DNDA Laureates

Don Norman Design Award (DNDA) honors grassroots projects by early-career teams, design trained or not, whose work embodies the core principles of Humanity-Centered Design (HCD+) and shows promise to make a substantial difference to the lives of the communities for which they are intended. The projects must address at least one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. A distinguished international jury evaluates each submission based on the merits and assigns a score accordingly.

DNDA also celebrates exceptional visionaries in education and organizations for their HCD+ training, support and commitment.

The DNDA Awards and recognitions are divided into three distinct categories:

Projects by Early-Career Practitioners: Projects must embody the core principles of HCD+ and show promise to make a substantial difference to the lives of the communities for which they are intended. The projects must address at least one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. In collaboration with our international advisors and jurors, DNDA first selects a group of Finalist projects. From these, a Shortlist is chosen, and from the Shortlist, DNDA confers its highest project honors: Excellence and Promising.
Education: This award is given to traditional and non-traditional programs that have demonstrated successful HCD+ training and have graduates doing HCD+ work. Recipients of this award are recognized for their pivotal role in cultivating a new generation of leaders poised to make a positive impact on the societal needs in the United Nations’ SDGs.
Organization: This award is given to organizations that support projects that advance societal well-being. Any officially recognized organization is eligible, including for-profit and nonprofit organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), foundations, and private-sector companies, as long as it truly supports societal good, both in its projects and in the company’s guiding principles and spirit.

In 2025, we renamed the 2024 category “Special Recognition” to “Organization.”