About DAFES AWARDS
We established the international competition program DAFES AWARDS to encourage creative achievements, share experiences and form guidelines for professional development in design, art, fashion, education and business.
DAFES AWARDS is awarded in five profiles, 20 categories and 80 nominations, as well as various partner nominations that we form together with educational and creative institutions.
About the nomination
The nomination is dedicated to projects in which artificial intelligence becomes a co-author or a tool in the hands of a designer, forming a new type of creative practice. This is a space for exploring the boundaries between human and machine creativity, where AI acts not just as a technology, but as a participant in a creative dialogue.
Terms of participation
Both concepts and projects that have been implemented or published between November 1, 2023, and October 12, 2025, are accepted for professional nominations.
While confirmation of publication or implementation is not required for a project to participate in the competition, the jury may request verification from the competition organizers in disputed cases.
The following projects are accepted for participation
a) Visual design projects Generative identity AI illustrations Hybrid typography Experimental posters Covers and artwork
b) Interactive projects AI-driven interfaces Generative web projects Adaptive design systems Interactive installations
c) Motion projects Generative animation AI choreography Procedural visual effects Dynamic film credits
d) Narrative projects AI storytelling Generative journalism Interactive narratives Procedural poetry
Special tips Focus on creative dialogue with AI, and not just the technical side Document the experiment process and failed attempts Be prepared to articulate your role in the project Pay attention to the ethical aspects of using AI Don’t be afraid to go beyond the existing AI tools
Extra material Context research Research and analysis of analogues Experiment documentation Making-of materials Code or prompts (if applicable)
Requirements to projects
Required presentation components Project concept and AI’s role in it Description of technologies used in the project Development process and experiments Examples of final results Process documentation Technical specifications
All projects are submitted to the competition in the format of a longread-format report created on the DAFES platform.
Key aspects of evaluation
Key aspects of evaluation
a) Innovativeness of approach Ingenuity of AI technology application Novelty of creative method Uniqueness of human-machine interaction Unpredictable of artistic solutions
b) Conceptual depth Meaningfulness of AI use Philosophical reflection Critical understanding of technologies Ethical implications
c) Technical implementation Complexity of the AI systems used Quality of integration of different technologies Stability and reproducibility Scalability of the solution
d) Aesthetic quality Visual expressiveness Integrity of the artistic solution Level of implementation Originality of style
Evaluation criteria Innovativeness of AI use Artistic value Technical complexity Conceptual depth Quality of presentation
Jury
Vadim Bulgakov is the head of the Digital Product and Artificial Intelligence program and the Artificial Intelligence Lab at HSE ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL.
Oleg Pashchenko is a lecturer in the Digital Product and Artificial Intelligence program at HSE ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL, a media artist, a designer, an illustrator. Winner of the Cannes Film Festival (2001).
Oleg Tserbaev is a teacher of the Modern Photography Technologies course at HSE ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL, a photographer.
Dmitry Andryashkin is a teacher of the Digital Product and Artificial Intelligence course at HSE ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL, an internet marketer with over 15 years of experience.
Yihong Liu — Curator, designer, and Vice Dean of the School of Communication & Design at China Academy of Art. Research areas include contemporary art curating, content-genealogy studies, network-society research, and visual culture. Selected curatorial projects: 2022 Zhejiang Youth Scientists Festival, 2022 Hangzhou International Fiber Art Triennial, 2023 TIANWEN: Mutual Learning of Civilizations, 2024 World Tree — CAA Graduation Season, 2025 Liangzhu Twelve Tones — Venice Architecture Biennale.
Fan Zhang — Professor at the Communication University of Zhejiang. PhD in Digital Media, expert in AI-driven 3D digital humans and gesture generation. Unity Global Certified Instructor, Deputy Secretary-General, and judge of the National College Computer Design Contest. Author of key textbooks on game design and recipient of the National Digital Creativity Teaching Award.
Registering and uploading a project
The step-by-step way to create an account and create a project on the platform to participate in the contest is described in the instructions.
Stages of the competition
Project submission deadline — October 12, 2025 Voting proccess — October 13 to 19, 2025 Invitation of participants and preparation for the ceremony — October 20 to November 7, 2025
Awarding ceremony
The award ceremony for the winners will take place on November 21, 2025
Contacts