YFD x NG Nordic - Open call
APPLY NOW: YFD x NG Nordic – Circularity Design Competition
“How do you make a complex circular system visible, understandable and meaningful?”
YFD x NG Nordic -design competition
Application period: September 24 – October 26
Application deadline: October 26 at 11:59 PM
Apply LINK
Applications are now open for a new Young Finnish Design competition created together with NG Nordic.
Young Finnish Design and NG Nordic are partnering to support young designers and explore bold, original ways to help communicate one of the most important industrial transformations of our time, making the circular economy and its impact on society and the environment more visible.
Only four designers will be selected — one from each participating Nordic country: Finland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark.
This is a selective competition process. A total of four designers will be selected to participate in the competition, with one designer representing each of the four participating countries. The selected designers will work on the challenge together with Young Finnish Design and NG Nordic during the competition period.
Frequently Asked Questions
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The competition is intended for young and early-career designers who are invited to apply from one of the following countries:
Finland
Norway
Sweden
DenmarkA total of four designers will be selected — one from each country.
The competition is intended for:
-early-career designers regardless of age
-students and recent graduates (graduated within the past 5 years)Applicants eligible for the competition include students currently studying design in Finland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark, as well as graduates of design programs in these countries. Exchange students who have studied design in these countries are also eligible to apply for the competition.
Design disciplines:
Graphic Designer
UX/UI Designer
Service & Information Designer
Digital & Motion Designer
Spatial Designer
We are primarily looking for a designer with curiosity, visual thinking and a desire to solve complex systems creatively.
You could be a particularly good fit if you:
Enjoy making complex systems clear and captivating, with a focus on both visual communication and user experience
Are curious, open to new perspectives and eager to experiment with different design approaches and formats
Can develop a strong overarching concept and clearly articulate the thinking behind your design decisions
Have a particular interest in sustainability and circularity
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Application period: September 24 – October 26
Application deadline: October 26 at 11:59 PM
Selection of designers: After the application period
Competition period: November 4 – 30
- Briefing call with the selected designers on 4.11
- Check point call with the selected designers 17.11
- Final presentations call with the selected designers 30.11
Winner announcement: Mid-December
-
Prize for the winner: €1,000
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Applying :
a short application explaining why you should be selected
your portfolio or a link to your portfolio, website or Instagram portfolio
Apply by filling out application, link below
Application deadline:
October 26 at 11:59 PM -
COMPETITION RULES
YFD competitions follow generally accepted practices and standards within the design industry. Designers are selected individually for each competition. Once selected, each designer enters into an agreement with YFD, with the terms and scope tailored to the specific competition and reviewed before the project begins.
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If you have any questions please contact Heidi Huovinen / YFD. Email : heidi.huovinen@youngfinnishdesign.com
WHO CAN APPLY
Design disciplines:
Graphic Designer
UX/UI Designer
Service & Information Designer
Digital & Motion Designer
Spatial Designer
The competition is intended for young and early-career designers who are invited to apply from one of the following countries:
Finland
Norway
Sweden
Denmark
A total of four designers will be selected — one from each country.
The competition is intended for:
-early-career designers regardless of age
-students and recent graduates (graduated within the past 5 years)
We are primarily looking for a designer with curiosity, visual thinking and a desire to solve complex systems creatively.
You could be a particularly good fit if you:
Enjoy making complex systems clear and captivating, with a focus on both visual communication and user experience
Are curious, open to new perspectives and eager to experiment with different design approaches and formats
Can develop a strong overarching concept and clearly articulate the thinking behind your design decisions
Have a particular interest in sustainability and circularity
“Few designers at the beginning of their careers get this close to a genuine collaboration opportunity with an established organization and a real-world design challenge.”
WHY APPLY?
This competition offers a real opportunity to work with an established organization on an important and meaningful topic.
This competition offers a real opportunity to work with an established organization on an important and meaningful topic.
During the competition, selected designers will:
-receive support and guidance throughout the process
-participate in online sparring and mentoring meetings
-collaborate with professionals from NG Nordic and Young Finnish Design
-gain experience working on a real-life design challenge
-develop and present a visual concept around circularity and the waste value chain
Few designers at the beginning of their careers get this close to a genuine collaboration opportunity with an established organization and a real-world design challenge. Young Finnish Design and NG Nordic are working together to support young designers and explore how design can communicate the opportunities, complexity and importance of circular systems in new ways.
ABOUT THE DESIGN CHALLENGE
The selected designers will explore how to communicate:
how the circular system and waste value chain work in practice
what circulates, what is transformed, what must be removed, and how NG Nordic operates in each pathway
why reusing, recycling and recovering matter
how a complex system can be made easier and more engaging to understand, not by simplifying it away, but by revealing a new perspective
The solution could take many forms, including:
Website or digital experience
Infographic or data visualization
Animation or motion concept
Interactive or social media concept
Physical, spatial or digital installation — or a combination
The format is not the most important thing. The idea is.
Circular economy is a complex system involving materials, waste, processes and multiple actors. NG Nordic wants to explore how a strong visual concept and creative design system could make the circular system and waste value chain more understandable, actionable and meaningful - for industry professionals, companies looking for better solutions, policy makers, and people who influence how resources are managed, regulated and valued.
COMPETITION SCHEDULE
This competition offers a real opportunity to work with an established organization on an important and meaningful topic.
Application period: September 24 – October 26
Application deadline: October 26 at 11:59 PM
Selection of designers: After the application period
Competition period: November 4 – 30
- Briefing call with the selected designers on 4.11
- Check point call with the selected designers 17.11
- Final presentations call with the selected designers 30.11
Winner announcement: Mid-December
Prize for the winner: €1,000
HOW TO APPLY
COMPETITION RULES
YFD competitions follow generally accepted practices and standards within the design industry. Designers are selected individually for each competition. Once selected, each designer enters into an agreement with YFD, with the terms and scope tailored to the specific competition and reviewed before the project begins.
Send:
a short application explaining why you should be selected
your portfolio or a link to your portfolio, website or Instagram portfolio
Application deadline:
October 26 at 11:59 PM.