Communication Arts Design Competition 2026 is the latest edition of the long-running juried program run by Communication Arts, inviting outstanding graphic design from across professional practice and education. The competition focuses on work first printed, published or aired from May 2025 through May 2026, covering a broad range of design fields including packaging, trademarks, identity systems, editorial, books, posters, motion graphics, environmental graphics and student work.
The scope is especially strong for entrants working across communication design formats rather than a single niche. Eligible submissions range from single pieces to series and large integrated branding programs, with categories for both client-facing commissions and self-promotional work. The competition also includes nonprofit and student sections, making it relevant to studios, independent designers, agencies, institutions and emerging practitioners alike.
For entrants, the value of the competition lies in its specialist jury, its long-established place within the Communication Arts annuals, and the visibility that comes with selection in a respected design-focused context. Because the categories span everything from print systems to motion and environmental design, the award offers a useful platform for presenting both craft and strategic thinking within the wider field of graphic design.
Entry fee: Entry fees vary by category and format, from $20 for certain student JPG entries to $300 for Integrated Branding Programs; most professional single JPG entries are $45, common series entries are $90, PDFs are often $60 to $120, and video entries often range from $45 to $220, with a $10 late fee per entry after May 8, 2026.
Eligibility
Open to design projects from any country that were first printed, published or aired from May 2025 through May 2026, including student work created for school assignments, with English translation required for jurors where needed and AI text-to-image generated submissions not accepted.
Prize
Winning entrants receive a personalized Award of Excellence milled from solid aluminum, along with award certificates for firms, individuals and clients, and the selected work is published in the 2026 Design Annual in print and digital editions and on commarts.com.
