The 2026 Seoul Design Week kicked off today (October 14), bringing together ideas from global designers aimed at solving social and environmental issues alongside the achievements of Seoul's design industry.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Design Foundation held the opening ceremony and the Seoul Design Award 2026 ceremony at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP).

Running under the theme "Design Recipe," this year's event continues through October 25 at the DDP and venues across Seoul.

A record number of 1,204 projects from 91 countries were submitted to the Seoul Design Award this year.

Following evaluations by 36 experts from 20 countries, the Top 10 projects selected include designs addressing social and environmental problems, such as artificial coral reefs for restoring marine ecosystems and a platform for sharing mobility information for wheelchair users.

The grand prize this year was awarded to the "Otter Newborn Warmer" by Design That Matters in the United States.

It is a portable neonatal warmer equipped with a power system that operates even during power outages to protect newborns from hypothermia and the risk of infection in environments lacking electricity and medical resources.

Mauro Porcini, Chief Design Officer (CDO) at Samsung Electronics, evaluated, "This is a project infused with empathy and creativity to understand human needs and protect lives. By considering simple, intuitive usability and economic accessibility, it demonstrated that design can create substantial changes in people's lives."

The final grand prize winner was selected on this day by combining live presentations by the Top 10 designers, jury evaluations, and public voting.

The DDP Design Fair, running through October 18, features participation from 79 lifestyle brands.

Around 100 students across 20 university designer teams are also showcasing collaborative outcomes with companies such as Hyundai Motor.

Hongik University and Hyundai Motor are proposing a home wellness robot and future living environments, while Seoul National University of Science and Technology and the Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation are presenting products utilizing currency byproducts.

Design-related discussions will also continue.

The Seoul Design Conference held on this day covers resource circulation, artificial intelligence (AI), future society, and global design policies, followed by presentations from domestic and international experts on October 15 and 18 under the themes of Seoul's urban culture and the competitiveness of K-design.

The "Seoul Design Road" is operating to connect 150 design landmarks across five districts including DDP, Dongdaemun, Seongsu, Yeonhui, Seochon, and Apgujeong, and a design market with 200 vendors is being held at the DDP outdoor area.
 
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said, "Over the past 20 years, Seoul has grown into a city leading global design trends by enhancing its urban competitiveness through design. Moving forward, we will continue to support young designers' creative challenges so they translate into industrial growth and improvements in citizens' lives, developing Seoul into a world-class design hub."

(Photo: Yonhap News)