Today marks 19 days to go until entries for IDEA 2023 close. Get your entry in before Sunday 18 June 2023 for your chance to win one of Australia’s most prestigious independent interior design awards.

With less than a month to go until IDEA 2023 closes, we thought we’d answer a few of your FAQs about this year’s awards. Make sure to have your entries in so you don’t miss out on the industry’s premiere awards night of nights!

When does IDEA 2023 close?

Sunday 18 June 2023 at midnight AEST.

Who can enter IDEA?

The competition is open to Australian designers with completed projects in Australia. 

International projects completed by Australian architects and/or designers are only eligible to enter the International Project category.

All entrants must be Australian residents. The definition of an Australian resident is someone who has lived and worked in Australia for 12 months and over. Read more about the conditions of entry.

Can unbuilt or speculative projects be entered?

Projects must be completed at the time of entry. Speculative projects, client pitches, and/or mock-ups will not be valid.

Eligible projects must have been completed between January 2022 and June 2023, providing the project hasn’t been entered in IDEA previously. Projects for the Community Services category need to have been completed between January 2020 and June 2023.

How many categories are there this year?

There are 15 categories open for entry this year, ranging from the Best Use of Colour to Best Hospitality Project, Best Single Residential to Best Institutional, International and Public Space. There are also categories for object and furniture design.

Our three special awards are: Overall Project Winner, Designer of the Year, and Emerging Designer of the Year. 

Which category should I enter my project into?

You can enter the same project into multiple categories.

There are also four special awards. You can nominate your project for the Sustainability and/or Emerging Designer Awards (for practices/studios five years old or younger) by checking a box on your entry form and supplying a 200-word explanation of your eligibility.

The final three special awards are selected from the year’s entries by our panel of judges (Designer of the Year, Overall Project of the Year and Gold Medal).

Is the entry process complicated?

No, our entry process is pretty easy. You will be asked to supply the following:

• A statement for each of the key criteria.
• At least four high-resolution (300 DPI) project images, 1000px wide. Renders will not be accepted.
• At least one high-resolution (300 DPI) project plan, 1000px wide.
• Submissions to the Object – Furniture and Lighting categories may include a sketch or plan of the work before completion.
• Any entrants that wish to be included for the Sustainability or Emerging Designer awards must present a short statement for each.
• Please provide a  specification sheet for this project. If you are unable to do so, please provide a pdf document listing the main furnishing, lighting appliances and any other major suppliers.

Once you have paid the fee and completed the online entry form, your entry will be automatically submitted.

Who are this year’s judges?

We are incredibly lucky to have a selection of Australian design trailblazers on our IDEA 2023 jury.

Stay tuned as we announce our jury on Australian Design Review!

What will they be looking for?

While each category has specific criteria for entry (for more information, see categories and special awards), the jury will be looking at the following three key criteria in determining the shortlist, highly commended and winners:

1. The big idea behind the project
2. Excellence in design outcomes
3. How the project responded to the brief

Will I need to pay for anything else once I have submitted my entry?

No. There are no hidden costs involved with IDEA 2023. We will not charge you for your trophy or anything else if you win.

There is also no obligation to attend the award’s gala party, which will be held in Sydney at the end of the year.

Will my project be published only if I win?

No! Entering IDEA isn’t just a chance to get your project in front of our jury of incredible designers and win a pretty cool (and very heavy) trophy.

We will be publishing a longlist of projects on Australian Design Review and our social media platforms. We’ll also be publishing the shortlist online and in inside magazine later in the year.

After that, we will be highlighting shortlisted projects online and in print in dedicated features and practice/studio profiles throughout 2023 on Australian Design Review.

All winning and highly commended projects are featured in a dedicated issue of inside, which is released in December.

The winning and highly commended projects and designers will be profiled and published online and in print throughout 2023.

And you might even get an invite to be a judge in next year’s awards like Jade Nottage, co-founder of design studio Tom Mark Henry alongside Cushla McFadden, who was shortlisted in 2022’s Retail and Hospitality categories

So in short, there are plenty of opportunities to share your project, not just with our IDEA judges, but also with our editorial team and the design community at large.

Is IDEA international?

International projects completed by Australian architects and/or designers are only eligible to enter the International Project category.

What if I have problems logging into my account?

If you’ve entered IDEA before, you can use the same account details to submit your entry this year. If you have problems logging in, drop us a line at idea@niche.com.au.

What if I need help?

If you run into issues or have any questions email us at idea@niche.com.au or visit our contact us and how to enter pages for more information.

IDEA 2023 will be judged by a panel of industry experts. We’ll be announcing more judges soon.To sign up for our newsletter and stay up-to-date with all awards-related news, head to the IDEA website.