IDEA 2024 Rules & Regulations

IDEA 2024 entry is closed

IDEA judges inspect an entry

All IDEA 2024 entries must meet the following criteria:

Participant Qualifications

  • IDEA 2024 is open to designs and designers worldwide. 

  • Designs may be entered in multiple categories, but each entry must be submitted (and paid for) separately. Please note: awards will not be given to the same design in more than one product category (i.e., an entry will not win in both Medical & Health and Home).

  • If an entry did not win a Gold, Silver or Bronze IDEA in 2023, but still meets all the other criteria (including two-year distribution window), it may be resubmitted by the designer for consideration in 2024.  

  • Only collegiate student (undergraduate or graduate level) entries may be submitted in the student category. If you are a college student and wish to be judged as a professional, you may do so; however, you will be charged the professional entry fee.

  • Members of IDSA receive exclusive discounted pricing when entering IDEA. Join IDSA today.

Product / Project Distribution Qualifications

  • IDEA aims to recognize products and services that are real and available for purchase, in its final form to its intended end users, through normal sales channels. Exceptions to this rule are in the case of the Social Impact Design category, where products often are given as part of an aid effort / charity program, the Concept & Speculative Design category, or in the case of Collegiate Student projects which are singular creations not meant for distribution. 

  • Professional conceptual design entries must be submitted in the Concept & Speculative Design Category. ‘Concept’ is defined here as a product, service, or experience that is NOT available for purchase to the public or that has NOT been developed to the point of tangible production and distribution. Concept entries may also be speculative in nature and could include technologies or features that do not yet exist. 

  • Project Distribution:

    • Professional entries must have been placed into distribution between March 1, 2022 and March 1, 2024.  

    • Professional concept designs must have been finalized or completed between March 1, 2022 and March 1, 2024.

    • Collegiate (undergraduate or graduate level) student entries must have been submitted to the school between March 1, 2022 and March 1, 2024.

Terms & Conditions

THE JUDGING IS BLIND
The designers, their names and the names or logos of consulting firms may not appear anywhere in the entry form or image/file uploads. Failure to abide by this rule results in immediate disqualification. It is acceptable for brand names or logos of manufacturing companies/clients to appear ONLY if they are inherent to the product.

JUDGES’ DECISIONS / COMPETITION OUTCOMES
All decisions of the Jury (and Sponsors, if applicable) are final. IDSA makes no representations or guarantees as to the number and level of IDEAs given each year. All entries are evaluated by multiple judges and only those with top scores are given award honors. If a product is entered into multiple categories, awards will not be given to the same design in more than one product category (i.e., an entry will not win in both Medical & Health and Home).

ENTRY CATEGORIES
IDEA categories are designed to allow similar products to be evaluated against each other in a fair and equal manner. The jury and/or organizers have the exclusive right to move entries among categories to the benefit of the entry without consulting the entrant.

PUBLICATION & PROMOTIONAL CONDITIONS
Entrant agrees to grant IDSA, its Sponsor(s), third-party vendors and agents an irrevocable, royalty-free, worldwide and perpetual license to publish, display and use the submitted design, entrant’s name, voice, photograph, logo, other mark or likeness, as well as same for the designer(s), for advertising and promoting the competition and other related purposes in any media without additional permission or compensation (optional for TN residents).  The entrant further acknowledges and agrees by his/her/its submission of an entry that IDSA shall retain the irrevocable, royalty free and perpetual right to retain the entered submission and data contained in the submission in IDSA’s archives. By submitting an entry, you agree that IDSA and any other party authorized by it shall have permission to publish any material contained in the submission. Award entry material is on the public record and no content will be treated confidentially. Selected entrants may also be required to provide other relevant information. Unless restricted by law, each selected entrant will be required to complete and return the Release along with requested supplementary judging material within the time period specified therein. 

ITEMS KEPT BY THE HENRY FORD MUSEUM

Entries that progress to Round 2 of the competition will be invited to send a physical example of the product to The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan (USA). These products will be reviewed by IDEA judges during Round 2 of the competition. Size, weight, and other limitations do apply. Prototypes, concepts, appearance models (or similar) will not be accepted by the Museum and should not be sent. Items requiring significant assembly may not be fully assembled on site. Round 2 Finalists will be notified and provided shipping details at the conclusion of Round 1 portion of the competition.

Only IDEA 2024 Gold, Silver, Bronze winning entries that meet the requirements for in-person judging will have the ability to be kept by The Henry Ford Museum to be included in their permanent collection.  Participation in this portion of the program is optional and participants are responsible for paying for all shipping fees. Items will be returned (at owners expense) if you do not wish to have your product kept by The Henry Ford Museum.   

 

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS
The entrant acknowledges and agrees that neither IDSA nor any Sponsor shall be requested or required to participate in any current or future dispute between the entrant and any third party with respect to any intellectual property rights to the entry. To the fullest extent permitted by law, IDSA and the Sponsor(s) specifically disclaim any and all liability with respect to any dispute that arises between the entrant and a third party over the intellectual property rights to the entry. The entrant agrees that he/she/it shall indemnify and hold harmless IDSA, its officers, directors, employees and volunteers, as well as the Sponsor(s) from and against any and all third party claims, actions, causes of action, liabilities, judgments, injuries or damages to persons or property, costs and expenses, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, arising out of or resulting from any dispute or claim by a third party to the intellectual property rights of the entry. This duty of indemnification shall survive the conclusion of the 2024 Competition.  Entrant warrants that the entry is his/her/its original design or creation and that the same does not infringe or violate the intellectual property rights of any third party.

PRIVACY
All personal information collected by IDSA and the Sponsors will be used for administration of the Contest. Please review IDSA’s Privacy Policy for complete information on how IDSA manages your data. Please refer to Sponsors’ privacy policy located on their websites for important information regarding the collection, use and disclosure of personal information by Sponsor.

COMPETITION LANGUAGE
All official communications for IDEA are written in English. Any dispute between translated competition materials will default to the English version.

THE COMPETITION IS SUBJECT TO THESE OFFICIAL RULES
By participating, entrants agree to be bound by and adhere to these complete Official Rules and, whether or not a member, the Code of Ethics on IDSA’s website. All decisions of Sponsor are final and binding; entrants agree to waive any right to claim ambiguity in the Competition or these Official Rules, except where such waiver is otherwise prohibited by law.  By accepting an award, winner agrees to forever release IDSA and the Sponsor(s), together with their respective affiliates, directors, employees, officers, licensees, licensors and agents of each, including without limitation, their respective advertising and promotion entities and any person or entity associated with the production, judging or administration of the Competition, (collectively, the Releasees) from any and all liability, loss or damage arising from or in connection with awarding, receipt and/or use or misuse of award or participation in any award-related activities.  IDSA and the Sponsor(s) reserve the right to use the Competition  for publicity purposes in any media, and to use the name, likeness, entry materials and hometown name and/or award information of selected entrants as part of that publicity, without any compensation or prior review unless prohibited by law. IDSA or Sponsor(s) may cancel the Competition at any time and for any reason, at its sole discretion.  This Competition is void everywhere such contests are prohibited or restricted by law and subject to applicable federal, state provincial and local laws.  IDSA and the Sponsor(s) reserve the right to disqualify any entrant it finds to be tampering with the entry process or the operation of the Competition or violating these Official Rules. The Releasees shall not be liable for: (i) late, lost, delayed, misdirected, incomplete, unreadable, inaccurate, garbled or unintelligible entries or communications; (ii) broadband, cable, telephone system, telephone or computer hardware, software or other technical or computer malfunctions, lost connections, disconnections, delays or transmission errors; (iii) data corruption, theft, destruction, unauthorized access to or alteration of entry or other materials; (iv) any injuries, losses or damages of any kind caused by acceptance of the award or resulting from acceptance, possession or use of the award, or from participation in the Competition ; or (v) any printing, typographical, administrative or technological errors in any materials associated with the Competition.  IDSA and Sponsor(s) disclaim any liability for damage to any computer system resulting from participating in, or accessing or downloading information in connection with this Competition, and reserve the right, in their sole discretion, to cancel, modify or suspend the Competition  should a virus, bug, computer problem, unauthorized intervention or other causes beyond IDSA or the Sponsor(s) control, corrupt the administration, security or proper play of the Competition.  IDSA and/or the Sponsor(s) may prohibit an entrant from participating in the Competition or winning award if, in its/their sole discretion, it determines such entrant is attempting to undermine the legitimate operation or integrity of the Competition  in any way by cheating, hacking, deception or any other unfair playing practices of intending to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other participants, IDSA  or Sponsor(s) representatives. Disputes regarding these Official Rules and/or this Contest will be governed by the internal laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia.  Any and all legal actions or claims arising in connection with this Competition must be brought in a court of competent jurisdiction within Virginia, and you agree to jurisdiction and venue in the courts of Virginia.  Entrant acknowledges and agrees that IDSA reserves the right to amend, modify or terminate the competition at any time.  CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE IDSA or any of the Sponsors AND/OR COMPETITION – RELATED WEBSITES OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE COMPETITION MAY BE IN VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND WILL RESULT IN DISQUALIFICATION FROM PARTICIPATION IN THE COMPETITION.  SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, IDSA AND/OR THE SPONSOR(S) RESERVE THE RIGHT TO SEEK ALL AVAILABLE LEGAL REMEDIES AND DAMAGES (INCLUDING ATTORNEYS’ FEES AND COURT COSTS) TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW, INCLUDING CRIMINAL PROSECUTION.

Request an official rules copy

For a copy of these Official Rules, send a request in a self-addressed, stamped envelope (WA, VT and Canadian residents need not affix return postage) to:  IDEA Official Rules, 1110 Herndon Parkway, Suite 307 | Herndon, VA 20170. Or send an email request to [email protected].

IDSA and IDEA are trademarks of the Industrial Designers Society of America.

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