RULES - Pin Up Concept Design Award

Schedule

Announcement
Nov. 27, 2025
~ Jan. 31, 2026
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Application
Jan. 1, 2026
~ Jan. 31, 2026
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Screening & Announcement of Results
2026. 2.
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Award Ceremony
Feb. 26, 2026

The above schedule is subject to change at the discretion of the host.

Notifications regarding any such changes will be provided in the ‘NOTICE’ section of the PIN UP Concept Design Awards website.

How to Apply

How to Apply

Register online in the website (www.pinup.or.kr/concept)

  1. Website Membership Registration
    • Fill out all mandatory fields such as e-mail and password.
  2. Artwork Submission
    • Please provide information in both Korean and English for all fields.
    • The submission information will be used for tophies, awards and yearbook, so please provide accurate details.
    • Since there is no physical evaluation, please provide images that comprehensively represent the artwork for a complete understanding.
    • Artwork images can be submitted as pure images or in panel format, allowing for graphic representation.
    • Changes cannot be made after the submission deadline.
  3. Payment
    • Please pay within the deadline to the account.
  4. How to check the results
    • After the result announcement date, log in individually to the PIN UP concept design awards website to check the results.

Contents for Submission

Contents for Submission
  1. Image
    • 4 images for a comprehensive understanding of the artwork
    • Specifications: Width 190mm x Height 250mm, each image within 1MB, jpg format, RGB mode
  2. Design Description
    • Design concept description for the submission
    • Maximum Length: 500 characters in Korean, 700 characters in English (including spaces, strictly follow the specified length)
  3. Design Keywords
    • Keywords highlighting the values and features of the submission (5 keywords, please provide both in Korean and English)

Fees

Entry Fee KRW 20,000
Payment account Account: Hana Bank 119-910045-57904 kida

If the name of the applicant and the depositor is different, the confirmation might not be possible, which could lead to disadvantages in the submission process.

Payment deadline: January 31, 2026 (11:59:59 pm)

Please consider bank system maintenance times (e.g., 23:50 to 00:35)

Judging Criteria

Insight
  • Demonstrates understanding of rapidly changing social, technological, and cultural trends
  • Identifies the core of a problem and provides fresh perspectives
  • Anticipates future user needs and environmental changes
Expansion
  • Explores new roles and possibilities for design
  • Expands the boundaries of existing industries and business domains
  • Highlights potential for innovation, practical application, and value creation
Vision
  • Presents a clear vision for future industries and the role of design
  • Shows long-term impact and growth potential
  • Offers creative, forward-thinking solutions that contribute to a richer future society

Sectors

General Sector A Product Industry Sector
B Communication Media Industry Sector
C Space and Environment Industry Sector
D Craft Industry Sector
E Other (New Business Design)
Corporate Sector F, G Fursys
H Model Solution
I Yonwoo

General Sector

KIDA

Eligibility
  • Under-/Post-graduate Students and General Public
  • Possible to enter as individuals or teams (max. 2 persons)
    > General Public: Only pure concept designs researched and developed individually or as a team are eligible for submission
Sector
A Product Industry Sector Product designs that cover various industries such as electrical, electronics, digital technology, furniture, mobility, living, lighting, outdoor, sports, medical, industrial equipment, fashion, beauty, and pet-related products, among others
B Communication Media Industry Sector Designs with a focus on communication, including branding, packaging, print, advertising, campaigns, videos, digital media, services, and experiential design
C Space and Environment Industry Sector Designs related to space and arrangement, including architecture, interior design, exhibitions, environment, public spaces, landscapes, and community design
D Craft Industry Sector Designs based on different materials such as metal crafts, textile crafts, woodworking, ceramic crafts, leather crafts, etc., emphasizing both practicality and aesthetic value
E Other (New Business Design) Defining a “New Future Industry Field” beyond the mentioned sectors and proposing a “Concept Design” that aligns with this field

The "E Other Category" encompasses cases where it is difficult to define a single field, including interdisciplinary design, the fusion of new business and design, and emerging fields that don’t neatly fit into the defined sectors.
e.g. If you have designed a business platform that combines virtual reality based on K contents with merchandise products

Awards and Prizes
Grand Prix  (1 team) Prize Money KRW 3 million, trophy, certificate, yearbook
Gold  (up to 5 teams) Prize money KRW 1 million, trophy, certificate, yearbook
Silver Trophy, certificate, yearbook
Bronze
Finalist Certificate, yearbook

Grand Prize and Gold winners will be given priority participation opportunities when applying for the ADA International Student Design Workshop

ADA ISDW
Asia Designers Assembly(ADA) is a design interaction platform formed by design associations in Korea (KIDA), Japan (JIDA), and Taiwan (TIDA). ADA collaborates to solve social and environmental problems through design, exchange culture, and nurture new designers. ADA has hosted the annual International Student Design Workshop (ISDW) every summer on a rotating basis, aiming to cultivate talented designers and enhance their capabilities to lead the future. ISDW includes a variety of programs such as thematic solution research, mentoring by design experts, special lectures, design field research, and cultural experiences. Through collaboration with team members from other cultures, the participants can understand each other's culture and experience a new approach to design and change of ideas.
The 2026 workshop will be held in Taiwan.

Corporate Sector

Fursys

Eligibility
  • Only individual entries are accepted
  • Graduates or expected graduates by February 2026
  • Must be available for Fursys Group R&D Designer internship (scheduled for the first half of 2026, 4-week program)
Sector
F Design furniture that enhances creative thinking and collaboration in an environment where people work with AI.
G Design office furniture that helps maintain immersion and focus.

Select one.

Awards and Prizes
Gold Gold, Silver, Bronze each representative designer (total 3 people) exemption from document screening when applying for new employee open recruitment and R&D Designer recruitment-linked internship
(However, internship is only for those who pass the practical interview)
Trophy, certificate, catalog
Silver
Bronze
Finalist Certificate, catalog

Model Solution

Eligibility
  • Students or graduates with a major in Industrial / Product Design
  • Individual or team (up to 2 members)
Sector
H CMF (Color, Material, Finish)-based robot design for application in the medical industry
Example: Robot designs that reinterpret joint structures, similar to Toyota's Walk Me
Awards and Prizes
Gold Prize Money KRW 2 million
Product development opportunities for winning works (However, product development will be determined after reviewing feasibility)
Points added to document screening when applying for employment
Trophy, certificate, catalog
Silver Points added to document screening when applying for employment
Trophy, certificate, catalog
Bronze
Finalist Certificate, catalog

If product development of the Gold-winning work is approved, Model Solution Co., Ltd. and the awardee will complete the necessary licensing or transfer of economic rights. The prize money will serve as compensation. The awardee will cooperate with all required rights procedures for using the work (including commercial use) and will not exercise moral rights beyond normal practice.

Taxes and fees related to prize payment will be borne by the awardee and will be deducted from the prize.

Yonwoo

Eligibility
  • Individual or team (up to 2 members)
  • Enrolled in a design-related major or expected to graduate in February 2026
Sector
I Seamless UX Packaging – Cosmetic Containers (Skincare or Makeup)
> Seamless, uninterrupted user experience
> Intuitive design that enables immediate use and engagement
Awards and Prizes
Gold Product development opportunities for winning works (However, product development will be determined after reviewing feasibility)
Intern participation opportunities in product development projects (1 month, for all team members / However, provided only when confirmed as a company development product)
Trophy, certificate, catalog
Silver
Bronze
Finalist Certificate, catalog

Precautions

Artwork Information
  • There is no limit to the number of entries for each competition sector; however, duplicate submissions of the same work are not allowed.
  • The certificates, trophies, and yearbooks will be created based on the data provided during registration. Subsequent changes to the data are not possible, so please ensure accurate information is provided.
  • All awards will be given to the representative designer, so if submitting as a team, please carefully select the representative designer and participating designers.
  • After the submission deadline on January 31, 2026 (11:59:59 pm), no further submissions or modifications will be allowed. Modifying data after the deadline may lead to disadvantages.
Copyright-related matters
  • Submitted works must be original creations, and the copyright of the submitted works remains with the entrants. Any exceptions to this shall be governed by a separate agreement.
  • The organizers may use the award-winning works for promotional purposes (exhibitions, events, etc.) after consultation with the winners.
  • Materials such as images of award-winning works and design descriptions may be used for judging, digital archiving, and promotional purposes (publishing, exhibitions).
  • Submitted works cannot be legally protected, and to secure copyright protection for the submitted works, entrants must obtain intellectual property rights before submission.
  • Even after winning, if any of the following conditions apply, the entry will be disqualified, and the prize money and certificates will be revoked or canceled. All legal and criminal responsibilities arising from this will be borne by the entrant.
  • Even after winning, if any of the following conditions apply, the entry will be disqualified, and the prize money and certificates will be revoked or canceled. All legal and criminal responsibilities arising from this will be borne by the entrant.
    • Designs found to be plagiarized from other works.
    • Designs found to infringe upon the intellectual property rights and copyrights of others.
    • Designs that do not meet the specifications outlined in these guidelines.

Designs falling under the mentioned categories will not be accepted for submission. In cases of plagiarism, appropriation, and imitation, such designs will be excluded from the judging process.

Other Precautions
  • Submitted materials for entry will not be returned.
  • If there are no qualified winners determined during the judging and evaluation process, the scale of the awards may be adjusted or no awards may be given.
  • If a design is recognized as identical in terms of form, title, etc., even if submitted multiple times, it will be considered as having been submitted only once.
  • In the case of plagiarism arising after the judging, the decision regarding the award will be made based on the judgment of the judging committee.
  • In the event of team participation and winning, issues related to certificate retention, prize distribution, etc., are the responsibility of the team members and not the organizing institution.
  • If false information is provided or required documents are not submitted, the entry may be excluded from selection.
  • Modifications or resubmissions for documents submitted after the deadline are not allowed.
  • Entries that do not adhere to the submission guidelines may be excluded from selection.
  • Award winners are expected to actively cooperate when the winning works are utilized for organizing events (exhibitions, expos, etc.).
  • All procedures in the Corporate Category (including awards, benefits, and schedules) may be modified at any time at the discretion of the participating companies without prior notice.
  • Company category selection (awards, benefits, schedule, etc.) may be changed without prior notice depending on the circumstances of participating companies.
  • Winners are responsible for any taxes associated with the prize money.

Inquiries

Korea Innovation Design Association

phone +82-2-6952-5667

email kida.korea01@gmail.com