

Award categories
2022
Fashion, Textile, Jewelry Design
An award will be given to designers whose work involves the design and development of textile and apparel products, jewelry and accessories, including all types of wearable items. Fashion design, gold / silver crafting, jewelry, textile design and development, fashion accessories and clothing items manufactured in limited edition or in mass production.
2021
Product Design
An award will be given to designers whose body of work involves the design of objects and products, from limited editions to mass production. This includes all areas of industrial design – product design, design and technology, the design of medical and industrial equipment, transportation design, consumer product design, biological and marine design, integrated user-interface design, furniture design, display design, toy design, and the whole area of crafts, such as ceramic and glass design, wood and metal design, complex materials and plastics, and all other (non-wearable) 3D materials.
2020
Visual Communication Design
An award will be given to designers whose body of work involves the design of visual communication in various mediums, including digital and interactive design. The field includes all areas of graphic design – typography, image, print design, art direction, illustration and interactive design, including digital interface design, services and systems, game design, app design, user experience (UX / UI) and any other 2D design.
About the Award
The purpose of the Edmond de Rothschild Design Award is to promote and encourage excellence through public recognition of established designers with a high caliber portfolio of significant volume; to identify and support emerging designers at the start of their career; to boost local interest in contemporary design and enhance international exposure to Israeli design in particular.
Judging Process
The award judges will be selected annually by the Steering Committee, in accordance with the field in which the award is granted. The jury panel will consist of seven leading figures in local design, including academics, curators and researchers, designers, industry leaders, a senior international figure and a representative from the Edmond de Rothschild Foundation.
The judging process will be conducted in two stages: In the first stage, the local judges will convene for preliminary judging to select the shortlist of nominees, and in the second stage the award entries will be translated into English, and the final judging will be attended by the international judge and the representative of the Foundation. In order to ensure impartiality throughout the judging process, the judges will remain anonymous until the winners’ names are published.
Judging Criteria
The Edmond de Rothschild Design Award is intended to promote excellent Israeli designers who work continuously in the field, creating the volume and quality of a wide-scale and influential body of work that not only expands and formulates the field in which they operate, but also serves and influences the general public and Israeli society. The award focuses on published projects and aims to promote, first and foremost, excellence in design. The judges will examine the volume and quality of work portfolios on the basis of key criteria, which are as follows:
Impact on local design and international activity – The degree and depth by which the designer’s body of work impacts the design field, visual and material Israeli culture, the userbase, production methods and more. Please specify as much as possible the actual impact and presence of the various projects.
Depth of workflow – The entry must include a description of workflows, R&D, various sketches and models. Rich and sincere bodies of work may also present projects that failed or stopped at various stages of development, provided they are accompanied by projects that have been published.
Quality and scope of the portfolio – The various projects will be evaluated in accordance with accepted values in the design field, including functional and aesthetic values, suitability for the user, responsible production method, use of materials, quality of finish, etc. Greater consideration will be given to in-depth work portfolios, whether they show significant expertise in one particular area or in a variety of areas and multidisciplinary work. Consideration will also be given to a focus on the challenges and opportunities in the field and in the local culture.
Edmond De Rothschild Foundation
The Edmond de Rothschild Foundation (Israel) works to create a just, cohesive and collaborative Israeli society, and spearheads far-reaching processes of social change aimed at promoting excellence, diversity and leadership through higher education. In continuing its more than 140 years of philanthropic legacy, the Foundation fulfills the Rothschild family's long-standing commitment to the pioneering spirit of the State of Israel and invests in agents of change and the advancement of its new pioneers.
The Foundation initiates dozens of innovative projects throughout the country aimed at reducing the gaps in society and fostering young leadership. It operates in areas of higher education to maximize employment, leadership, academic excellence, the arts and impact-entrepreneurship. The Foundation is committed to empowering, connecting, advancing and nurturing the various groups that make up Israeli society and believes that the mosaic of identities in Israeli society is a valuable opportunity to develop a rich and vibrant fabric of life that through diversity and partnership can give rise to a healthy and progressive society in which the common good is strengthened, and that by deepening human values, expanding knowledge and striving for excellence, Israel can build a cohesive and prosperous society.
The Edmond de Rothschild Design Award will be awarded to designers with a rich and unique body of work, by recognizing their significant role in the formulation of contemporary culture and their contribution to the advancement of society and industry. Overriding consideration will be given to designers with innovative and breakthrough portfolios with projects that have a meaningful impact on society, have been significantly implemented, extend the boundaries of the field, and have been created in a cultural context that reflects diverse voices in Israeli society.