Awards

The 2025 Prize is now closed for applications. Please check back in Spring of 2026 for further updates on the 2026 Prize.

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To invigorate and celebrate the art of design discourse, the Design History Society is proud to launch the 2025 iteration of the Design Writing Prize. Originally launched in 2017, the award invites scholars, researchers, critics, practitioners and educators, both from within the Society and the vibrant community beyond, to champion the cause of critical debate in design through writing. The aim of the Design Writing Prize, in addition to promoting and celebrating excellent new work, is to advocate writing as a necessary and creative practice for communicating ideas related to design.

In this vein, entries that include a variety of modes such as essays, interviews, reviews or editorial commentary are welcome and can either be published works or in manuscript phase. The DHS is committed to equity and inclusion and believes that engaging with a broad spectrum of voices and perspectives not only enriches the discourse but also uncovers new narratives within design history. In line with this commitment, the DHS encourages applications that represent, or whose work foregrounds, diverse perspectives and under-represented narratives within the field of design history.

Guest Judge

The guest judge for the 2025 Design Writing Prize will be Professor Elizabeth Guffey. Read more here: https://www.designhistorysocie...

Prize

• A cash award of £500 given by the Design History Society
• One year's membership of the Design History Society (includes online subscription to the Journal of Design History and eligibility to apply for further grants and awards. Click here to read about all membership benefits: https://www.designhistorysocie...)
• Free place at the 2025 Design History Society conference and gala dinner

Eligibility

• The Design Writing Prize is open to scholars, researchers, critics, practitioners, and educators within the Design History Society and the wider community.
• Only one application per author, editor or publication will be considered per calendar year.

Overview

• Submission formats can take a number of forms including essays, interviews, reviews, or editorial commentary. Submissions can also include more experimental approaches to disseminating design history research such as film or podcasts.
• Submissions can be either published works or in manuscript phase.
• The submission should champion critical debate in design and demonstrate excellence in writing.
• Entries should not exceed 3,500 words and must be written in English (entries written/published in another language and accompanied by an English translation will be accepted)
• The entry should demonstrate a novel approach to critical issues, themes, and discourses currently relevant to design history and related fields and should further work in and understanding of its subject-matter
• The entry should demonstrate excellence in writing practice through the selection or tone, mode of communication appropriate for its audience (interview, review, essay etc.), position and delivery of an argument. While methods of research and delivery should reflect good practice in design history, unconventional or experimental approaches to design writing history are encouraged
• The entry should demonstrate competence in questioning the entry’s subject material and engaging incorporated resources, discourses and methods should be present and coherent. Submissions should surpass description of their material and demonstrate an ability to critically engage in their subject to further an argument
• Entries must be well-structured, well-written and presented to a high standard. Where appropriate, they should include appropriate citations (footnotes or endnotes) and bibliography. The language of this competition is English, however entries written in another language with provided translations will be accepted
  
  

Dissemination

• Recipients of this grant are asked to provide a report of 500-800 words of their project (with a copy-right free image and caption) to be published on the DHS website, within 6 months of notification of receipt of the award
• Alternative means of dissemination will also be considered. To discuss this matter further, please contact the DHS Senior Administrator, Jenna Allsopp-Douglas at designhistorysociety@gmail.com
• Recipients must acknowledge the contribution of the DHS through the inclusion of the Society’s logo in any published or public presentation affiliated with this prize. Logos can be obtained from the DHS administrator.
• The winner will have an opportunity to share more about their research through a conversation with the judge, which will be featured as part of the 'Routes to Design History' podcast.
  
  

The Application Process

• The essay must be accompanied by an entry form which can be downloaded via this webpage
• The deadline for applications is 11:59pm BST on 15 July each year. No applications submitted after this date will be considered.
• Applications should be sent to the DHS Senior Administrator, Jenna Allsopp-Douglas at: designhistorysociety@gmail.com
• Applicants are requested not to send CVs, as these will not be taken into consideration in the judging process