world design rankings 2020 announced!

innovations in design, architecture and art were key to making it through 2020. with the start of the new year, we take a look at the latest world design rankings which reveal the countries with the most recipients of the A’ design award and competition annually. the table – as well as its data and insights – aim to highlight not only good design but state-of-the-art creativity per country. in turn, it promotes and contributes to a global design culture. continuing the trends from 2019, china once again tops the rankings in 2020 with 86 platinum design awards won. the top 10 also features the same nations but with different orders. USA secured second place again, followed by japan, italy and then hong kong – who leap-frogged great britain in sixth – taiwan and germany move above turkey – who fell from seventh to ninth – and finally australia in tenth. the table includes two new countries to the list: macau and iraq.

to add to your country’s ranking and receive international recognition, register and submit your best work to the 2021 A’ design award and competition now.

world design rankings map

find the full table for the world design rankings 2020, below:

the world design rankings list countries by the number of platinum awards won at the A’ design award and competition. gold follows next, then silver, bronze and, finally, iron to determine the standings. following 2019, the table also includes a ‘design business insights’ section which ranks nations based on their success in specific yet diverse categories. this enables industry members to understand ‘design strengths’ such as finding out which country is best for furniture, architecture, lighting and more; ‘design weaknesses’ to understand which fields a nation might be below average for; and ‘design opportunities’ that recognizes categories within design that could be explored further for great benefit.

hubertus by elisabeth mitterer
A’ design award winner in hospitality, recreation, travel and tourism design category, 2017
image © alex filz

as well as countries, the world design rankings also rate the top creatives: either individually or by category. the ‘design classification‘ platform ranks designers, artists and architects in hundreds of creative fields and design categories, including architecture, interior design, furniture design, fashion design, graphics design and packaging design among many, many more. for those interested in discovering the top designers, artists and architects regardless of the discipline, the ‘designer rankings‘ provide an overall score of individuals based on the number of design awards won globally. this is in more than hundred creative disciplines like product design, graphic design, architecture, interior design, and more.

cloud by shota urasaki
A’ design award winner in furniture, decorative items and homeware design category, 2020
image © shota urasaki, 2019

interested to enter? designers and architects can register their designs for the A’ design award and competition here before the deadline on february 28, 2021.

termalija family wellness by ENOTA
A’ design award winner in architecture, building and structure design category, 2020
image © photographer miran kambič

phuket vip mercury by songhuan wu
A’ design award winner in interior space and exhibition design category, 2020
image © NHD-design,2019

fogo island shed by todd saunders
A’ design award winner in hospitality, recreation, travel and tourism design category, 2019
image © bent rené synnevåg

coupe by nagano interior industry co.,ltd.
A’ design award winner in furniture, decorative items and homeware design category, 2020
image © nagano interior industry co.,ltd.

the peach garden by chao zhou
A’ design award winner in architecture, building and structure design category, 2020
image © he lian, the peach garden, view box, 2019

K11 musea by crystal chan
A’ design award winner in interior space and exhibition design category, 2020
image © edmon leong

seehof: a garden architecture by noa* network of architecture
A’ design award winner in hospitality, recreation, travel and tourism design category, 2018
image © alex filz, seehof, 2017

osker by gunther pelgrims
A’ design award winner in furniture, decorative items and homeware design category, 2020
image © kris thijs

Z line house by revano satria
A’ design award winner in architecture, building and structure design category, 2020
image © fernando gomulya photography

en skincare by ARCHIEE
A’ design award winner in interior space and exhibition design category, 2020
image © david foessel