Spanning architecture, products, craft, graphics, digital and service design, the awards include a €15,000 Jury Prize and a National Museum of Ireland acquisition worth up to €10,000.
Design & Crafts Council Ireland (DCCI), in partnership with the National Museum of Ireland (Museum), has today revealed the projects nominated for the inaugural Irish Design Excellence Award (IDEA), celebrating the breadth, quality and cultural significance of contemporary Irish design, as part of Irish Design Week (IDW) 2026.
The new awards initiative, which will take place at the National Design & Craft Gallery in Kilkenny, on November 7, brings together projects nominated by leading Irish design organisation recognising work that demonstrates design excellence, innovation, impact and contemporary relevance. The winning creative project of the IDEA Jury Prize will receive a prize fund of €15,000. The IDEA National Collection Acquisition will be awarded by the National Museum of Ireland with a purchase fund of up to €10,000.
The shortlisted projects are:
- Oscar-nominated short film Retirement Plan, directed by John Kelly;
- Internationally acclaimed architecture project Backpacking Housing, by Superposition;
- Visually stimulating exhibition The Intelligence Garden, an immersive visual storytelling digital installation, originally displayed at the Outernet, London
- Tapestry of Ireland, a visual representation capturing everyday Irish life, by artist Eileen McNulty
- All Ways Home, a short illustrated film by Alan Dunne, released to mark the launch of EIRSAT-1, Ireland’s first space mission;
- Mega Dreoilín, a video game created by Namaco, holding a mirror up to society’s increasing housing crisis.
- A selection of poems by acclaimed artist, filmmaker and poet Paul Yates MCMLXVII-MMXXIII
- EquiMetrics and Frontend.com’s “S-PRO”, a wearable technology platform designed to give racehorse trainers insights into performance, fitness and recovery.
- Arklow Wastewater Treatment Plant, by Clancy Moore Architects.
From architecture and product design to graphics, advertising to digital experiences, and service design, the exhibition offers a unique snapshot of contemporary Irish creativity, showcasing the extraordinary breadth and depth of Ireland’s creative sector on the world stage.
Announcing the shortlist, Mary Blanchfield, CEO of Design & Crafts Council Ireland, said: “Today marks a significant step in recognising Ireland’s talent, expertise and craftsmanship. With the introduction of the IDEA award, we hope to encourage designers, makers and creatives to continue pushing boundaries, innovate and challenge the world around us. The standard of submissions for the inaugural award was exceptional, setting the bar remarkably high. Design & Crafts Council is proud to support an initiative that ensures Irish design is both celebrated and recognised. Congratulations to all nominated projects.”
Dónal Maguire, Keeper of the Art and Industrial Division at the National Museum of Ireland, said: “The National Museum of Ireland, Collins Bararcks, is proud to partner with DCCI and to recognise and celebrate Irish design in its diverse forms and functions. The Museum’s collections reflect the creativity, craft and innovation that has shaped Ireland’s design heritage and the IDEA awards are a unique opportunity to highlight these qualities in contemporary design practice. The Museum’s IDEA acquisitions will grow the national collection as a broader expression of human creativity and as source of inspiration to future designers.
The nominated projects will form part of the inaugural Irish Design Excellence Award Exhibition at the National Design & Craft Gallery in Kilkenny, opening on 7 November as part of DCCI Irish Design Week 2026. The exhibition runs until 23 January 2027.
The winner of the IDEA award will be announced on Saturday 7th November.
Irish Design Week takes place nationwide with events open to the public from 7-14 November. The full programme and ticket information are available at www.irishdesignweek.ie.