Guidance of applicants

Steps necessary for application

To apply for the SDA Awards, please follow the steps below

Applicant Registration

  • For the First Time Applicant
  • You must first register the applicant from the Applicant Registration Page

  • For the Applicants Who Previously Submitted Application On-line
  • If you have previously registered after 2015 (for the application of 49th through 55rd SDA Awards), you could use the registered ID (mail address) and password to log in from the Application Site.

Preparation for Application

Before you apply your work to the award, we recommend you to check the following items and have required materials ready.

Basic information on the work is required to complete the application form.
You are advised to have the texts prepared in text editor before filling in the form.

Information on the Work

  • Name of representative for the work
  • Please provide your name and affiliation (company name, corporate name, trade name, etc.)

  • Title
  • Official Name of the facility
  • Official name of the facility where the work is installed. (Proper name)
    * Name of the facility should be registered even when the name of the work contains the facility’s name.

  • Location where the work is installed
  • Prefecture: (Select)
    Address
    *If the work is installed in a foreign country, include the name of the country

  • Completion Date
  • Select the month and year the work is completed

  • Select Category
  • 1st Category – Space Setting
    Select applicable method(s) from the list (you may select multiple methods)
    2nd Category – Design Method
    Select applicable method(s) from the list (you may select multiple methods)
    On Category

  • Design Intent (Concept)
  • Description of design intent and point of appeal in 400 characters or less.

Information on Parties Involved

Parties Involved refers to the people involved in the design or production of the work submitted for award and it also includes the client, or the person photographing the images submitted for award selection. It is essential to register the names of the people responsible for direction, design, client, construction, and photography. It is possible to register the names of people directly involved in the project serving functions (roles) beyond those described above. It is possible to register up to 15 persons (or companies). It is possible to register only the company names.
For client or construction, register only the names of companies.
In the box for affiliation, do not fill in the name of branch, departments or official title.
If there is more than one person serving the same role, break down each person’s role. When multiple names are entered in a single role, only the first person’s name will be accepted.

Provide one name to one function / role
Example 1
If Ichiro Yamada is Director and Designer, the form should be written as:
Direction: Ichiro Yamada
Design: Ichiro Yamada

Example 2
If Ichiro Yamada is Designer and Applicant is Hanako Tanaka, the form should be written as:
Direction: Ichiro Yamada
Design: Hanako Tanaka

  • Function / Role
  • Function served in the production of work such as: Direction / Design / Construction / Client / Photography / Graphic design / Architectural design / Interior design / Lighting design / Planning / Production / Agency / Building construction etc, are to be selected from the list or described as necessary

  • Name of Individual (in charge) or Name of Company
  • Affiliation (Not required if Corporate Entity)

Note: Individual or corporation not registered as involved parties at the time of application cannot be recognized as awardee. Involved parties cannot be added or changed after the work is selected for award, and the certificate or trophy cannot be presented in their names. Special attention should be given when application is made.

* *Your name and affiliation will appear on the certificate, trophy, yearbook, and book of works as you have entered. When the entry is made in the name of corporate entity, (such as joint-stock company, limited liability company, limited partnership, public interest incorporated association, general incorporated association, school corporation, etc.), please be sure to provide the full official corporate name.

The only accepted forms of image are color photographs of the work. (Photographed by digital camera or scanned images of silver halide photographs using color negative or positive films.) *This does not apply to the work expressed in the digital images themselves.
Please prepare the image files in accordance with the following notes.

Specification for Image Files

  • The number of image files: No limit
  • Examination fee of one photograph is included in Application Fee. Extra examination fee of ¥1,500 per image will be charged for each additional photograph.

  • Image Data Format: JPEG (with file extension jpg or jpeg)
  • File Size: 1MB or less per image
  • Number of Pixels and Aspect Ratio: No limit
  • Color Mode: RGB color is recommended
  • File Name: Use only half-width alphanumeric characters (Do not use 2-byte characters such as Kana or Kanji)

If you do not own file compression tools to reduce image data size, please look for such tools by searching the web with keywords such as “image compression” or “image size reduction”

Preparation of Concept Sheet (Optional)

  • The applicant is allowed to submit as the first image, a concept sheet,a single image combining charts, figures, text and multiple photographs (group of photographs). The number of photographs composed into the sheet should be within reasonable number so the judges are able to view them on a computer or tablet screen.
  • The same specifications for image data (stated above) apply to the concept sheet. PDF and other formats are not accepted.
  • The concept sheet must be uploaded as the first image in an application.

Notes on Preparation of Image Files

  • Except for adjustment within common sense (such as the change in exposure or fine adjustment of color temperature or trimming), intentional processing (change of color tone, composition of image etc.) to modify the real appearance of work will result in disqualification.
  • Only color photographs are accepted. Applicants should take special note that black and white photographs (including the digitally processed monochrome photographs) cannot be used in the entry.
  • As a general rule, CGs and illustrations cannot be used.
  • If text, such as captions, needs to be included on the image to explain each photograph, the text may be superimposed onto the image. Under the circumstance, it is allowed to add blank space on the photographic image.
  • If it is an essential part of the work, images such as system diagrams and other figures may be submitted for entry, however, all images must be in jpeg format, as specified for photographs.
Applicant may submit video data as an auxiliary material for review. As a general rule, only the video depicting the work may be submitted. If the application is for digital image, this rule will not apply.
Please prepare the video file in accordance with the following notes.

Specification for Video Files

  • The Number of Video Files: No limit
  • An examination fee of ¥15,000 per video will be charged for video file submission.

  • File Format: The video data should be in MP4 format of H264/AAC (with file extension: mp4)
  • File Size: Should not exceed 20MB.
  • Number of Pixels: Should not exceed 1920 pixel in width, 1080 pixel in height
  • Aspect Ratio: No limit
  • Length of Video: Should not exceed 60 seconds
  • File Name: Use only half-width alphanumeric characters (Do not use 2-byte characters such as Kana or Kanji)

Notes on Preparing Video Files

  • Except for adjustment within common sense (such as the change in exposure or fine adjustment of color temperature), intentional processing (change of color tone, composition with CG) to modify the real appearance of work will result in disqualification.。
  • High-speed or slow motion playback is admitted, provided they are necessary to express the intention of the work,
  • Applicant may add subtitles or narration to the video, however only the sound emitted by the sign itself, as in the case of sound sign, will be subject for consideration, and other sound effects or music will not be considered.
  • Other visual effects added to the video will not be subject for consideration.

Registration of Work

Log in from the Application Site to register the work.
Entry registration button will appear only during the application period.

  1. Enter the Information on the Work provided in the Preparation for Application
  2. Upload the image data and / or video data (optional) files provided in the Preparation for Application
  3. Enter the information on the parties involved provided in the Preparation for Application

Payment Process (Entry)

Applicant may pay in sum the application fees for multiple entries provided the same applicant is submitting all the entries.
Once the payment process (entry) is completed, the applicant cannot revise or edit the submitted information for the entry. Please confirm the information before proceeding to the payment process.

Log in from the Application Site and proceed to Payment.

Payment Method

Application fee payment from overseas is accepted by credit card (Stripe settlement) only.

  • Credit Card
  • After selecting to pay by credit card, please enter the card information in the card payment page. When the fee is paid by credit card, Stripe payment system will directly issue a receipt as an electronic file.
    If a receipt from SDA is needed, SDA will issue a receipt with a remark “paid by credit card on **date** ” in electronic receipt (PDF format.) Please check if this type of receipt is acceptable for internal processing, before asking for a receipt.

    Only Stripe will receive the credit card information and the information will not be disclosed to the SDA.

Completion of Application

Only the entries with the completed application before the deadline will be considered for award selection.

  • For Credit Card Payment: Immediately, once payment is complete

Status of application can be checked from the Application Site.