On the evening of September 4, the Vilnius Academy of Arts Design Innovation Center held an awards ceremony for the Young Designer Prize 2025 competition and opened this year’s exhibition.
This year marks the fifteenth edition of the competition, which received 99 entries from five Lithuanian universities. The entries were divided into five categories: product, communication, fashion, interior design, and design research.
An international panel of design experts nominated fifteen of the most promising entries, which will be on display at the LNDM Museum of Applied Art and Design (Arsenalo g. 3A, Vilnius) until September 28. From October 8 to 31, the exhibition will be open to visitors at the Panevėžys City Art Gallery (Respublikos g. 3, Panevėžys).
During the awards ceremony, the jury announced the winners of the main and audience prizes in each category and presented awards to two teachers: Prof. Aušra Lisauskienė (Vilnius Academy of Arts) and Dr. Linas Krūgelis (Vilnius TECH).
Winners
Fashion Design
Austėja Martišiūtė
Collection “Lake Stories”
Vilnius Academy of Arts
Assoc. prof. Rūta Kvaščevičiūtė-Mikalauskė
“Lake Stories” is inspired by Lake Nepiriai and the relationship between the people living along its shores. My family’s archive photographs from the 1920s to the 1970s reveal aspects of everyday life and dress near the lake. The collection brings together two main sources of inspiration – nostalgia and cottagecore. Nostalgia for life by the lake is about seeking creative inspiration, and cottagecore romanticizes rural life, inviting us to rediscover closeness with nature and slow down. These two inspirations converge in an emotional space where I aim to reinterpret nostalgic stories of lakeside life through a contemporary lens.
Communication Design
Ieva Sutkutė
“Legal Aid Fund for Victims of Sexual Violence”: Visual Identity, Website, and Communication Strategy
Vilnius Academy of Arts
Assoc. prof. dr. Kristė Kibildytė-Klimienė
This project addresses sexual violence against women in Lithuania by creating a legal aid fund that connects survivors with free professional lawyers, while also raising awareness about deeply rooted rape culture. Inspired by Lithuanian folklore sayings like “tyla – gera byla” (silence is a good case) and “išlindo yla iš maišo” (the truth finds a way out), the identity uses punctuation: silence (.), court case (:), truth (!), and the fund (…) representing coins. This language-based system shows a progression from silence to justice. The project includes visual identity, a website prototype, and a communication strategy.
Product Design
Morta Vileikytė
gently. Design Objects for Eating Disorder Treatment
Vilnius Academy of Arts
Assoc. prof. Deividas Juozulynas
Eating disorders are a silent, almost imperceptible conflict between body and soul, where food and the act of eating become a language of emotion, control, and deep pain. A subtle and refined design solution is proposed to support the healing process – a set of modular tableware designed to help individuals reconnect with food and resist the disorder’s voice. Combined with 3D food technology, a visual illusion is created during the initial stages of recovery, allowing all essential nutrients to be delivered in a single small bite. It’s an object gently inviting a slow, healing dialogue with food.
Design Research
Patricija Kell
Times
Vilnius Academy of Arts
Assoc. prof. Dr Rūta Mickienė
This work explores ancient Baltic perceptions of time as cyclical – flowing with nature, shaped by rituals, and guided by the Sun and the Moon. Mythological time coexists with modern, linear time. As the mythologist Libertas Klimka said: “We each live in two times, the historical and the archaic.” The animated film Laikai (Times) is inspired by the belief that when winter’s dark forces eclipse the Sun, time halts. Only a deep human connection with the mythical realm can restore the cycle. This work reflects Baltic heritage and beliefs rooted in cyclical time, inviting us to both learn and experience our traditions.
Interior Design
Gabija Paulauskaitė
Fused bonds. Cooking together.
Vilnius Academy of Arts
Assoc. prof Dr. Karolina Jašinskaitė
This work questions what Lithuanian traditional food is, what we recognize as ours. Food and cooking are universal acts that bring people together, spark conversation, and create bonds. Through this research, the designer explored ways to rethink traditional cuisine and integrate it into daily life. How can food become a tool for connection? An outdoor cooking space with fire was built, reusing stainless steel food carts, objects that would have otherwise remained unutilised. These carts helped the designer create a space where old traditions meet new connections. Come see what’s cooking.
Public prize
Justina Trepuilaitė
Lamp for a Sensory Room: The Interaction of Light and Emotional Impact
Vilnius TECH
Assoc. prof. Donaldas Andziulis
This interactive lamp is designed to support sensory environments through visual clarity and emotional safety. It features three modes: warm white light, a breathing guide, and a colour-changing option with customizable hues to match the user’s mood. The breathing mode follows the “4-7-8” technique, with light animations guiding the inhale, hold, and exhale phases. This helps reduce stress, improve focus, and calm the nervous system. The lamp’s modular construction allows for easy disassembly and reconfiguration, enhancing its adaptability. It serves as both a functional and therapeutic object, promoting well-being in a gentle, intuitive way.
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