Talmyn Designer of the Year
An annual recognition for a designer — product, brand, industrial, or digital — whose work this year solved a real problem elegantly, not just looked good.
What this offers
A feature about the problem, not just the visuals
We write about what the design had to solve and how it did that.
Discipline-agnostic
Open to product, brand, UX/UI, industrial, and packaging design alike.
No cost to nominate
Free, whether nominating your own work or someone else's.
Portfolio visibility
A permanent, linkable feature to point clients or employers to.
Who this is for
Designers, independent or agency-based, with a specific piece of work this year that solved a real constraint well.
How it works
- Nominate a designer. The specific project and what problem it solved.
- An editor reviews the work. We look at the design decisions, not just the final look.
- Strong nominees are featured. Added to the current year's list.
- The year's pick is announced. A full feature on the work.
Rules & eligibility
- This is free to enter, and always will be — we never charge a submission fee.
- No age, location, industry, or follower-count requirement. Selection is about the work itself, not who you are.
- Submitting doesn't guarantee publication or a reply beyond the automatic confirmation — we get more submissions than we can feature, and we'd rather say that upfront than overpromise.
- One nomination per person or company at a time. If yours isn't selected this round, you're welcome to be nominated again later.
- Selection is editorial, not a public vote — we're not obligated to name a winner every single cycle if nothing meets the bar.
How do I actually apply?
I describe the actual constraint the design had to work within — a tight budget, a technical limitation, a confusing user flow — and how the solution addressed it. That's more compelling than describing how something looks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does it cost anything to submit?
No. It's free to submit to Talmyn Designer of the Year, and free to be featured if selected. We don't charge for consideration, and we never will.
How long does it take to hear back?
If your nomination is selected, you'll hear from an editor directly. If it isn't, we don't send a rejection notice — the volume we receive makes that impractical.
Can I submit on behalf of someone else?
Only with their knowledge and involvement — we want the real details, and that usually means hearing from the person or team directly.
What happens if I'm not selected?
Nothing gets published without being selected first. Unselected submissions simply aren't used, and you're welcome to submit again later.
Does this run every year?
Yes — Talmyn Designer of the Year is evergreen. It runs all year, every year, with no deadline to catch.
Selection is editorial and unpaid on both sides — no one is charged to submit, and no one is paid for work we publish. Talmyn's editorial standards apply the same way here as everywhere else on the site.
Submit
Current nominees
The first entries are being reviewed now — check back soon, or be one of the first to submit yours below.