IAUD International
Design Award
2025
About IAUD International Design Award
The IAUD International Design Awards were established in 2010 in order to promote
and champion Universal Design (UD) by recognizing and rewarding outstanding achievements and
in particular products, services and environments that ensure people of all ages and abilities
can enjoy an active, independent and productive life, regardless of age, gender, nationality,
ethnicity, culture, ability, customs, religion or other factors. The goal of IAUD and the Awards program is
to foster social structures that are sustainable and universal, favour diversity and inclusion,
ensure safety and promote human rights and responsibilities, encourage dialogue,
collaboration and co-operation, and ensure the passing-on of appropriate knowledge and
skills from one generation to the next.
IAUD International Design Award 2025 Jury Panel, composed of the academic experts,
UD specialists, and other knowledgeable individuals (an organization of fair and neutral third parties)
judged the entries rigorously and impartially. The judging criteria for the IAUD International Design Award 2025
included "Push the boundaries of UD in new and exciting directions,"
"Prioritize high-quality user-based research, in particular direct engagement with disabled users
and others at risk of being excluded from the market," "Consciously avoid exclusivity arising
from innovations and new technologies, in particular for specific groups of users," and
"Demonstrate long-term corporate commitment to UD, supported by a company-wide vision and
plan to ensure continuing improvement."
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Gold Award 2025
In the category of Package Design"Guide for QR": Enhancing Accessibility for Those With Visual Disabilities Through Tactile Navigation That Supports Information Access
Sony developed "Guide for QR," a tactile design that guides users with visual disabilities to QR codes on audio product packaging. Through the inclusive design approach, we also made the system usable for those with low vision by considering minimum code size and graphic contrast.
*QR Code is a trademark of Denso Wave Inc.
Jury Comment
The jury recognises this project as an exemplary universal design initiative, deeply co-designed with blind and low-vision users, rigorously tested across multiple prototypes, and distilled into a simple and beautifully executed tactile system. Although it focuses mainly on packaging, application in other areas, e.g. the built environment and museums, is strongly encouraged. Through its open-specification model and cross-industry adoption, backed by Sony's commitment and credibility, the project represents an important and scalable bridge between the physical and digital worlds, with the potential to bring clarity and predictability to an area currently defined by inconsistency.