DFA AWARDS UNVEILS ITS VISIONARY WINNERS
Since its inception in 2003, the DFA Awards has served as a vital platform to celebrate exceptional design achievements across Asia, highlighting projects that push creative boundaries and address global challenges. The 2025 laureates represent a powerful convergence of legacy and future-forward thinking, from Don Norman’s foundational user-centric theories to the organic, nature-inspired architecture of Ma Yansong. Other distinguished honorees include global luxury icon Christina Ong, modern hospitality visionary André Fu, and the inaugural DFA Asian Design Vanguard recipient, Rahul Mishra, whose work demonstrates how high fashion can empower local artisans and drive cultural preservation.
DFA Awards 2025 celebrate 5 winners | all images courtesy of DFA Awards
CELEBRATING REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENTS IN GLOBAL AND ASIAN DESIGN
DFA Awards’ 2025 laureates embody a diverse spectrum of design excellence with works bridging the gap between traditional craftsmanship, human-centric technology, and global lifestyle ecosystems.
Renowned for championing the principle that design must serve people, Don Norman is the recipient of the DFA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2025. A visionary leader whose career spans pivotal roles at Apple and Hewlett Packard, Norman has profoundly shaped our interaction with technology by bridging the gap between social sciences and engineering. His work is dedicated to humanizing technology through design that is intuitive, accessible, and deeply respectful of the human experience, establishing a foundational lexicon for the entire field.
DFA Lifetime Achievement Award 2025 – Don Norman
Christina Ong, the founder of the COMO Group, is celebrated with the DFA Design Leadership Award 2025. Renowned for building a global empire that seamlessly spans fashion, hospitality, and wellness, Ong has established herself as a powerful shaper of international lifestyle trends. From her early success with Club21 to the celebrated revival of the British luxury brand Mulberry, her strategic acumen has architected complete ecosystems of luxury that empower artisans and set timeless standards of excellence.
DFA Design Leadership Award 2025 – Christina Ong
Beijing-born Ma Yansong, founder of MAD Architects, is the recipient of the 2025 DFA World’s Outstanding Chinese Designer. Synonymous with a new generation of architecture, Ma creates futuristic, organic designs that balance humanity, nature, and the environment. His groundbreaking works, including the sprawling Quzhou Sports Park and the visionary Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles, integrate humanistic values with the poetic essence of nature and cutting-edge technological innovation.
DFA World’s Outstanding Chinese Designer 2025 – Ma Yansong
The DFA Designer of the Year 2025 honors André Fu, whose work has revolutionized modern luxury by blending cultural sensibilities with art and craftsmanship. For fifteen years, his holistic practice has drawn equally on European beauty and Oriental qualities to create timeless spaces, including iconic hospitality projects such as The Upper House in Hong Kong and the recently reopened Dusit Thani in Bangkok. Fu is celebrated for creating iconic, cross-cultural spaces that shape the present and define the future of global luxury.
DFA Designer of the Year 2025 – André Fu
The inaugural DFA Asian Design Vanguard 2025 recognizes Rahul Mishra for his visionary approach to redefining the fashion industry as a vehicle for social change and ecological responsibility. Known for integrating traditional Indian craftsmanship with global haute couture, Mishra champions mindful luxury and has created sustainable employment for over a thousand artisans. His work creates a sustainable bridge between heritage and the global market, proving that luxury can be both beautiful and benevolent.
DFA Asian Design Vanguard 2025 – Rahul Mishra
10 GRAND AWARD WINNERS FOR DFA DESIGN FOR ASIA AWARDS
Another flagship programme is the DFA Design for Asia Awards 2025, which continues to spotlight design achievements that exert a significant impact across the region and beyond. From a total of 254 accolades conferred this year, 10 Grand Awards emerged as the pinnacle of innovation, standing alongside 20 Gold, 46 Silver, 72 Bronze, and 106 Merit Awards. These winning projects span six diverse disciplines — Communication, Digital & Motion, Fashion & Accessory, Product & Industrial, Service & Experience, and Spatial Design — illustrating the broad vision and cultural depth that characterize modern Asian design.
10 Grand Awards emerged from a total of 254 accolades of the DFA Design for Asia Awards 2025
project info:
name: DFA Awards 2025 | @dfa_awards
organizer: Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC) | @hkdesigncentre
sponsor: Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA)
DFA Lifetime Achievement Award 2025: Don Norman
DFA Design Leadership Award 2025: Christina Ong
DFA World’s Outstanding Chinese Designer 2025: Ma Yansong | @madarchitects
DFA Designer of the Year 2025: André Fu | @andrefustudio
DFA Asian Design Vanguard 2025: Rahul Mishra | @rahulmishra_7
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