Design Lions

The Design Lions celebrate visual craftsmanship.

Introduction

The history of the Design Lions

The Design Lions were introduced in 2008 to recognise excellence in design within the marketing and advertising industries. Over the years it’s evolved to reflect the growing importance of design in creating meaningful connections between brands and consumers. This Lion honours work that demonstrates creativity, innovation, and craftsmanship, showcasing how thoughtful design can elevate brand storytelling and create lasting impact.

In 2025, the Design Lions were updated to reflect the current priorities and evolving practices of design. These subcategories recognise work that not only stands out but also drives real progress and innovation, celebrating design’s power to effect change in a variety of contexts – from creating accessible, inclusive spaces to using technology in original ways that redefine how people interact with the world.

For 2026, we have added the new IP and Branding subcategory to recognise intellectual property creation and comprehensive brand system development, as well as the AI craft subcategory to recognise the craft and artistry of work that couldn’t exist without AI, but doesn’t just use it as a tool.

Guidelines to Entering

What kind of work can be entered?

Work may include graphic design, branding, packaging, product design, digital design, environmental design, innovative visual identity systems, logo design, website and app interfaces, and user experience (UX) design.

The work may feature physical products and their design elements, such as packaging, retail displays, or installations, as well as experiential work that uses design to create immersive brand experiences in public spaces or at events. Additionally, the Lion honours work that integrates design with technology, such as interactive design, motion graphics, and digital installations that push the boundaries of how design engages audiences.

What are the judging criteria?

A number of criteria will be considered during judging, weighted as follows: 40% idea; 40% execution; 20% results.

Eligibility

Work will need to have been executed during the eligibility period of 06 February 2025 - 09 April 2026.

All work entered into category 'A04. Product Design' must be available for purchase in order to be eligible.

Is there a limit to how many times I can enter?

There is no overall limit to how many times the same piece of work can be entered into Design as long as the categories chosen are relevant.

What do I need to provide with my entry?

To enter, you’ll need to complete an online entry form, which can be found on the Cannes Lions entry site. In the ‘Written Explanation’ section, you’ll be asked to provide the Jury with everything they need to know about your work.

You’ll also be able to submit optional supporting materials to provide additional context with your entry.

Subtitles are highly recommended on all case films, films, demo films and original content.

Detailed information outlining the entry process can be found on A Guide to the Cannes Lions Awards.

More information on the rules for entry can be found on the Summary of Key Rules for Entering and the handbook for our new Integrity Standards can be found on the Integrity Standards.

What if I don’t have all the details right away?

Don’t worry – you can fill in the form in any order and save your progress at any time while it’s still in the pending stage. However, please only check out when your entry is 100% complete as no changes can be made to your entry once you’ve clicked “Submit” and “Checkout”.

Entry Tips

What's the Jury looking for?

Exceptional creativity, innovation, and craftsmanship in the use of design to solve problems, engage audiences, drive business outcomes, shape brand identity and create lasting impact.

  • A strong insight, impressive execution and real results that link back to the objective
  • Considered craft (graphic design, branding, product packaging, etc.)

Tips from the Jury

  • Determine the most impressive part of your campaign and find a category that showcases it
  • Provide tangible results that demonstrate impact
  • Remember the Jury are from all over the world, so provide context throughout your entry to ensure they understand the significance of your results and the relevance of your insight
  • The Jury look at hundreds of pieces of work, use storytelling in the written submission and case film to help your work stand out

Inside the Jury Room: Design Lions

To hear more from the Jury and how they decided on the winning work, check out the video below.

The Categories

A. Brand Design

Excellence in visual communication and design that effectively conveys messages across various platforms.

B. Transformative Design

Transformational design focusing on innovative, impactful, and forward-thinking work that goes beyond traditional approaches to create meaningful change.

The Written Submission

Here’s the questions you’ll be asked regarding your work.

To start your entry to the Design Lions, go to our Awards page.

The Jury will refer to the written explanation you provide throughout the judging process. Our advice is to provide as much relevant detail as possible.

When answering the following questions keep the main element you’re trying to celebrate in mind (e.g. the storytelling, the strategy, the craft, the use of data).

The bullet points under each question are prompts designed to guide your thinking, based on the factors the jury will be considering when reviewing your work. You might not need to use them all, and that’s totally fine. They’re there to help you consider what’s most important in your work.

Questions

Category Specific Questions

Contact us

Everything you need to know to enter

For more detailed information on how to use the entry site, craft a compelling submission or submit your work we have a whole range of resources.

From Entry Guides that give you a step-by-step overview of the entire process to the Entry Kits that provide all the detailed rules and requirements for each and every category.

Information and advice on how to enter

We are here to help

As Awards Experts, we know the Lions inside out. We can help with:

  • Sharing the updates to the Awards for 2025
  • Offering best-practice advice on how to craft a compelling entry
  • Discussing your work and relevant categories
  • Scheduling regular catch-ups to answer any questions that arise throughout the entry process.

Whether you have a specific query or would like expert advice, get in touch today.

Email: awards@canneslions.com Helpline: +44 0 20 7046 1155