Zlín, December 10, 2025 – 3D visual creator Dan Zucco, award-winning product designer Anna Marešová, and fashion innovator Milan Florián Flíček, known for his activist approach to creating — these are the judges for the 17th edition of the Best in Design competition. Young designers have the opportunity to present their project to the top experts in the field, who set the direction of global design from communication to product and fashion to service innovations. Designers under 30 can submit their projects in four categories by February 1, 2026 and compete for a prize of up to 1,500 euros and more.
“If a person believes in their work so much that they spend days and nights on it, then we want to see it. Anyone considering applying is not risking anything. But they can gain everything,” encourages young creators Dalibor Itze, a newly appointed juror and last year’s absolute winner of Best in Design. In addition to the recognized designers, last year’s winners of the Best in Design competition will also sit on the jury.
Communication Design Category
Dan Zucco will once again sit on the jury for the Communication Design category as a permanent member. The Tasmanian digital artist creates 3D visuals. He has worked freelance for leading studios around the world and has been involved in the design and directing studio ManvsMachine, which has created campaigns and projects for brands such as Nike, Renault, Apple and Squarespace. “I look for real passion and belief in the idea, along with a clear explanation of the project and why it brings value to the world,” says juror Dan Zucco. The second member of the jury will be last year’s Best in Design winner, Dalibor Itze. Last year, he impressed the jury with his project Slovak Railways Redesign — a comprehensive visual and information system for Slovak railways. The pair of men will be joined by the third juror, Kamila Štěpničková. Her domain is branding and creating visual brand concepts primarily for foreign clients. The visuals she creates are very diverse, colorful and playful.
Product & Industrial Design Category
The first jury chair in the Product & Industrial Design category will be occupied by the founder of the intimate accessories brand Whoop·de·doo. Anna Marešová, a product designer, has won numerous awards for her designs – for example, the Whoop·de·doo vibrator received the Red Dot Award for product design (2016), and her project for a sightseeing tram for Prague, the T3 Coupé, won both the Red Dot Award and the German Design Award. The second juror will be Agnieszka Bujas. The Polish designer pays special attention to projects in the healthcare sector. She bases her work on understanding users – their needs, motivations and behaviour. With her project Home Care for the Newborn and Mother During the Postpartum Period – Mobile Midwife Workstation, she dominated a number of exhibitions and international competitions, including Best in Design 2025, where she won three awards.
Marek Kuźmiński will sit alongside the ladies as the final juror. This will be his third time participating in the competition. He became a juror for the first time last year and won the Best in Design title in 2024. His career is dedicated to social design and research into inclusive and universal design, especially in the context of children with disabilities. He hopes to use design to increase the self-esteem and self-confidence of these children. This intention underlines the transformative power of design to create a more inclusive and equal world.
Fashion Design Category
The Fashion Design category will be judged by Milan Florián Flíček. Today he works as a Czech fashion designer in the Danish capital. He is the holder of several fashion awards, including Best in Design. “Don’t be afraid to submit a project that is personal, bold and goes against the grain. Design has the power to change the way we live, and competitions are a great opportunity to show your own vision and get valuable feedback,” Milan encourages young designers. With his brand Our Shift, which won the Circular Startup of Scandinavia award, he upcycles tons of clothing and tents, creating sustainable and activist fashion. He presents this at fashion weeks in Amsterdam, Maastricht and especially in Copenhagen. His goal as part of the InTents EverRest project is to climb Mount Everest, save abandoned tents and create a unique upcycled collection from them.
His jury colleague will be the young Polish fashion designer and photographer Daria Dembicka. She specializes in designing and producing accessories, jewelry, shoes, and costumes. She draws inspiration from feminism and pop culture. Magazines such as Harper’s Bazaar, Pap Magazine, KMAG, and GMARO Magazine have published her work. She has participated in many national and European exhibitions, including Dutch Design Week 2024 and Zlin Design Week 2025. The name of the third judge was chosen in cooperation with the Slovak Fashion Council. Zuzana Vrábeľová is a Slovak artist and designer specializing in knitwear. Her knits resemble living shapes. She explores materials and their alternative relationships to the human body. Zuzana has exhibited her work throughout Europe and has not escaped the attention of the international media.
Service Design Category
The first juror of the Service Design category, Matěj Káninský, has twenty years of experience. He’s led design teams at the British BBC or the Czech Škoda Auto. Now his consultancy in the field of Experience Design is used by the largest American companies, major regional companies and promising startups. The role of juror will be repeated by a social designer and researcher at MOME, Janka Csernák. She is the co-founder of the Social Design Network. Her research focuses on the relationship between gender and social design, and on the links between speculative design and social innovations. The third jury seat will be occupied by Karolína Menclerová, who connects research, design and the involvement of people in the design process. She believes that service design is created in dialogue when people can get involved, share experiences and together find ways to improve services. She currently works at Masaryk University, where she participates in the development of the Czech national data infrastructure within the EOSC CZ project, and where, as a UX researcher, she supports the creation of systems for managing and sharing scientific data.
Bonus category Media Award
The Media Award will be presented by a special jury for the fifth time. This year, the category will be judged by Veronika Pařízková, Michaela Banzetová and Jan Kudláček. Veronika Pařízková founded the design magazine DesignNews. Before that, she headed the online magazine Czechdesign.cz for seven years, which under her leadership gained a strong position in the media market. Michaela Banzetová is the author of books on art operations. She has collaborated with several private galleries and state institutions in the Czech Republic and abroad. She regularly publishes in art periodicals such as NN Magazín or the ČT art portal. Jan Kudláček is the co-founder of the magazine NEXUSMAG, which has become a significant player in a short time. Before founding the magazine, he worked in international startups in creative and marketing positions.
