PAVE Student Design Competition

Name: PAVE Global International Student Design Competition

Award Amount: $4,000 per top winning concept

Information And Eligibility:
The PAVE Global International Student Design Competition is an annual design challenge hosted by PAVE Global, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the next generation of design talent. The competition invites college-level students from around the world to engage in a real-world design brief that mimics professional expectations in creating immersive consumer environments. Rather than being a traditional scholarship based solely on academic metrics, this competition tests creativity, technical skill, spatial thinking, and professional presentation — elements critical to success in fields such as retail planning, visual merchandising, interior design, architecture, branding, graphic design, UX/UI design, industrial design, and closely related disciplines.

Each year’s design brief is developed in partnership with an industry sponsor and reflects current trends, challenges, and opportunities in the built environment. For the current cycle, sponsored by The Hershey Company, participants are challenged to design an engaging “Store Within a Store” snacking destination that incorporates iconic brand elements, cutting-edge technology, sensory experience, and scalable retail solutions. This approach reinforces PAVE Global’s mission to cultivate design thinking that is both visionary and practical. Top submissions are evaluated through a blind review process by a panel of industry professionals, ensuring a rigorous and fair assessment of student talent.

Beyond the monetary award, winners receive unique professional development experiences, including invitations to attend the PAVE Gala in New York City where they are celebrated among peers and industry leaders. Travel expenses including airfare, hotel, and per diem are covered for U.S. and Canadian students, with a capped travel stipend for international participants. Educators associated with winning students may also receive travel stipends to attend the gala, further strengthening the collaborative bridge between students and their academic mentors.

Eligibility Requirements:

• Open to current undergraduate and graduate level students enrolled in accredited college programs globally.
• Students must be pursuing studies in retail planning, visual merchandising, interior design/architecture, branding, graphic design, UX/UI design, industrial design, or closely related fields.
• Entrants must submit individual design projects; team entries are not accepted.
• Student submissions must be presented anonymously — names and school identifiers cannot appear on submission materials.
• Design submissions should adhere to the competition’s format and quality guidelines as outlined in the published brief.

Application Requirements:

• Completed design submission delivered as an 11 x 17-inch landscape PDF file.
• Project entry must not exceed ten single-sided pages (excluding cover and reference pages).
• Submissions must respond comprehensively to the annual design brief, incorporating required creative and technical elements.
• Use of artificial intelligence is allowed for brainstorming and prototyping only if transparently documented in the submission.
• All participants must pre-register through the official PAVE portal to access the design brief and submission tools.

Deadline: October 30

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