Open Calls for Designers
In the world of artist opportunities, it's hard not to feel sidelined as a designer, even though your output shapes so much of our everyday life experience.
To help you out, we've compiled this list of current, design-focused opportunities. Whether it's a residency, competition, or open call, there's something for everyone looking for their next move in the industry.
Northeastern Illinois University | NEIU Art + Design Studio Art Residency
The NEIU Art + Design Studio Art Residency strives to create visible connections between Northeastern Illinois University’s diverse population of art and design students with working artists who embody these identities. For their residency, designers/artists work on campus and have full access to a huge range of facilities, including their design studio with the largest collection of Riso drums at any university in Chicago, 3D printing facilities, letterpress studio, ceramics studio, and much more.
Rewards: Honorarium of $800, exhibition, and studio access
TaDA - Textile and Design Alliance | Artist-in-Residence Programme
Do you work in the field of design, textile design, or architecture? Do you have a strong interest in textile production and its context? Then the TaDA Artist-in-Residence Programme offers you the unique opportunity to collaborate with renowned textile companies and research institutions in the cantons of Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Appenzell Innerrhoden, Glarus, Graubünden, Schaffhausen, St.Gallen, Zurich, and the Principality of Liechtenstein.
Rewards: Accommodation, travel, stipend, workplace, and more
TaDA - Textile and Design Alliance
Queer/Art | Design Grant
The Queer|Art Design Grant is a new initiative supporting projects that explore queer histories, legacies, and futures. The program will award two grants to emerging queer creatives across the design industry, making it the largest cash grant for LGBTQ+ designers in the country. This program provides critical support to US-based designers working across a variety of disciplines, including graphic design, architecture/landscape architecture, industrial/product design, fashion/textile/wearables, digital design, service design, furniture/home decor, materials research, interior design, and more.
Rewards: Grant of $10,000 USD
Yonge + St. Clair BIA | DesignTO 2027
The Yonge + St. Clair BIA is seeking proposals for installations as part of the 2027 DesignTO Festival – Canada’s largest annual celebration of art and design with over 100 exhibitions and events forming Toronto’s design week. They welcome designers, architects, fabricators, and multidisciplinary creatives to submit ambitious, site-specific installations that activate space, encourage exploration, and create memorable experiences.
Rewards: Budget from $5000-$700
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Desall | Futuristic Snack Designs
A leading company in the food and beverage sector, in collaboration with Desall, is looking for innovative concepts for a snack, either sweet or savory, aimed at a young consumer audience. The project should develop not only the food product itself but also its related branding, defining a clear and coherent identity capable of standing out for personality, contemporary relevance, and overall consumption experience.
Rewards: Winning Design: €5,000 and Acquisition Award: €2,000
AMADEUS Festival Vienna | International Design Competition 2026/2027
AMADEUS Festival Vienna announces its fifth International Design Competition 2026/2027, with a mission to promote and uplift fresh, emerging talents in the fields of visual arts and graphic design. This initiative, framed within the communication strategy of the Festival itself, aims to serve as a platform that recognizes and rewards the works of artists interested in the world of classical music, who help us project and promote the image of the Festival internationally. The theme of the fourth edition of this competition is "PRISMA".
Rewards: 450 EUR fee, a diploma, and feature the design as the official poster for the AMADEUS Festival Vienna
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