Cycle Timeline
Every cycle moves through the same sequence, and knowing the order changes how you prepare. Nothing here is a surprise step: the call opens, entries close at the cutoff, the technical check runs, scoring follows, and the archive goes live. What varies is how much time you leave yourself before each handoff.
The cycle begins when the call goes out across graphic design, packaging, motion, type design and digital craft. This is the window to read the category definitions properly rather than guess from the title.
Entrants submit their project before the cutoff date. Files, credits and rights details all need to be in place at this point, because the cutoff is a hard stop rather than a soft one.
After the cutoff, every entry is opened and reviewed for file specs, category fit and rights clearance. Entries that clear this stage move forward; the rest are held back before any scoring happens.
Work that passes the technical check is scored by a rotating jury of practicing designers. Scoring runs against a shared rubric, and the notes written at this stage are what later appear alongside shortlisted entries.
The cycle closes with a searchable archive of shortlisted work, published with jury notes, category rationale and credits. It stays available as a reference for anyone preparing a future entry.
Alongside the archive, each cycle publishes a calendar of deadlines and a small printed annual. The calendar is the practical reference for the next round; the annual is the slower record of what was shortlisted.
The rhythm is the same each year, which means the useful work happens before the call closes. Read the current categories, match your project to the right one, and submit before the next cutoff.
Each awards year follows the same order. Below is what happens when, what you need to have ready at each point, and where the cutoff sits in the sequence. Read it before you build a submission folder, not after.
Stage 01
The cycle begins when the call goes out across graphic design, packaging, motion, type design and digital craft. This is the point to check which category your project actually belongs to, since a mismatched category is one of the most common reasons an entry stalls later.
Stage 02
Gather files at the required resolution and color profile, confirm credits for every collaborator, and clear rights on any typeface or licensed asset in the work. Doing this early is faster than fixing it after the cutoff.
Stage 03
Entries are accepted up to the published deadline. After it passes, the intake closes and nothing new joins the current cycle. If you are unsure about a detail, resolve it before you submit rather than after.
Stage 04
Every entry is opened and reviewed for file specs, category fit and rights clearance. This stage is not a formality. Entries that clear it move forward; entries that do not are held back until the issues are resolved.
Stage 05
Work that clears the technical stage goes to a rotating jury of practicing designers. They score against a shared rubric and write notes on the work. The panel changes between cycles, so criteria are argued fresh each year.
Stage 06
The cycle closes with a searchable archive of shortlisted work, including jury notes, category rationale and credits, alongside the calendar of deadlines and a small printed annual. That record is what studios return to when preparing the next entry.
The practical action at any point in the cycle is the same: review the current categories and submit a project before the next cutoff. If you want the wider context first, start with the programs overview or reach the team.
A few definitions and standing conditions, written down so nobody has to guess what a stage means or when it ends.
The published date and time after which a cycle stops accepting submissions. Anything arriving later belongs to the next cycle, not this one.
A review of file specs, category fit and rights clearance. It happens before scoring and does not judge the idea itself.
The set of entries that clear scoring and are published in the archive. Being shortlisted is a record, not a ranking position.
Written commentary attached to shortlisted work. They explain the reasoning behind a decision and stay in the archive with the entry.
Stage order and timing are fixed for every cycle. Category lists, jury membership and archive contents change from one cycle to the next, so treat any single year as a snapshot rather than a standing rule.