Craft skill as a design competence. make me! “Heritage of the Future” is open
Entries are open for a special edition of the make me! competition. We are looking for projects that take craft as the starting point of the design process. The call closes on 23 September 2026.
make me! 2026: Heritage of the Future
Craft is back. It is a body of proven technology: methods of working material, structural solutions and knowledge about durability, developed in workshops over decades and still irreplaceable.
This special edition of make me! asks how craft skill and material heritage can be translated into products that hold their own today through function, quality and a place in the market.
Beyond young designers
We have removed the age criterion. Entries are open to designers, craftspeople, folk artists, design studios and companies, individually or as a team. The premise is simple: value comes from the skill and knowledge built up in workshops and studios.
The starting point is traditional techniques, local materials and know-how passed down through generations. The competition is international and entry is free.
What you can win
The jury will single out 20 to 40 projects, which we will show at the post-competition exhibition, on our website and in media communications. One winner will be chosen from among them to receive the main prize of 15,000 PLN gross.
The exhibition takes place during the special edition of Łódź Design Festival, 5–11 October 2026, and part of it will then travel to Barcelona Design Week, 22–24 October 2026.
Regional category
A separate, optional call covers an object promoting the Łódź Voivodeship: contemporary and functional, drawing on the region’s culture, industry, nature and craft traditions, from Opoczno striped textiles to ceramics from Bolimów and the weaving history of Łódź. The winning design has a real chance of going into production.
How to enter
Fill in the online form, separately for each project. The call runs until 23 September 2026, 23:59 CET. Full conditions are set out in the competition rules.
The competition is organised together with the Łódź Voivodeship.