About the competition
Nizhny Novgorod has received the honorary title of the 2026 Capital of Russian Design and throughout the year it will become the central venue for key events in the field of design in Russia. Thus, a competition has been announced for the development of the visual identity of the «Nizhny Novgorod — the Capital of Russian Design 2026.» festival
This is not just a competition to create a visual image for an event, but an opportunity to propose a graphic language that can reflect the character of contemporary Nizhny Novgorod, the significance of design for society, and the cultural goal of the festival. Participants are tasked with creating an expressive, relevant, and scalable visual identity system capable of uniting the various formats of the festival, such as exhibitions, lectures, discussions, urban events, professional gatherings, and media communications.
We are looking for a solution that will work simultaneously for both a professional audience and the general public, helping to shape a vibrant, identifiable, and contemporary image of the festival at the regional and federal levels.
About the brand
Union of Designers of Russia is an all-Russian public organization founded on December 5, 1991, by professionals working in the design industry.
Design occupies a key place in the creative economy and encompasses the entire surrounding world: industrial design, communication design, environmental design, textile and fashion design, conceptual design, and service design. The Union of Designers of Russia unites over 4,500 design professionals and 67 regional branches across the country.
The «Capital of Russian Design» project emphasizes the significance of design as a tool for cultural, social, and economic development of regions. In 2026, Nizhny Novgorod takes on this mission.
The task
Participants are invited to develop the visual identity for the festival «Nizhny Novgorod — Capital of Russian Design 2026.»
The submitted project must include a concept for the festival’s visual identity that reflects its status, cultural and professional significance, connection to Nizhny Novgorod and contemporary Russian design.
A complete visual system that can be used in the festival’s offline and online communications and scaled across different media must be proposed.
As part of the competition submission, the application of the visual identity must be demonstrated on the following items:
— Merch — Posters — Outdoor advertising — Flag — Badges — Roll-up (1×2 m) — Press wall (3×2 m) — Visual style for announcements on the festival’s social media channels
Requirements to projects
The competition entry must: — contain the core visual concept and the logic behind the identity system — reflect the theme of the festival and the status of Nizhny Novgorod as the Capital of Russian Design 2026 — be contemporary, expressive, recognizable, and applicable across various media — take the feasibility of practical implementation into account — be original and not infringe on the copyrights of third parties
The layouts may feature logo of the organizer, the Union of Designers of Russia — Nizhny Novgorodд supported by HSE ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL
References
Stages of the competition
The start of the competition: April 20, 2026
Project submission deadline: May 29, 2026
Jury evaluation: May 30–31, 2026
Results announcement: June 1, 2026
If necessary, the dates of the awards ceremony and presentation of the winning concept may be additionally announced.
Requirements to participants
The following groups are invited to participate:
— students
— graduates of specialized programs
— young designers
— practicing specialists in graphic, communication, and environmental design
— individual participants and creative teams
Participation is open to citizens of the Russian Federation; Participants must be at least 18 years old.
Jury members
Vitaly Stavitsky is the president of the Union of Designers of Russia, an Academician of the National Academy of Design, member of the Public Council under the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, art director and founder of Stavitsky Design, designer.
Grigory Khromov is the Program Director of HSE ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL — Nizhny Novgorod, the head of the Packaging Lab unit at the HSE DESIGN LAB, the Creative Director of Brand-Hub agency.
Mitya Kharshak is the head of the HSE ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL — St. Petersburg, Deputy Head for International Activities and Branch Operations of HSE ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL in St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, and Perm, a graphic designer, the founder and editor-in-chief of Projector magazine.
Elena Roitenberg is the curator of the Communication Design track and typography instructor at HSE ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL — Nizhny Novgorod. Head of the HSE Fonts unit at the HSE DESIGN LAB, an Independent art director, type specialist, brand designer.
Artem Petrovsky is a lecturer at HSE ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL — Nizhny Novgorod, partner and art director at LOCO Studio.
Alexey Puzanov is a lecturer at HSE ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL — Nizhny Novgorod.
Dmitry Erofeev is a lecturer at HSE ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL — Nizhny Novgorod.
The prizes
There are 3 prize places.
1st place — implementation of the festival’s visual identity project; 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places — honorary diploma from the Union of Designers of Russia, festival merchandise.
If necessary, the organizer reserves the right to recognize additional entries with special diplomas or mentions.
The awards ceremony may be held as part of one of the official events dedicated to the launch of the festival «Nizhny Novgorod — the Capital of Russian Design 2026.»
Contact us
HSE ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL Moscow, Malaya Pionerskaya st., 12 creativeopen@hsedesign.ru