ABOUT AIDA AWARDS
AIDA Awards serves as an international stage to celebrate African designers while fostering a global conversation about Africa’s role in shaping the future of design. By highlighting innovative solutions for the continent’s diverse challenges, AIDA aims to spark conversations, inspire change, and increase international collaboration.
Africa faces a unique set of challenges, ranging from rapid urbanisation and limited resources to social inequality and environmental pressures, that demand creative and practical solutions. In this context, design plays a powerful role as a tool for problem-solving, cultural expression, and sustainable development. African designers are responding with innovation rooted in local knowledge, traditions, and resilience.
AIDA AWARDS IS DRIVEN BY COLLABORATION
3C Awards Group is a professional organisation that develops platforms dedicated to promoting Architecture and Design internationally, with the ambition of launching an initiative in the African region. Africa Design School (ADS), the first non-profit design school in West Africa, is committed to nurturing talent and drawing on proven expertise.
ABOUT 3C GROUP
Africa International Design Awards is a program under the 3C Awards, a leading organization curating and promoting design across the globe. The company represents today’s diversity and innovation in lighting design, sport design, shoe design, furniture design, interior design, and architecture.
Developed by Hossein Farmani and Astrid Hébert, 3C Awards under a larger organization called 3C Group, specializing in awards, marketing, media, and events. 3C Awards is part of Three C Group GmbH, a Swiss-registered company based in Grabenstrasse 15a, 6340 Baar, Switzerland. More information is available on: www.3Cawards.com
AFRICA DESIGN SCHOOL - COTONOU, BENIN
Africa Design School is a design school that trains designers to international standards, empowering them to make Africa shine on the global stage. Initiated by the École de Design de Nantes Atlantique and supported by the Sèmè City Development Agency, the school opened its doors in 2019 in Cotonou with the mission of training designers in Africa.
The school was created to address the challenges faced by businesses, public services, and startups on the continent, which must adapt to new paradigms of creation, digital culture, sustainable cities, and user experience. To achieve this, Africa Design School has established a strong pedagogical model and a comprehensive curriculum.
The courses are centered around project-based pedagogy, which involves learning the design process in workshops where students develop their creativity, as well as personal skills in analysis and critique—essential foundations for their future role as designers.
The AIDA Awards website was proudly designed by talented students from the Africa Design School in Cotonou, Benin. Guided by their instructors, these emerging designers brought the platform to life — blending creativity, clarity, and cultural relevance. Their contribution reflects the next generation of African design excellence, and we are honored to showcase their work at the heart of the AIDA initiative.
3C AWARDS GROUP
3C Awards is a leading organisation curating and promoting design across the globe.
The company’s key mission is to promote design by rewarding great designs, exhibiting, developing designers and artist communities, providing networking opportunities, and promoting the appreciation of design excellence through education, outreach, and grants.
The 3C Awards represent today’s diversity and innovation in lighting design, furniture design, sports design, interior design, and architecture. Each brand is a symbol of design excellence around the world, showcasing the work of professional and emerging designers to more than 100 expert jury members.
The 3C Awards, for which entries are submitted from 65 countries each year, offer designers and students from around the world a unique opportunity to reach new markets and increase exposure and media coverage.
