Designers of the Year Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a cost to enter Designers of the Year?

There is a $150 submission fee for each entry (plus PST and GST), payable upon submission of your entry form. The entry fee includes one ticket to our Designers of the Year Awards event on September 10, 2026, in Vancouver at Inform, as well as a year-long subscription to the print edition of Western Living.

The price will increase for deadline extensions, with a Late Entry Fee of $175 for April 2 to April 13 and a Really Late Entry Fee of $275 for April 14 to April 17.

What is the Designers of the Year judging criteria?

Each entrant will be judged according to the following criteria:

Awards and accolades: what makes this the year that the entrant should be celebrated (body of work, peer recognition, awards, high-profile  projects, media, national/international notice)

How innovative is the body of work (fresh, forward-thinking design, unique niche in the field or market, solves problems creatively)? Points will also be awarded for sustainable design.

How successful is the execution of the work (selection, quality, combination of materials, unique techniques and processes, technical proficiency)?

The work will also be evaluated by its functional merits, and for its poetic value/design aesthetic.

If I’ve entered before, may I enter the same projects again?

Yes, unless you have won a Designers of the Year award with those projects in a previous year. Previous winners may enter again, but must submit all new projects. Past winners of the Arthur Erickson award, Robert Ledingham award and “one to watch” categories may enter previously submitted works, provided at least one new project is included in the body of work.

How old can my projects be?

Of the three to five projects submitted, at least one project must have been completed within the last two years. Other projects can be up to eight years old. For our 2026 competition, all projects must have been completed by April 1, 2026.

Do my projects need to be located or manufactured in Western Canada?

Entrants must be residents of one of the four Western Canadian provinces (British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba). Projects can be located anywhere.

Can I enter commercial designs for the Architecture, Interior Design or Memorial Awards?

For Arthur Erickson and Robert Ledingham Memorial Awards, one commercial project can be entered, so long as the firm enters at least one other residential project. All other spatial design categories are for residential projects only.

What happened to the fashion category?

We will not be awarding a fashion designer of the year award for 2026, sorry! Designers of fashion, jewellery and accessories are encouraged to enter our Maker or Industrial categories with the projects instead this year.

How many projects do I need to be able to enter Designers of the Year?

For most categories, you need to submit 3 to 5 projects. The exception is the “emerging” categories: the Robert Ledingham Memorial Award for an Emerging Interior Designer, and the Arthur Erickson Memorial Award for an Emerging Architect/Residential Designer, which each just require 1 to 3 projects to enter.

Can I enter more than one Designers of the Year category?

Entrants can enter more than one category; each entry requires a separate entry and separate entry fee. Those entering the Maker/One of a Kind category cannot enter any other category with the same product.

Can I enter both the Interior Design category and the Robert Ledingham Award category? (Or Architecture and the Arthur Erickson Category?)

Yes, but note that 3 to 5 projects are required for Architecture and Interior Design submissions, and only 1 to 3 are required for Robert Ledingham and Arthur Erickson Memorial Awards. You must submit a separate entry form with fewer projects for the latter two.

What format should the submission package be in?

We accept applications via online form only. On the entry form, you’ll be prompted to upload photos, rationales, and in some cases, blueprints or site plans of your projects, give credit to any collaborators and fill out text fields with a designer biography. Project photos should be colour .jpgs, 300 dpi if possible, clearly identified by project name. Site plans or blueprints may be PDF or .jpg. Designers may also choose to compile all of their projects into a PDF for download, as long as it includes photos and rationales as requested.

What is the difference between the Industrial and Maker category?

Industrial design should be product designs that have the capability of being mass-produced. Maker design submissions should include products that are either hand-made, or products that cannot fit into other categories like fashion or furniture—examples may include pottery or textiles. If you’re not sure what category your work belongs in, feel free to ask!

How do I enter the Designers of the Year People’s Choice Awards?

Our People’s Choice Awards will launch this summer, immediately after we announce the finalists for our 2026 Designers of the Year awards. All finalists will be automatically entered into the People’s Choice Awards. Winners will be announced on stage at our Designers of the Year event on September 10, 2026.

How do I enter the Design Icon Award?

We’ll be selecting a Design Icon for our 2026 Designers of the Year awards from nominations from the community. A Design Icon is someone who’s had an enormous influence on the Western Canadian design world and is worthy of recognition. If you know someone who should be considered, please send an email to [email protected].

What do I need to know before I start the submission process?

For 2026, the submission form may be saved if you need to take a break during the application process.

You will be asked to input a biography (up to 200 words) into a text field. Files may be compiled into one downloadable PDF, or uploaded as individual files.

Each project requires:

• 2-8 photographs for each project: .jpg format, colour, clearly identified by project name
• Rationale (up to 500 words) for each project: Explain the challenges, context, materials, innovations and results of this work; highlight social or ecological impact. Must include the year the project was completed.
• Photo credits
• Collaborator credit (if applicable)
• For architecture, interior design, landscape, Arthur Erickson and Robert Ledingham categories: Blueprints or site plans (.pdf or .jpg).

The submission form will also ask for:

• Biography and philosophy (500 words): outline your background and vision, keeping judging criteria in mind. Include year the firm was founded.
• For Arthur Erickson and Robert Ledingham Memorial Award applicants: Include a brief summary of accomplishments (up to 200 words); include a summary of education/training accomplished thus far on the path toward accreditation as an interior designer or architect.

Ready to enter? Head back to the main DOTY page and start your submission!

Have a question that’s not answered here? Contact us!