The Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum has once again proven its position as America’s premier institution for celebrating design excellence. The recent announcement of the 2026 National Design Awards recipients has created significant buzz in the design community, showcasing a remarkable diversity of talent across multiple creative disciplines. This prestigious recognition program, established in 2000 as an official project of the White House Millennium Council, continues to honor innovation and impact while recognizing the transformative power of design to shape our world .
A Historic Milestone for American Design
The 2026 National Design Awards ceremony marks a particularly significant moment in American history. The gala, scheduled for May 19, 2026, at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in New York City, will align with America’s 250th anniversary celebrations . This historic convergence adds extraordinary significance to an already prestigious event, positioning it as one of the Smithsonian’s most high-profile gatherings in recent memory .
For the first time in the award’s history, the winners will be celebrated alongside a distinguished group of individuals and companies honored for their transformative contributions to various design fields over the past quarter-millennium of American history . This groundbreaking approach expands the recognition beyond the traditional categories to acknowledge the broader impact of design on American life and culture.
The 2026 National Design Award Winners
This year’s recipients represent ten distinct categories, each selected by a multidisciplinary jury chaired by Aric Chen, director of the Zaha Hadid Foundation . The jury included prominent figures such as Liz Danzico, vice president of design at Microsoft AI; Patricia Moore, president of MooreDesign Associates; Henk Ovink, executive director and founding commissioner for the Global Commission on the Economics of Water; Valerie Steele, director and chief curator of the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology; and Thomas Woltz, senior principal of Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects .
The 2026 National Design Award recipients are :
A. Design Visionary: Robert Earl Paige
Robert Earl Paige, a Chicago-based artist, received the Design Visionary award, which recognizes profound contributions to advancing the field . Before establishing himself as an artist, Paige worked in the Chicago office of SOM, the renowned architectural firm. However, corporate architecture proved limiting for his creative vision, leading him to transition into product and fashion design for various companies, including Sears. At Sears, he introduced mainstream consumers to vibrant African-inspired accessories and decor, bringing cultural richness to everyday American households .
Paige is widely recognized as a pioneering figure in the Black Arts Movement, and today he creates joyful mixed-media works from his studio on Chicago’s South Side . His career demonstrates how design can serve as both cultural expression and commercial enterprise, bridging communities and expanding aesthetic horizons.
B. Climate Action: Estudio Teddy Cruz + Fonna Forman
The Climate Action award went to Teddy Cruz and Fonna Forman, both professors at the University of California, San Diego . Their innovative project, UCSD Community Stations, developed a network of civic spaces on both sides of the US-Mexico border wall. These stations are strategically located in low-income neighborhoods, serving as catalysts for dialogue about resiliency and climate change .
This recognition highlights the growing importance of design in addressing the global climate crisis. Cruz and Forman’s work demonstrates how thoughtful design can create spaces that foster community engagement and environmental awareness, particularly in underserved areas that are often most vulnerable to climate impacts.
C. Emerging Designer: Mattaforma
Mattaforma, founded by Lindsey Wikstrom, received the Emerging Designer award, which recognizes profound talent in the early stages of a career . Based in New York, the studio operates at the intersection of architecture, policy, and sustainability, with a particular emphasis on innovations in mass timber, plants, and other plant-based materials .
The studio’s projects range from elegant desert residences to greenhouses, including a space for plants at the Brooklyn-based performance space, Public Records . Wikstrom’s work exemplifies how emerging designers are pushing boundaries in sustainable architecture and reimagining the relationship between built environments and natural systems.
D. Architecture: Frida Escobedo Studio
Frida Escobedo has established herself as one of the most influential architects working in Mexico and globally, celebrating twenty years since founding her studio . Her portfolio includes prestigious projects such as a new wing at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the renovation of the Centre Pompidou in Paris .
Escobedo’s Mexico City and New York-based studio is celebrated for its sensitive approach, leveraging elemental forms and organic materials found in her native Mexico . Her work spans ground-up buildings, furniture design, research, publications, and exhibition design, demonstrating remarkable versatility and cultural sensitivity.
E. Communication Design: Thought Matter
Thought Matter, an independent New York-based design studio led by Tom Jaffe and Jessie McGuire, received the Communication Design award . Working under the powerful tagline “We believe imagination is a radical act,” the studio has used design not only to create impactful brand messaging for major clients like Procter & Gamble and The Met but also as a political tool for campaigns promoting free speech and social justice .
The studio’s philosophy emphasizes design as “a force for connection, collaboration and questioning the status quo – a force that inspires people to engage, reflect and act” . This recognition underscores the growing importance of design in shaping public discourse and driving social change.
F. Digital Design: Laura Kurgan
Laura Kurgan received the Digital Design award for her innovative work leveraging data visualization and cartography to expose inequality . Trained as an architect and currently a professor at Columbia GSAPP, Kurgan has pioneered the use of tools like GIS (Geographic Information Systems) to illuminate pressing social issues including mass incarceration, migration, and urban violence .
Her work has been exhibited at prestigious venues including MoMA and the Venice Architecture Biennale, demonstrating how digital design can serve as a powerful tool for social advocacy and policy change .
G. Fashion Design: Josh Tafoya
Textile artist Josh Tafoya received the Fashion Design award for challenging conventional notions of American Southwestern style through the lens of his Genizaro, Spanish, and Chicano heritage . After cutting his teeth in New York, Tafoya returned to Taos, New Mexico, to launch his own label, mixing techniques learned from his grandmother, a weaver, with contemporary sensibility .
According to Cooper Hewitt, Tafoya’s work is notable for “celebrating cultural heritage while embracing a raw, grungy spirit” . His designs demonstrate how fashion can serve as a vehicle for cultural expression and identity exploration.
H. Interior Design: Charlap Hyman & Herrero
Since founding their firm in 2014, Adam Charlap Hyman and Andre Herrero have become one of the most talked-about names in interior design for their deeply researched yet surrealist approach to space . With offices in New York, Los Angeles, and Mexico City, the firm’s interdisciplinary work spans buildings, sets, and even a ruffled doghouse slipcover .
Charlap Hyman & Herrero is particularly noted for their interiors for private residential clients and brands including Thom Browne, Batsheva, and Aesop . “Through a rigorous creative process, the firm poetically engages with memory and the hidden histories of interiors, while producing radically striking, distinctly contemporary spaces,” Cooper Hewitt states .
I. Landscape Architecture: Ten Eyck Landscape Architects
Austin-based Ten Eyck Landscape Architects (TELA) received the Landscape Architecture award for their meaningful contributions to integrating built, urban, and natural environments . Founded by Christine Ten Eyck, who was inspired to start her practice after a memorable rafting trip down the Colorado River, TELA focuses on how water conservation, native plants, and man-made design can work in tandem .
The firm enhances college campuses, private residences, and public parks for clients including the San Antonio Botanical Garden and the Hotel Saint Augustine in Houston . “Our approach evaluates landscape through a holistic lens, creating environments that are historically and ecologically sensitive while fostering a resilient and accessible future for all who inhabit them,” the firm states .
J. Product Design: Berea College Student Craft
Berea College, based in Kentucky’s Bluegrass region, received the Product Design award for its remarkable Student Craft program . The college holds the distinction of being the first co-educational and interracial college in the South when it was founded 170 years ago by abolitionist Reverend John G. Fee . Craft has been central to its mission, in keeping with its rich Appalachian heritage, and this ethos is maintained today through the Student Craft program .
Students receive design training and the opportunity to develop their own products, resulting in approximately 4,000 items each year, ranging from blankets to instruments to pottery, released to the public in small-batch “drops” . This program demonstrates how design education can preserve cultural heritage while equipping students with valuable creative and entrepreneurial skills.
2026 Gala Honorees: Celebrating 250 Years of American Design
The 2026 National Design Awards introduced a new distinction: Gala Honorees, recognizing individuals and organizations for their lasting contributions to design . This special recognition celebrates 250 years of American design and innovation .
Contemporary Honorees
The 2026 Gala Honorees include a distinguished group of contemporary design leaders :
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Adobe: The multinational technology company recognized for its transformative impact on digital design and creative software
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Thom Browne: Celebrated fashion designer known for his distinctive aesthetic
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Tory Burch: Fashion designer and entrepreneur
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Tiffany & Co.: Legendary luxury jeweler with a rich design heritage
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Maya Lin: Acclaimed artist and designer known for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
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Jenna Lyons: Creative director with significant influence in fashion and design
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MillerKnoll: Global design collective known for iconic furniture and workspaces
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MacKenzie Scott: Philanthropist supporting design and creative initiatives
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Martha Stewart: Entrepreneur and media personality with vast influence in lifestyle design
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Target: Retailer recognized for bringing design to mainstream consumers
Historic Honorees
The gala also honored five historic figures whose contributions have fundamentally shaped American design :
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Peter Cooper: Industrialist, philanthropist, and founder of Cooper Union, whose legacy continues to influence design education
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Frederick Law Olmsted: Pioneer of American landscape architecture and designer of Central Park
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Louis Sullivan: Father of the modern skyscraper who shaped American urban architecture
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Candace Wheeler: Pioneer of American interior and textile design, leader of the American Arts and Crafts movement
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Frank Lloyd Wright: Visionary of American architecture, one of the most influential architects of the 20th century
Major Exhibitions Complementing the Awards
The 2026 celebrations are anchored by two major exhibitions at Cooper Hewitt that underscore how design has shaped and continues to shape the human experience .
Design Across Time
“Design Across Time: Exploring the Smithsonian’s Design Collection” opened June 26, 2026, and will be on view for an extended two-year display . This landmark presentation showcases selections from the national design collection, installed throughout the first floor of the museum’s historic Carnegie Mansion . The exhibition brings together more than 125 works across multiple design disciplines including product and graphic design, fashion, textiles, digital design, wallcoverings, and architecture .
The exhibition is organized in six thematic clusters that explore various approaches involved in the creative process :
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Repeat: Features Vlisco’s Style Stiletto textile demonstrating repetition as a key aesthetic feature of pattern design
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Transform: Includes Stephen Burks’ Roping Stool, made from rope and upholstery trimmings from production waste, reflecting creative applications for discarded materials
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Show Off: Highlights the Royal jewel cabinet, a gift from Charles X of France to Francis I of Naples in 1830, showcasing technical innovation and masterful craftsmanship
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Simplify: Features Art Sims’ 1992 film poster for Spike Lee’s biographical film Malcolm X, focusing on the single letter “X” with bold impact
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Tweak: Includes a rarely seen drawing of chalice designs by Giuseppe Barberi, revealing how most designs result from small iterative changes
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Play: Features the Bungee digital typeface, inviting users to personalize text by integrating elements of urban signage
The dynamic installation is designed by JA Projects with graphic design by Pacific . The presentation escapes traditional chronological readings, instead providing thematic groupings of a global collection that spans geographies, materials, and time periods, ranging from an ancient Egyptian lotus-shaped cup to the recently acquired Toots Zynsky vessel, Aurifero II from 2023 .
Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg’s “The Substitute,” an immersive video and sound installation that digitally resurrects the extinct male Northern white rhino using artificial intelligence, will be on view as a featured selection from Cooper Hewitt’s Digital collection .
Made in America
“Made in America: The Industrial Photography of Christopher Payne” features Payne’s intricately detailed photography of America’s factories . The exhibition, on view from December 12, 2026 through October 4, 2026, brings together more than 70 large-format photographs captured over a decade-long photographic journey documenting craft in industrial and artisanal making in the United States .
Understanding Cooper Hewitt’s Significance
America’s Design Museum
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum holds a unique position as the only museum in the United States devoted exclusively to historical and contemporary design . The museum’s permanent collection contains more than 215,000 objects, representing contemporary and historical design across five curatorial departments: Drawings, Prints, and Graphic Design; Product Design and Decorative Arts; Textiles; Wallcoverings; and Digital .
The collection spans 30 centuries, from ancient Egyptian faience cups dating to about 1100 BC to contemporary 3D-printed objects and digital code . This remarkable breadth places Cooper Hewitt among the foremost repositories of design and decorative arts in the world .
The Historic Setting
Cooper Hewitt is located on New York City’s Museum Mile in the landmarked Carnegie Mansion, situated on the highest point of Fifth Avenue with expansive views of Central Park . The mansion was originally built for philanthropist and steel magnate Andrew Carnegie . In October 1976, Cooper Hewitt opened to the public in this historic setting as the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Design .
Founding Legacy
The Museum was created in 1897 by Sarah and Eleanor Hewitt, granddaughters of Peter Cooper, the founder of the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art . The Museum was founded with the purpose of being thoroughly accessible for study, a tradition that continues to this day . In 1968, the collection became part of the Smithsonian Institution, and in 1994, the name was changed to Cooper Hewitt, National Design Museum, and then in 2014 to Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum .
Mission and Impact
The museum’s mission is to enrich the lives of all people by exploring the nature and impact of design . Through its activities and research, Cooper Hewitt stimulates creative thinking, makes information about design accessible to a broad public, provides a national and international forum for experimentation and discourse on design issues, serves new audiences, and inspires others to value human achievements in design .
What Makes the National Design Awards Special
The National Design Awards represent one of America’s highest honors in the field of design . Launched in 2000 as an official project of the White House Millennium Council, the program seeks to increase national awareness of the impact of design in everyday life . Over its 25-year history, the awards have evolved and adapted while staying true to core Smithsonian values of innovation and civic service .
The awards recognize innovation and impact across ten design disciplines, celebrating the transformative power of design to change the world . Nominees are selected by a multidisciplinary jury of practitioners, educators, and leaders from a wide range of design fields, ensuring that recognition reflects the highest standards of excellence and innovation .
Additional Exhibitions at Cooper Hewitt
Art of Noise
From February 13 through July 19, 2026, Cooper Hewitt presents “Art of Noise,” an exhibition celebrating groundbreaking designs that have shaped how people experience music over the past century . Organized by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the exhibition was adapted for its East Coast presentation to include printed and graphic materials from New York’s folk, rock, disco, salsa, punk, new wave, and hip-hop scenes .
The exhibition features a floor-to-ceiling “temple” of music design, including hundreds of psychedelic rock posters, mid-century modern album covers, hip-hop flyers, and rave posters . It celebrates icons of concert poster design including Victor Moscoso, Wes Wilson, Chuck Sperry, David Singer, Lee Conklin, Bonnie MacLean, and Milton Glaser .
The Future of Cooper Hewitt
Looking ahead, Cooper Hewitt continues to innovate in how it presents and shares design knowledge. The museum plans to launch a redesigned online collections platform, among the first public-facing AI-integrated experiences at the Smithsonian . Designed by Champions Design, with digital strategy, UX, and development by Schema Design, the new platform will allow visitors to explore the depth of the Cooper Hewitt collection through new and playful storytelling threads, providing access to the museum’s collection of over 215,000 objects beyond the gallery walls .
Conclusion
The Cooper Hewitt National Design Awards for 2026 represent far more than a simple recognition ceremony. They constitute a celebration of American design excellence at a historic moment, honoring both the pioneers who have shaped design over the past 250 years and the contemporary visionaries who will define its future. Through its diverse range of winners, from Robert Earl Paige’s culturally rich mixed-media works to Frida Escobedo’s sensitive architectural interventions, and from Josh Tafoya’s heritage-inspired fashion to Berea College Student Craft’s preservation of Appalachian traditions, the awards demonstrate how design serves as a powerful force for cultural expression, social change, and human progress.
The accompanying exhibitions, particularly “Design Across Time” and “Made in America,” provide visitors with unprecedented access to the nation’s design collection, revealing both the historical depth and contemporary relevance of design practice. As Cooper Hewitt continues to evolve through technological innovation and expanded access, its role as America’s design museum becomes ever more vital in inspiring, educating, and empowering people through design.
For design enthusiasts, students, professionals, and anyone interested in the creative forces shaping our world, the 2026 National Design Awards celebration offers an inspiring glimpse into the transformative power of design and its capacity to improve lives, bridge communities, and imagine better futures.
