023. This is the first step toward Biomason’s revolutionary path to minimize carbon emissions.

Photograph of vertically stacked rectangular tiles on platforms in factory setting. — Factory production of Biolith tiles at a Biomason factory (Durham, North Carolina, 2021). Photo: Courtesy of Biomason

Photograph of horizontal grey rectangular tiles. — Floor installation of Biolith tiles at Biomason’s office (Durham, North Carolina, 2020). Photo: Courtesy of Biomason

Photograph of grey rectangular tiles, with a central diagonal line dividing vertical tiles on the left and horizontal tiles on the right. — Floor installation of Biolith tiles at Biomason’s office (Durham, North Carolina, 2020). Photo: Courtesy of Biomason

Rectangular tiles, of various grey hues, line a wall behind a blurry off-white hanging lamp. — Wall installation of Biolith tiles at The Exploded View Beyond Building during Dutch Design Week, highlighting one of the many vertical applications for this product (Eindhoven, Netherlands, 2021). Photo: Courtesy of Biomason

A microscopic image of large green-colored conjoining spheres partially covered with grey outer lining. — SEM of Biocement, scanning electron microscopy image showing calcification and binding of particles, resulting in a strong cementitious material (2012). Photo: Courtesy of Biomason

Two rectangular tiles lay diagonally on sand casting long shadows. — Biolith Tiles (Outer Banks, North Carolina, 2020). Photo: Courtesy of Biomason

Uniform long rectangular grey tiles with grey mortar. — Installation of a wall panel made of Biolith tile at Biomason’s office (Durham, North Carolina, 2020). Photo: Courtesy of Biomason

A single rectangular dark brown brick sprinkled with different stone flecks throughout. — The current commercially produced Biolith tile (2022). Photo: Courtesy of Biomason

Beatriz Lozano

Emerging Designer

Beatriz Lozano. Photo: Virginia Lozano

Beatriz Lozano is a designer, typographer, and educator exploring how technology can push typography to exist at the intersection of the physical and digital world. Originally on the path to becoming a mechanical engineer, Lozano shifted to graphic design as her involvement in immigrant rights activism exposed her to the power of visual communication. She is dedicated to using design to create social change and bridge the gap in access to resources and knowledge. Lozano’s work has been recognized by the Art Directors Club, Type Directors Club, Communication Arts, and PRINT. In 2023, she was awarded the Art Directors Club Young Gun Award, which recognizes the world’s best creatives under the age of 30. She teaches interaction design at Parsons and was formerly a design director at Sunday Afternoon.

Large white text reading “TEOTIHUACÁN” repeated and reducing thickness as it nears the bottom on a bright orange background. — Beatriz Lozano, Ancho, showcasing how the variable font goes from ultrabold to thin (2020). Photo: Courtesy of Beatriz Lozano

A person holds a sheet of paper with pastel-colored words covering the page, which seemingly appear to leave the page and hover over it. — Beatriz Lozano, Aguas, showing the augmented reality risograph print component, where the letterforms rise from the paper and animate in space (2021). Photo: Courtesy of Beatriz Lozano

Three photographs including posters, billboards, and t-shirts all including text reading “FIFTY50.” — Beatriz Lozano, Fifty/50 identity in use across posters, apparel, and out-of-home billboards (2022). Project Partners: ESPN, Sunday Afternoon. Photo: Courtesy of Beatriz Lozano

A combination of small black and white portraits surrounded with graphic typology in navy, pink, yellow, and red. — Beatriz Lozano, Hyperspace identity in use across posters, patterns, and website (2022). Project Partner: Sunday Afternoon. Photo: Courtesy of Beatriz Lozano

Two phone photograph screencaptures of letters and symbols seemingly rising out of and above newspaper pages. — Beatriz Lozano, Canal, image recognition augmented reality front and back covers for *Canal* magazine (2022). Project Partner: Sunday Afternoon. Photo: Courtesy of Beatriz Lozano

A close-up image of a laptop and hands on the keyboard, with purple and yellow graphic typology on the screen. — Beatriz Lozano, Java Sans, a web-based interactive brush typeface based on the proportions of Futura (2021). Photo: Courtesy of Beatriz Lozano

Beatriz Lozano, Logo and branding for One Michigan, an immigrant-led grassroots organization, inspired by the journey of immigration as well as by the serpent, which carries symbolic meanings of dualism, transformation, and honor in cultures all around the world (2021). Photo: Courtesy of Beatriz Lozano

A repeating checkerboard of images combining photographs, text, and graphic design. — Beatriz Lozano, Tide Film Festival identity, featuring a custom based wordmark and typographic motion system (2022). Project Partner: Sunday Afternoon. Photo: Courtesy of Beatriz Lozano

Beatriz Lozano, Yahoo Women’s History Month logo, inspired by the patents and sketches of early inventors including Sarah Boone, Mary Anderson, and Hedy Lamarr (2023). Photo: Courtesy of Beatriz Lozano

Beatriz Lozano, The One Club’s Creative Week identity, fusing typography, creative coding, and branding to create a dynamic identity system (2022–2023). Project Partner: Sunday Afternoon. Photo: Courtesy of Beatriz Lozano

nARCHITECTS

Architecture

Eric Bunge and Mimi Hoang. Photo: Brian Shumway

nARCHITECTS was founded by Eric Bunge and Mimi Hoang in 1999, with the goal of addressing urgent issues through socially engaging architecture. The firm works for the public good, maximizing the mutual positive impact between communities, buildings, public spaces, and their environment. In 2016, nARCHITECTS completed Carmel Place, New York City’s first micro-unit apartment building, and A/D/O, a design center dedicated to improving urban life. In 2018, the NYS Equal Rights Heritage Center provided a platform for social justice. In 2020, The Jones Beach Energy & Nature Center opened, educating a new generation of environmental stewards. nARCHITECTS’ commitment to innovative housing and the integration of architecture into landscape emerged from Bunge and Hoang’s early work (Canopy and Switch Building) and graduate design studios taught at Columbia and Yale University.

An aerial photograph of a long rectangular building surrounded by grass in the foreground and grassy and sandy beach and water in the background. — nARCHITECTS, Jones Beach Energy and Nature Center, fostering a deep understanding of how nature and energy are interrelated, and inspiring a new generation of environmental stewards (Jones Beach State Park, Wantagh, New York, 2020). Client: New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Landscape: Starr Whitehouse. Photo: Michael Moran

An aerial photograph of a square wooden building surrounded by luscious green forest. — nARCHITECTS, CLT House emerges from a clearing in a forest, 200 feet away from the shoreline of a beautiful lake. Entirely constructed with cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels milled in a factory, and prefabricated concrete foundations, the building’s volume was quickly assembled on-site (Clinton, New York, 2023). Client: Private Client. Photo: Frank Oudeman

A home with a triangular roof, a light wooden exterior, and several large square windows sits within trees with leaves on the ground. — nARCHITECTS, House Between Forest and Field is inspired by its immediate site: the anatomy of the forest and the space of the fields (Dutchess County, New York, 2022). Client: Private Client. Photo: Michael Moran

An aerial image at dusk of a brown angled building surrounded by other town buildings, all with a covering of snow. — nARCHITECTS, NYS Equal Rights Heritage Center celebrates the region’s pivotal role in the civil rights, women’s suffrage, and LGBTQ movements. The Center creates meaningful connections between past and present events and voices, guiding visitors virtually and physically through its historic and social contexts (Auburn, New York, 2018). Client: City of Auburn. Photo: James Ewing

The corner of a brick building decorated with colorful graffiti with dramatic grey clouds above. — nARCHITECTS, A/D/O was commissioned by MINI/BMW as an incubator for design innovation and entrepreneurship, centered on issues of urban livability and mobility. Inspired by the client’s aspiration to actively encourage the cross-pollination of ideas, the design was guided by the principle of re-mixing (Brooklyn, New York, 2016). Client: A/D/O–MINI/BMW. Photo: Frank Oudeman

A rendering featuring a city street with a uniquely curved off-white building in the middle-right; the street has a light covering of snow. — nARCHITECTS, Chicago Come Home is an invited proposal that continues the city’s work of re-activating commercial corridors by enhancing the space between home and street: a Middle Ground (Chicago, Illinois, 2023). Client: City of Chicago. Photo: Courtesy of nARCHITECTS

A photograph of a car-lined street with a vertically rectangular building of decreasing heights featured at center, in grey-scale hues; tree branches are in the foreground on both sides. — nARCHITECTS, Carmel Place was built as part of NYC’s New Housing Marketplace Plan, which launched the adAPT NYC competition to address the city’s shift in demographics toward small households (New York, New York, 2016). Client: NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development / Monadnock Development. Photo: Iwan Baan

An upward view of a building at nightfall; the building features unique windows that extend outward. — nARCHITECTS, Switch Building is a seven-story apartment and art gallery building at 109 Norfolk Street. A now familiar sight in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, Switch balances its iconic presence with strong connections to local context (New York, New York, 2006). Client: 109 Norfolk, LLC. Photo: Frank Oudeman

An aerial view of a waterside park, with boats on the water to the right and people walking on a sidewalk amongst grassy sections to the left. — nARCHITECTS, Chicago Navy Pier, reactivating the public realm as a vibrant social and recreational space from the previously commercialized environment (Chicago, Illinois, 2016). Client: Navy Pier Inc. Design Lead/Landscape Architecture: James Corner Field Operations. Photo: Iwan Baan, Sahar Coston-Hardy

A photograph looking downward on many people gathered under a large golden yellow wire structure. — nARCHITECTS, Canopy, a temporary structure built with green bamboo in MoMA PS1’s courtyard that served as an art and music venue and education programming space (Queens, New York, 2004). Client: MoMA PS1. Photo Credit: Frank Oudeman

Arem Duplessis

Communication Design

Arem Duplessis. Photo: Nic Bloise

Arem Duplessis is a creative director who has led and designed visual narratives that have positive global impact, currently serving as a group creative director at Apple. Previously, Duplessis was design director of the New York Times Magazine, where his department was named Design Team of the Year for three consecutive years by the Art Directors Club. During his tenure at GQ he commissioned the Gotham typeface, which went on to become one of the most recognizable typefaces of a generation. He has received numerous awards, including an Emmy and AIGA Medal. He lectures around the world and has taught within Pratt Institute’s Graduate Design Department, SVA, and The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. Duplessis received a BA from Hampton University and an MS from Pratt Institute where he was recently inducted into the Hall of Fame as a “Pratt Legend.”

A square polaroid style image of two individuals, both with faces hidden, with text in the lower margin reading “by Zerb Mellish. Wylie Shot on iPhone.” — Arem Duplessis, Shot on iPhone Campaign, Apple Inc. Thirty-two black photographers were commissioned in 18 cities and towns across the United States to document their communities through their own unique lens, using an iPhone 12 Pro (Dallas, Texas, 2021). Photo: Zerb Mellish

An image of a New York Times Magazine cover with the title “The College Issue” at center; many colorful torn papers cover the image. — Arem Duplessis, “The College Issue” Cover, *The New York Times Magazine*. The idea behind the cover design was a dorm room bulletin board at the end of a college semester (New York, New York, 2007). Project partners: Gerry Marzorati (editor); Kathy Ryan (director of photography); Megan Caponetto (prop stylist). Photo: Tom Schierlitz

Surrounded by a grey border, a black and white image of a man and woman looking to camera; the woman’s arm is bare and is decorated with colorful line illustrations. — Arem Duplessis, Cover Portrait of *Avatar* leads Sam Worthington and Zoë Saldaña, *The New York Times Magazine* (New York, New York, 2010). Project partners: Gerry Marzorati (editor); Arem Duplessis (designer); Kathy Ryan (director of photography). Photo: Inez & Vinoodh

A bright yellow New York Times Magazine cover with large centered text reading “WHO MADE THAT?” with surrounding small text blurbs. — Arem Duplessis, Annotated cover design entitled “Who Made That,” *The New York Times Magazine* (New York, New York, 2013). Project partners: Hugo Lindgren (editor); Arem Duplessis (design director); Kathy Ryan (director of photography); Gail Bichler (art director); Caleb Bennett (deputy assistant director). Photo: Finlay MacKay

A New York Times Magazine cover image featuring Jerry Seinfeld with an exaggerated frown, on a light blue background. — Arem Duplessis, Cover Portrait of Jerry Seinfeld, *The New York Times Magazine* (New York, New York, 2012). Project partners: Hugo Lindgren (editor); Arem Duplessis (design director); Kathy Ryan (director of photography); Gail Bichler (art director); Caleb Bennett (deputy assistant director). Photo: Finlay MacKay

An open book pictured below an image of the book cover; in bold text across the spread, the text on the open book reads “OUT OF MIND.” — Arem Duplessis, *Out of Mind* book design (New York, New York, 2003). Photo: Sean Mortensen

A New York Times Magazine cover with pink and black spiral leading to the outline of a person at the center. — Arem Duplessis, Cover fiction by Dave Eggers, *The New York Times Magazine* (New York, New York, 2013). Project partners: Hugo Lindgren (editor); Arem Duplessis (design director); Gail Bichler (art director); Caleb Bennett (deputy assistant director); Christoph Niemann (illustration). Photo: Courtesy of Arem Duplessis

A New York Times Magazine cover featuring an image of a person facing a large blackboard covered in white chalk drawings, hand extended high writing something. — Arem Duplessis, Annual Ideas Issue, *The New York Times Magazine* (New York, New York, 2004). Project partners: Gerry Marzorati (editor); Arem Duplessis (design director); Kathy Ryan (director of photography); Kristina DiMatteo (designer); Nicholas Blechman, Christoph Niemann, Brian Rea (cover illustration). Photo: Zachary Scott

A muted blue-green magazine cover with an image of a housekey created by a combination of many black text boxes with white text. — Arem Duplessis, *The New York Times Magazine* / Key (New York, New York, 2007). Project partners: Gerry Marzorati (editor); Arem Duplessis (design director, designer); Dirk Barnett (art director, designer); Carin Goldberg (illustration). Photo: Courtesy of Arem Duplessis

A bright yellow New York Times Magazine cover with the depiction of a large lightbulb, in which the bulb shape is honey and the wire stem is a honey dipper stick. — Arem Duplessis, Annual Ideas Issue, *The New York Times Magazine* (New York, New York, 2006). Project partners: Gerry Marzorati (editor); Arem Duplessis (design director); Gail Bichler (art director, designer). Photo: Horacio Salinas

Clement Mok

Digital Design

Clement Mok. Photo: Jeff Singer

Clement Mok is a designer, digital pioneer, software publisher and developer, author, and design patent holder. He began his career in the 1980s at the design department at CBS, then moved to Apple, where he joined the Macintosh design team as a designer working with Steve Jobs. As creative director at Apple, he made computers friendlier and more accessible. Since then, he founded multiple successful design-related businesses, including Studio Archetype, CMCD, and NetObjects. A pioneer in designing in digital media, Mok helped shape what we know of today as experience design, information design, interaction design, interface design, and more. His contributions have been recognized by publications and many awards, including the 2008 AIGA Medal. Mok is also an advocate for design and technology practices. He mentors startups and serves on the advisory boards of technology companies, colleges, and nonprofit organizations.

Two screengrabs of dated computer text and format; the top left header on the left screengrab reads “Learning MacPaint.” — Clement Mok, MacPaint 1984, Teaching People to Draw on a Computer. MacPaint was a designer’s first on-ramp to personal computing. Apple Creative Service (1984). Project partners: Clement Mok (art director, designer); Susan Kare (art director, designer). Photo: Courtesy of Clement Mok

Text of an article with the header “Introducing HyperCard: Freedom to Associate” with an old computer desktop and keyboard on the right side. — Clement Mok, Apple HyperCard Launch, the first product that made use of and popularized the hypertext concept in everyday computer users (1987). Project partners: Clement Mok (creative director, designer); Hugh Dubberly (creative director); Steve Sieler (designer); Linda Bradford (writer). Photo: Courtesy of Clement Mok

An old computer screen featuring several desktop windows with unique imagery. — Clement Mok, 92-QuickTime, launch of video clip library for Apple’s QuickTime (1992). Project partners: Clement Mok (creative director); Doris Mitsch (designer, writer). Photo: Courtesy of Clement Mok

Eight CDs are at center in a circular format; the CDs have text and icons on them, and the background has the same various icons. — Clement Mok, CMCD Visual Symbols Library, the first royalty-free stock photo library (1993). Project partners: Clement Mok (founder, publisher, creative director, designer); Ann Burgraff (product manager); Carri O’Neil (product manager). Photo: Courtesy of Clement Mok

A black desk chair is pictured with colored text to its left, in the background is very small repeating images of the black chair. — Clement Mok, Herman Miller’s Aeron Chair and Technology Demo, a computer-based presentation focusing on what the user needs to consider when selecting a chair (1994). Project partners: Clement Mok (creative director), Claire Barry (creative director, designer); Paul Meiselman (designer); Sheryl Hampton (designer). Photo: Courtesy of Clement Mok

Two screengrabs of dated computer window screens. — Clement Mok, NetObjects Fusion, the first cross-platform WYSIWYG web authoring software application (1996). Project partners: Clement Mok (founder, chief creative officer); product design version 1.0: Samir Arora, David Kleinberg, Clement Mok, Sal Arora, Vic Zaud and a team of over 50. Photo: Courtesy of Clement Mok

A screengrab of a dated computer window with grey and light blue features. — Clement Mok, Studio Archetype, interactive agency of record for IBM.com and UPS.com (1997). Project partners: Clement Mok (Studio Archetype, LLC founder, chief creative officer); Mark Crumpacker (CEO); John Grotting, Sam Tripodi, Grant Peterson (creative directors); Bob Skubic and Matt Carlson (art directors), and a team of designers, production, and asset managers; Judith Hoogenboom and Donald Chesnut (project integrators), and a team of html and Java specialists. Photo: Courtesy of Clement Mok

A book cover image featuring a photo looking upward at city buildings with a blue sky, the title reads “Designing Business: Multiple Media, Multiple Disciplines.” — Clement Mok, *Designing Business*, the impact of digital tech on design, Adobe Press. Studio Archetype, LLC. Project partners: Clement Mok (author, designer); EM Ginger (editor); Chuck Adsit and Michael Conti (production). Photo: Courtesy of Clement Mok

iPads and iPhone pictured with “Critteroos” on their screens and photoshopped images of wild animals. — Clement Mok, Critteroos, children’s iPad App, visual symbols library (2013). Photo: Courtesy of Clement Mok

A restaurant bar is shown, with a light wood tabletop and stools, with black accents. — Clement Mok, Sugarfish, a reinvented sushi dining experience with a curated menu, Sushi Nozawa Group. KazuNori: The Original Hand Roll Bar (2008). Project partners: Clement Mok (service design and creative direction); Chef Nozawa & Jerry Greenberg (concept); Jerry Greenberg, Tom Nozawa, Clement Mok, Lele Massimini and Cameron Broumand (design and development of the dining experience). Photo: Courtesy of Sushi Nozawa Group

Naeem Khan

Fashion Design

Naeem Khan. Photo: Courtesy of Naeem Khan

Naeem Khan is a fashion designer who launched his eponymous collection in 2003. He was born and raised in India surrounded by the beauty of its culture, architecture, history, and design. These influences helped cultivate his vast knowledge of textiles. Khan is known for the exquisite hand-embroidery in his work, crafted by artisans in his family-owned factory founded by his grandfather decades ago. As a teenager, Khan moved to the United States and apprenticed for Halston, where he absorbed the ethos of modernism, and the secrets of draping and cutting fabric to create clean, elegant, and timeless silhouettes. Today, his focus is to create clothing that embodies beauty, glamour, and femininity while purposefully evolving his vision in the world of fashion. A key element to Khan’s work is keeping the tradition and craft of making clothes by hand.

A person wears a pink, yellow, and blue bodysuit while walking on sand along a beach. — Naeem Khan, Look from Resort 2024 Collection (New York, New York, 2023). Photo: Courtesy of Naeem Khan

A person stands with their arms resting on their head, wearing an all-white dress with beading on the torso and thin feathers on the arms and bottom of the dress; a city skyline is in the background. — Naeem Khan, Look from Spring Bridal 2024 Collection (New York, New York, 2023). Photo: Courtesy of Naeem Khan

A model on a runway wears a royal blue one-shoulder floor-length dress with a feathered cape of the same color. — Naeem Khan, Look from Fall 2023 Collection (New York, New York, 2023). Photo: Courtesy of Naeem Khan

A model on a runway wears a shiny gold detailed one piece fitted outfit, with a flowing gold cape and long gold beaded gloves. — Naeem Khan, Look from Fall 2023 Collection (New York, New York, 2023). Photo: Courtesy of Naeem Khan

An individual wearing dress covered with red dangling beads while their hands are on their hips. — Naeem Khan, Look from Fall 2022 Collection (New York, New York, 2022). Photo: Courtesy of Naeem Khan

A model looks down at the camera; she wears a long-sleeve floor length dress with intricate cut-out details in black, blue, and aqua colors. — Naeem Khan, Look from Spring 2021 Collection (New York, New York, 2020). Photo: Courtesy of Naeem Khan

An individual wears a long sleeve floor length white dress that is semi-sheer and has intricate details; they stand in front of dramatic curved architecture. — Naeem Khan, Look from Fall Bridal 2019 Collection (New York, New York, 2018). Photo: Courtesy of Naeem Khan

A runway model wears black trousers and a blazer, both detailed with vertical-lined silver beading. — Naeem Khan, Look from Fall 2017 Collection (New York, New York, 2017). Photo: Courtesy of Naeem Khan

A runway model wears a black and gold dress with a large skirt and bright gold flowery headdress. — Naeem Khan, Look from Fall 2017 Collection (New York, New York, 2017). Photo: Courtesy of Naeem Khan

A runway model wears a bright yellow frilly dress. — Naeem Khan, Look from Spring 2017 Collection (New York, New York, 2016). Photo: Courtesy of Naeem Khan

The Archers

Interior Design

Richard Petit. Photo: Alex Polillo
Stephen Hunt. Photo: Alex Polillo

Founded by Richard Petit and Stephen Hunt, The Archers is a Los Angeles-based interior design studio with projects in New York and California. The studio is driven by the simple belief that every space deserves to be the only one of its kind. With designers’ backgrounds spanning architecture, art history, set design, fashion, and the fine arts, they apply their varied skill sets on each project from idea to completion. Named after the British filmmakers Powell and Pressburger’s production company, the studio has built a reputation for impeccable design work rooted in their collective knowledge of design history, detailing, and craftsmanship. Working with creative director Richard Petit, the team’s combined knowledge and varied areas of interest result in a very collaborative approach to design. The studio’s work comprises buildings, interiors, and furnishings for private homes and public spaces.

An interior featuring two vertical bookshelves, in the center is a desk with a yellow plush chair facing a window. — The Archers, Hammer Museum Bookstore. With an expanded footprint and completely new design, the Hammer Store is situated against two banks of windows within the historic high-rise facade designed by Claud Beelman, bringing natural light into the formerly windowless space (Los Angeles, California, 2022). Photo: Eric Petschek

A conference room interior with long tables topped with a glass surface, surrounded by chairs; long beige curtains are the backdrop. — The Archers, Artek + Heath, Vitra Showroom Pop-Up. This collection of Finnish-American furniture was crafted in creative union by two iconic designer-makers. The installation imagines a fictive meeting between Edith Heath and Alvar Aalto during a period of their creative primacy (New York, New York, 2018). Photo: Eric Petschek

A living room showing a couch, sitting chair, and a corner of a dining room table, with large windows looking out onto a distant cityscape. — The Archers, Cabin in the Sky. This 400 square foot unit perched above a garage was originally slated for demolition. Due to the complexities and mounting costs of new construction on such a steep hillside lot, the decision was made to cosmetically remodel the existing 1954 structure (Hollywood Hills, California, 2022). Photo: Richard Petit

A sitting room with black and grey couches and seats, with a lit fireplace, surrounded by some green decorative plants. — The Archers, Hôtel Brentwood. For our fifth project with this client, with clear understanding of the young couple’s lifestyle and adventurous tastes, there was the ability to establish the project’s broad strokes rather quickly, along with the luxury to experiment with the details (Brentwood, California, 2021). Photo: Richard Petit

A view down a long interior hallway, with scattered stone tiles on the ground and a red table holding a vase in the back right corner. — The Archers, Island Home. This 10,000 square foot floor-through family apartment is The Archers’ most detailed and luxurious project to date, heavily inspired by 20th century “architects of pleasure,” Carlo Mollino, Maurice Lapidus, and Philippe Starck. (Miami, Florida, 2023–present). Renderings: The Archers

A bright yellow spiral staircase with a modern style black chair with yellow and lime green accents on the right. — The Archers, Hill House IV. For the second project with a cinematographer and his producer wife, The Archers incorporated many of the furnishings that were used in their previous residence nearly a decade ago (Los Angeles, California, 2017). Photo: Richard Petit

The interior of a home in wood and brown tones, with a long hallway down the center, a counter to the left, and a reclined chair to the right. — The Archers, Hill House V. A compact two-story hillside mid-century house received an extensive and thoughtful remodel. A luxe materials palette elevates the house without obliterating its eccentricities, while all new systems and conveniences bring the house into the 21st century (Los Angeles, California, 2018). Photo: Richard Petit

A modern interior of a salon with dark wood chairs and black standing hair dryers in front of a large mirror. — The Archers, Salon. Beginning as an undistinguished Mediterranean bungalow, this Beverly Hills property and small lot were re-zoned for commercial use and gut-renovated to accommodate a fifteen-station beauty salon (Los Angeles, California, 2016). Photo: Richard Petit

A brown detailed dresser sits below a large mirror, behind is an elaborate wallpaper with white flowers and green leaves. — The Archers, Thirty-Third Floor Apartment. In an apartment for an accessories designer in Robert A.M. Stern’s 15 Central Park West, cues were taken from the architecture, designed as a modern complement to the historic 1920s towers of the neighborhood (New York, New York, 2013). Photo: Richard Petit

A large rectangular dining room table sits on the foreground in a wide interior under a complex hanging sculpture. — The Archers, San Francisco House. The brief for the interiors of a contemporary four story, 8,000 square foot, open plan house–part of a larger compound of structures on a hilltop in San Francisco–involved working closely with architect John Maniscalco to create an envelope that is sympathetic to the bold and maximalist tastes of the clients (San Francisco, California, 2022). Photo: Sam Frost

Kongjian Yu

Landscape Architecture

Kongjian Yu. Photo: Courtesy of Kongjian Yu

Kongjian Yu is a globally recognized leader in ecological landscape planning and design. A farmer’s son, he was trained at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. He is the founder of the Peking University College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. Yu is also founder and principal designer of Turenscape. His multi-disciplinary firm specializes in the development of landscapes that combat flooding while repairing ecological damage. Several of Yu’s core ideas for nature-based climate adaptations, including the sponge city concept, have been implemented nationwide in China. Yu is a fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects and member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He lectures widely, and has received numerous awards, including the Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe Award in 2020 from the International Federation of Landscape Architects.

People walk on a sidewalk along water amongst abundant greenery and city buildings in the background. — Kongjian Yu, Zhonshan Shipyard Park. Built on a former shipyard site, the project reflects the remarkable 50-year history of socialist China, including the Cultural Revolution. The challenging setting included fluctuating water levels, remnant rusted docks and machinery, and concerns about balancing flood control with protection of native trees. Its design supports use by the common people, as well as the environmental ethic that “weeds can be beautiful” (Zhongshan City Government, China, 2001). Photo: Kongjian Yu

An aerial view of a park with a curvy red line, following the path of the sidewalk, running diagonally across the image. — Kongjian Yu, The Red Ribbon. Set against a background of natural terrain and vegetation, a red ribbon spans 500 meters and integrates the functions of lighting, seating, environmental interpretation, and orientation. While preserving as much of the natural river corridor as possible in the face of urbanization, this project demonstrates how a minimal design solution can achieve a dramatic improvement to the landscape (Qinhuangdao City, China, 2006). Photo: Kongjian Yu

An aerial view of perpendicular white sidewalks with luscious green grass and plants in between; tall skinny trees line the most central sidewalk. — Kongjian Yu, Shenyang Jianzhu University Campus. The project utilizes rice paddies to define the structure for the campus landscape, as well as introducing a productive landscape in the urban environment. It is a demonstration of a method to deal with the tension between urban development and food production in today’s developing world. It is designed to raise awareness of land and farming amongst college students who are leaving the land to become city dwellers (Shengyang City, China, 2004). Photo: Kongjian Yu)

A river lies in the middle of lush greenery and an elevated path on the right, with city buildings in the background. — Kongjian Yu, Shanghai Houtan Park. Built on a brownfield of a former industrial site, Houtan Park is a regenerative living landscape on Shanghai’s Huangpu riverfront. The park’s constructed wetland, ecological flood control, reclaimed industrial structures and materials, and urban agriculture are integral components of an overall restorative design strategy to treat polluted river water and recover the degraded waterfront in an aesthetically pleasing way (Shanghai, China, 2010). Photo: Kongjian Yu

An aerial view of a triangular park surrounded by a brown river with a city skyline and mountains in the background and a red and yellow walkway running horizontally. — Kongjian Yu, Yanweizhou Park. The Yanweizhou project “makes friends” with flooding by creating a water-resilient terraced river embankment that is covered with flood adapted native vegetation. The terraced embankment was built by removing the concrete floodwall and through a cut-and-fill strategy that balances the earthwork on-site, creating a flood resilient zone that allows people to enjoy the lush grasses adaptive to the floods (Jinhua City, China, 2014). Photo: Turenscape

A bird’s-eye view of a V-shaped white pathway surrounded by bright orange and yellow trees. — Kongjian Yu, Fish Tail Park–A Floating Forest. Built at an extremely modest budget of 4 US dollars per square foot, the heavily polluted urban dumping ground and fish farm has been transformed into an urban oasis that regulates storm water, provides habitat for birds and other wildlife, and has quickly become one of the most-visited urban parks in the entire city. It offers a replicable model of designed urban nature for regions with monsoon or variable climates that can address the multiple challenges of floods, habitat restoration, and recreational demands (Nanchang City, China, 2021). Photo: Turenscape)

An aerial view of a body of water at the edge of a city, with abundant greenery. — Kongjian Yu, Sanya Mangrove Park. Restoring mangroves along coastal shorelines is a critical strategy for mitigating climate-change-driven urban flood risk in tropical cities. One of the key challenges is to find an efficient and inexpensive method to do so. In just three years, an area of lifeless landfill within a concrete flood wall was successfully restored into a lush mangrove park where ocean tides and fresh water meet (Sanya City, China, 2015). Photo: Kongjian Yu

A grey geometric pathway is surrounded by green grass; in the center a portion of the pathway is elevated. — Kongjian Yu, Qunli Stormwater Park. This project demonstrates that a stormwater park can act as a green sponge, cleansing and storing urban stormwater, and also can be integrated with other ecosystem services including the restoration of native habitats, aquifer recharge, recreational use, and aesthetic experience, in all these ways fostering urban development (Harbin City, China, 2011). Photo: Kongjian Yu

Children line up behind an adult on a paneled walkway with bright red seat and sculptural accents. — Kongjian Yu, Qian’an Sanlihe Greenway–A Mother River Recovered. The Qian’an Sanlihe Greenway is transformed from the former garbage dump and sewage drainage space. It exemplifies how a neglected landscape can be recovered as a green infrastructure and everyday landscape with restored ecosystem providing multiple services. The combined pedestrian and cycle paths for both commuting and recreational use are integrated with art, revitalizing social identity by reflecting local traditions. Through the generation of ecological and aesthetic benefits, the project catalyzes sustainable urban development in the region (Qian’an City, China, 2011). Photo: Kongjian Yu

A map of China with differing densities and values of green are depicted across the nation. — Kongjian Yu, National Ecological Security Pattern Plan. This plan identifies critical strategic landscape structures for safeguarding natural, biological, cultural, and recreational processes, thus securing a wide range of ecosystems services essential for sustaining human society (China, 2007). Photo: Courtesy of Kongjian Yu

Atlason

Product Design

Hlynur V. Atlason. Photo: IOULEX

Atlason is a New York-based strategic innovation and industrial design studio founded by Hlynur Vagn Atlason in 2004. The foundational idea behind the studio was a lofty goal—to create design icons of the future. At the center of Atlason’s approach is curiosity, a deep love for well-designed objects, and the desire to keep improving our constructed world. The studio designs consumer products, furniture, and packaging for companies that range from startups to large multinationals. Clients include the Museum of Modern Art, IKEA, DWR, Heller, Our Place, Microsoft, Stella Artois, Johnson & Johnson, and L’Oreal. Atlason left his native Iceland for France to study at the Sorbonne in Paris before moving to New York to attend The New School, Parsons School of Design, before starting his eponymous studio.

A modern recliner chair with soft round features, all dark grey with a black base. — Atlason, Recliner for DWR, redesigning a gendered chair format for new user scenarios (2020). Photo: Courtesy of Atlason

A muted yellow plush armchair sits to the right of a standing lamp in front of horizontal window shades looking outside to terrain and blue sky. — Atlason, Upholstery collection for DWR, easy sit-to-stand for aging populations (2022). Photo: Courtesy of DWR

A peach-colored chair with curved features faces the right, casting a dark shadow to the left. — Atlason, Rotationally molded PCR – LDPE chair for Heller, cradle-to-cradle furniture (2023). Photo: Hlynur V. Atlason

A white wooden chair with brown cushions sits next to a wall of windows with long dark grey curtains. — Atlason, Timber furniture for L.Ercolani, versatile, sustainable timber furniture (2018). Photo: Christian Anderson

Two hands hold side handles of a dark brown wood cutting board just above a table surface. — Atlason, Wood cutting board for Our Place, multi-use wooden cutting board (2022). Photo: Courtesy of Our Place

A grey pot with a lid and a wooden spoon resting on the left handle. — Atlason, Versatile pot for Our Place, multi-use kitchen product (2022). Photo: Courtesy of Our Place

Atlason, Beer packaging for Stella Artois, advanced premium beer packaging using fewer materials via advanced manufacturing (2022). Photo: Courtesy of Atlason Studio

A modern muted brick-red curved armchair with green plants to the right. — Atlason, Swivel armchair for DWR, tailored upholstery collection (2018). Photo: Courtesy of DWR

A shaving razor facing downward, with a peach-colored handle above and the white razor touching a white surface. — Atlason, Women’s razor for Billie, simple razor, less rubber, more fun (2018). Photo: Courtesy of Billie

A rectangular stool covered with furry black fabric with four legs, at the bottom of which are silver animal hooves. — Atlason, Stool made from lamb, an examination of how animals become products (2005). Photo: Sabine Scheckel

Meet the Jury

The National Design Awards Jury met at Cooper Hewitt to select this year’s winners. From left to right: Carla Fernández Tena, Sara Zewde, Dung Ngo, Tiffany Chu, and Noah Schwarz.

National Design Award winners are selected by a multidisciplinary jury of design practitioners, educators, and leaders. Nominations are open to all and are also solicited from experts from a wide range of design and related fields. Jurors join from diverse locations to review submissions, resulting in a final selection of 10 category awardees.

Tiffany Chu

Tiffany Chu is the chief of staff to Mayor Michelle Wu. Chu comes from a background in design, urban planning, and entrepreneurship. Prior to joining the City of Boston, she was the CEO and co-founder of Remix, a collaborative software platform for transportation planning used by more than 500 cities around the world. Remix was named a World Economic Forum Tech Pioneer and a BloombergNEF Pioneer for furthering sustainability and equity in the field and was acquired by Via in one of the largest software acquisitions of 2021. Chu was appointed as commissioner of the San Francisco Department of the Environment and served on San Francisco’s Congestion Pricing Policy Advisory Committee. Previously, Chu was at Code for America, Y Combinator, Zipcar, and Continuum. She’s been named in Forbes 30 Under 30, LinkedIn’s Next Wave of Leaders Under 35, and featured at SXSW, Helsinki Design Week, the New York Times Cities for Tomorrow Conference, and more. Chu has a degree from MIT’s School of Architecture and Planning. Chu is a first generation Taiwanese American. A few of her favorite things about Boston include the Charles River Esplanade, eating seafood, and the city’s walkability.

Carla Fernández Tena

Carla Fernández Tena is a Mexican fashion designer who creates haute couture designs throughout Mexico. “Another fashion system is possible,” says Fernández. Her work preserves and celebrates centuries-old textile techniques belonging to Indigenous communities and other popular and urban collectives in Mexico. At an early age she traveled with her father, then the director of museums and exhibits of the National Institute of Anthropology and History. Through this she learned about Mexico’s diverse heritage and began collecting garments made by Indigenous and mestizo artisans. After studying art history and fashion design, Fernández turned her attention to traditional techniques of clothing construction in Mexico. Maintaining these techniques and imbuing them with innovation became the root of her practice. As she says, “To be original is to go back to the origin.” The fashion house that she heads together with her partner Cristina Rangel, collaborates in the design and production processes with artisans across Mexico by celebrating their living cultures, and by using the house’s global platform to promote social justice and fair trade.

Dung Ngo, Jury Chair

Dung Ngo has been an editorial director and creative director in print media for over 25 years. Trained as an architect, Ngo specializes in architectural, design, photography, and fashion publishing. He has worked as a consultant with designers, brands, and institutions such as Zaha Hadid, Tom Kundig, Louis Vuitton, Steven Meisel, and the University of California, Berkeley. Ngo has worked with major museums on exhibitions and publications, with past clients including the Louvre’s Musée des Art Décoratifs, the Guggenheim, MoCA, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In 2012 he initiated the imprint August Editions, a bespoke publishing house specializing in contemporary visual culture, and has published catalogs for exhibitions at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Cooper Hewitt. In 2017 he initiated August Journal, a biannual magazine on travel and design, with special issues on Tokyo, Copenhagen, Mexico City, among other cities. Ngo has authored several books on architecture and design, including the award-winning Bent Ply, a history of plywood furniture. He has taught and guest lectured at a number of universities and was an adjunct professor of architecture and design history at the California College of the Arts, San Francisco, from 1999 to 2005.

A man wearing a black turtleneck shirt and black pants sits on a plush white chair.

Noah Schwarz

Noah Schwarz is the director of product design at Herman Miller. He believes in the value of products designed to endure, while always seeking innovative approaches to solving problems. Schwarz previously served as the creative director of Design Within Reach where he shaped both the design aesthetic and product values of the brand and was instrumental in forming the DWR product development program, building a platform for a new generation of designers in North America. He enjoys staying engaged with student designers as a regular guest critic at institutions such as Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, the Savannah College of Art and Design, and Rhode Island School of Design. Schwarz is a lifelong design enthusiast, and a passionate ceramicist.

Sara Zewde

Sara Zewde is founding principal of Studio Zewde, a design firm in New York City practicing landscape architecture, urbanism, and public art. Named to Architectural Digest’s AD100 and an Emerging Voice by the Architectural League of New York, the firm is celebrated for its design methods that sync culture, ecology, and craft. In parallel with practice, Zewde serves as Assistant Professor of Practice at Harvard University Graduate School of Design and is currently writing a book on her research retracing Frederick Law Olmsted’s journeys through the Slave South. Zewde holds a master’s of landscape architecture from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, a master’s of city planning from MIT, and a BA in sociology and statistics from Boston University.

2023 Special Thanks

National Design Awards Partners

Shelby and Frederick Gans
Helen and Edward Hintz

National Design Awards Sponsors
Apple
Alexandra and Paul Herzan
Lisa Roberts and David Seltzer
Crystal and Chris Sacca

National Design Awards Patrons
Kimberly Schuessler
Richard M. Smith and Dr. Soon-Young Yoon
Jon C. Iwata
Agnes Gund
Scott Belsky
Champions Design
Heller Furniture
Bobby Martin
Thomas Robinson
Margaret Stewart

Design learning at Cooper Hewitt is made possible by eBay Inc., The Hirsch Family Foundation, The Milton and Sally Avery Arts Foundation, The Pinkerton Foundation, PwC Charitable Foundation, The Richard and Jean Coyne Family Foundation, with internal Smithsonian Institution funds from the Youth Access Grants for Youth Innovation in Rural America, and public funds from New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

National Design Awards trophies are created by The Corning Museum of Glass.