First Meeting of the NCD Council Marks a New Chapter for the Slovak Design Award
The NCD Council Meets for the First Time
The first meeting of the NCD Council, a new advisory body of the Slovak Design Center, took place in May. The council was established in connection with changes to the format of the Slovak Design Award (NCD, from the Slovak Národná cena za dizajn). Its purpose is to provide expert support for the further development of the competition, strengthen its transparency, and contribute to the systematic presentation of Slovak design.
The Slovak Design Award Introduces a New Format
Beginning in 2026, the Slovak Design Award (NCD) enters a new phase. The competition will now follow a biennial cycle: one year will be dedicated to the competition and award ceremony, while the following year will focus on the presentation and promotion of the selected works. The next call for entries will take place in 2027 and will combine both Product Design and Communication Design into a single edition.
Role and Responsibilities of the Council
The establishment of the NCD Council reflects the need for long-term expert reflection on the direction of the competition and its societal significance. The council serves as an advisory body, providing recommendations and proposals regarding the concept of NCD, its professional and social focus, and general organizational matters. The council also submits recommendations concerning the composition of the NCD jury.
Council members may submit proposals and comments on all topics under discussion. They are also expected to actively familiarize themselves with relevant materials in order to formulate informed opinions. An important aspect of the council’s work is its emphasis on preventing conflicts of interest, maintaining professional standards, and ensuring the credibility of the entire process.
Members of the NCD Council
“We see the NCD Council as a key advisory body for the professional concept, strategy, and societal impact of the Slovak Design Award. We have assembled it from prominent representatives of the Slovak design scene, experts from various fields of design, representatives of universities, marketing professionals, and practitioners, ensuring that the voices of multiple generations are represented—from established figures to the emerging generation of design talent. We believe that a council structured in this way will strengthen the confidence in and professional credibility of the Slovak Design Award to a degree that reflects the significance of this Slovak design award,” said Silvia Seneši Lutherová, Deputy Director for Professional Affairs.
The members of the NCD Council are: Juraj Blaško, Michaela Chmelíčková, Simona Janišová, Sylvia Jokelová, Barbara Kowalczuková, Michala Lipková, Branislav Matis, Boris Meluš, Bystrík Míček, Jakub Pollág, Erika Remencová, Róbert Slovák, Zuzana Šebeková, and Michal Tornyai.
Exhibition in Košice and a New Visual Identity
The year 2026 will also be dedicated to works from the 2024 and 2025 editions, which the Slovak Design Center will present at the end of the year in a joint representative exhibition at the East Slovak Gallery in Košice. The exhibition will build on the successful presentation of NCD 2024 – Communication Design in 2025, when the Slovak Design Award was showcased outside Bratislava for the first time, establishing a new tradition of presenting the exhibition in other regions of Slovakia as well.
Preparations for the next edition will also include the launch of a competition for a new visual identity for NCD, reflecting the updated format and future direction of the award, as well as the appointment of the jury members for the 2027 edition.
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