2025 PAVE Global Student Design Competition

2025 PAVE Global Student Design Competition is now open for entries!

2025 PAVE Global Student Design Competition : The PAVE Student Design Competition that promotes “real world” design experience for college-level students this time challenge them to envision and create consumer environments that inspire, connect, and elevate the shopping experience.

➜ Short description

PAVE Global is very pleased to announce that registration is now open for the 30th Annual International Student Design Competition.

This prestigious competition provides college-level design students from around the world with a “real-world” design experience, challenging them to envision and create consumer environments that inspire, connect, and elevate the shopping experience.

The Hershey Company invites students to create an innovative Store within a Store (SWAS) snacking destination within a traditional grocery store.

You are invited to design a fun, interactive experience that leverages cutting-edge technology, lighting, and sensory elements to break through the clutter and elevate the shopping experience.

Concepts should leverage Hershey’s iconic family of brands while creating engaging, immersive shopping experiences through cutting-edge technology, lighting, sensory design, and micro-occasions like s’mores, movie nights, or cultural celebrations.

Your design must be scalable across multiple retail footprints and incorporate Hershey’s iconic brand elements while creating micro-occasions like s’mores, movie time, and cultural celebrations. Consider how technology like AR, digital signage, scent diffusion, and dynamic lighting can create a snacking destination that stands out. Judging Criteria:

➜ 15% - Design Concept - Imagination, inspiration, and creativity.
➜ 25% - Space Solution - Traffic flow, fixture layout, successful connection of the concept to the store in a cohesive manner that establishes a compelling authentic brand narrative, with an inspiring customer journey and creative use of 2D and 3D elements.
➜ 25% - Interior/Architectural Design - Style, appropriateness, colors and materials, fixtures, lighting, and merchandise presentation.
➜ 25% - Branding - Logo color, style, signage, graphics, and integration of technology.
➜ 10% - Quality and professional presentation of work.

➜ Submission requirements:

➜ Each entry must be submitted as an 11 x 17-inch, landscape/horizontal format PDF.
➜ Each entry should not exceed 10 single-sided pages, page count excludes cover and reference pages.
➜ The submission should address the general requirements of the design brief at a scale and composition determined by the student.
➜ Renderings can be hand-drawn or computer-generated.
➜ AI tools are welcome to support brainstorming, inspiration, and prototyping. All AI usage must be transparently documented in your final submission.
➜ You will be judged on the quality of the renderings and their ability to clearly and dynamically tell the story of your concept.

➜ Who may enter?

This annual international competition is open exclusively to current undergraduate and graduate-level college students involved in retail planning, visual merchandising, interior design/architecture, branding, graphic design, UX/UI design, industrial design, and similar programs.

➜ Prize:

The top three concepts will each receive:

➜ $4,000 USD cash prize
➜ Invitation to attend the 2025 PAVE Gala in New York City on 11 December 2025 (airfare, hotel, and daily per diem covered)
➜ $1,000 USD travel stipend awarded to each winning student’s educator to accompany them to the Gala

Winning students may also have the opportunity to collaborate with an industry-leading design and manufacturing team to bring their concepts to life.