Joseph Binder Award 2027 is now open for entries!
Joseph Binder Award 2027: Under Pressure, competition for graphic design organised by designaustria is now open for entry inviting all designers and illustrators around the world, including students, to participate with their best works.
Short description
Designaustria presents the Joseph Binder Award 2027: Under Pressure competition, inviting designers worldwide to showcase their best works in graphic design and illustration.
The Joseph Binder Award is an international competition held every two years, with a focus on graphic design and illustration was launched for the first time in 1996 by designaustria, the interest organization and knowledge centre for design in Austria. It is named after one of the most outstanding graphic designers and illustrators active in Austria , who subsequently also revolutionized visual communication in the United States.
Joseph Binder believed that the work of a graphic designer always has an impact on society, the economy, and the reception of the product itself. Graphic design adds value and can develop a distinctive voice. This year’s theme “Show your Color” refers to this philosophy by encouraging designers to show the tonality, and the origin of the individual design language in their work. The typography-based and reduced design concept of the Joseph Binder Award 2024 highlights the importance of typeface in Binder’s work. It plays with format, form, rhythm and volume to create awareness and space for a colorful international illustration and graphic design scene.
Under the theme “Under Pressure,” the 2027 edition takes a lighthearted look at the constant change, expectations and challenges faced by designers and illustrators. It celebrates bold ideas, fresh perspectives and outstanding work created during the past 2 years.
Participation is open to all projects in the fields of graphic design and illustration published or realized in 2020 and after.
Entries for 2027 are accepted in 3 main categories:
GRAPHIC DESIGN
➜ Corporate Design - Corporate identity programs, logotypes, brand guidelines, design systems, business stationery (digital & print), etc.
➜ Communication Design - Visual communication and integrated campaigns across multiple channels, including advertising, brochures, leaflets, mailings, social media content and other communication materials in print, digital, social and OOH.
➜ Information Design - Signage systems, exhibition design, forms, data visualization, user instructions, etc.
➜ Type Design - Fonts, lettering, etc.
➜ Poster Design - Indoor and outdoor posters of all formats and genres
➜ Editorial Design - Books (fiction and non-fiction), art and exhibition catalogs, annual reports, magazines, newspapers, digital editorial formats, etc.
➜ Packaging Design - Packaging graphics, labels, etc.
➜ Interface Design - Websites, microsites, apps, AI product interfaces, conversational and voice interfaces, AR/VR and spatial computing interfaces, newsletters, software design, etc.
ILLUSTRATION
➜ Book Illustration - Illustrations for children's books, fiction, poetry, non-fiction, graphic novels, etc.
➜ Media Illustration - Illustrations for periodicals, newspapers, etc.
➜ Commercial Illustration - Illustrations for advertising media, etc.
➜ Animated Illustration - Animated illustration for digital media, social media, websites or interactive platforms, short films, music videos, etc.
➜ Illustration in Miscellaneous Applications - Illustrations for diverse communication media, game design, storyboards, etc.
DESIGN FICTION (SPECIAL CATEGORY) - Unpublished works, independent/non-commercial projects, unrealized concepts, student projects, etc. in all disciplines
HENRY STEINER PRIZE (SPECIAL CATEGORY) - Among all submissions, one project that supports the idea and mission of fostering connections between diverse cultural perspectives will be selected for the Henry Steiner Prize.
Works to be entered in several categories must be registered separately for each category. The number of entries is not limited.
In April 2027, the award ceremony will be held together with the Joseph Binder Symposium and the exhibition opening.
Selected designers and illustrators become part of the Honored Selection, with their work presented through the award catalogue and exhibitions, while the Joseph Binder Days take place at MuseumsQuartier Vienna on April 28 – 29, 2027.
Eligibility
Open to graphic designers, illustrators, advertising agencies and design students worldwide submitting graphic design or illustration projects published or realized in 2025 or later, with students required to provide proof of study, entrants required to hold the necessary copyright and publication rights, AI-assisted work permitted in regular categories when the tool and extent of AI use are disclosed, and Design Fiction reserved for unpublished, independent or non-commercial projects, unrealized concepts and student projects.
Benefits
Gold, silver and bronze will be awarded as trophies in each category, while the jury may also grant up to three distinctions in each graphic design and illustration category. Up to five outstanding Design Fiction projects share cash prizes totaling €6,000, and one project supporting dialogue between diverse cultural perspectives is selected for the Henry Steiner Prize. Honored works are featured in the JBA catalogue and exhibitions, including the Honored Selection presentation in Vienna, and Honored Designers and Illustrators receive free admission to the Joseph Binder Days symposium.
Entry fees
First entry is €105 regular, €79 for eligible association members and €55 for students. Each further entry is €79 regular, €59 for members or €45 for students, all excluding 20% VAT. Entries submitted by September 25, 2026 receive a 10% Early Bird discount, and selected entries must additionally pay a €360 nominees package fee excluding VAT, except in the Design Fiction category.
