Process

The Good Design Award takes place once a year. Below is a brief outline of the stages involved in this process from the submission of the applications through the final awards ceremony.

Applications

Each year in April, the application rules and member of juries for that particular year are posted on the G Mark web site.
Companies or designers apply on this web site by early June.

First Screening

Jury Committee begins the screening process by confirming screening policy of the year and adjusting opinions of jury members.
This first screening is based on the data provided at the time the application was submitted.
At this stage, jury determine whether a product meets outline of the award, and if the item is designed based on 5 items of screening policy.

Second Screening

The second screening is the core screening for the Good Design Award, and it takes place at an exhibit hall (Tokyo Big Sight) at the end of August each year.
During this stage of the screening, jury actively seek out the "outstanding aspects" of each entry in their efforts to judge the level of design quality for the products under consideration. Standing in front of the actual products themselves, each jury scrutinizes entries, judging them according to a list of criteria developed to uphold specific screening standards. The jury debate and confer among themselves, and through repeated discussion reach a consensus on which products will receive a Good Design Award, "Long Life Design Award", and "Frontier Design Award".
In certain cases, an additional screening process, involving presentations by designers or on-site examinations of architectural pieces and other works, may also be conducted. The public was invited to attend the hearing on passenger car design presentation.

Once the screening process is complete, the exhibit hall is opened to the public for the Good Design Expo.

Special Awards Adjudication

After completing the second screening, the Special Awards Adjudication is held to select special awards such as the Gold Prize.
Attended by the Jury Chairman and Vice-chairman, as well as leaders in each of the individual screening categories and units, the adjudication meeting is the scene of extensive and intense debate. Among the products nominated for a special award during the second stage of the standard Good Design Award screening process, the items addressing social issues and with high quality design are selected. Once all of the special awards have been determined, a list of candidates for the Grand Prize is drawn up.

Award Announcement

In early October, a press conference is held, and all Good Design Award, "Long Life Design Award", "Frontier Design Award", and "Special Award" winners are announced. The list of all award winners is publicized globally over the G Mark website on the same day the press conference is held.
Moreover, individual award winners hold their own press conferences and post the news on their own websites to publicize the fact that their company has been honored with a Good Design Award.
From this day, award winners are able to use "G mark" on the award winning item.

Awards Ceremony and Selection of Grand Prize Winner

Toward the end of October, the Good Design Award Ceremony is held and the winner of the Grand Prize is selected.
The Good Design Grand Prize award is intended to single out the design that best addresses the latest design issues and excites a broad segment of society with a vision for the future. The Good Design Grand Prize winner is chosen by ballot, with all jurors and Good Design Award winners eligible to vote.
During October and November, which is the time the award ceremony is held, the award exhibition is held at "Design Hub" of Tokyo Midtown. And in January of the following year, "Japan Design", the year book which includes all award winning items of the year is published.