We announce the first edition of the Social Design Distinctions

On March 6, the Design Foundation of the Region of Valencia will hold the first edition of the Social Design Distinctions at Teatre El Musical in València, an initiative that aims to highlight the impact of design as a tool for social transformation. In this first edition, the professional trajectories of Hilary Cottam and Manolo Bañó in the field of social design will be recognised, along with the student projects “Fauna, el joguet dels parcs naturals” by Juan Manuel Pedro Aránega and “Educational environments for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder” by María José Bustos Garnica.

The Design Foundation of the Region of Valencia takes a step forward in the institutionalisation of design by celebrating the first edition of the Social Design Distinctions, a new project aligned with our mission to promote the cultural and social dimension of design, as well as its contribution to academic advancement. These recognitions are divided into two professional awards and two student project awards, focused on sustainability, social design, equality, innovation, ethics, and commitment through design.

In deciding these recognitions, the committee deliberated on strategic and political purposes, on a social design that addresses class and gender, and particularly on three criteria: professional scope, project impact, and dissemination of social design as a discipline. Based on these criteria, the selection committee decided that British designer Hilary Cottam and Valencian designer Manolo Bañó are the two professionals to receive the 2025 distinctions, while the projects “Fauna, el joguet dels parcs naturals” by Juan Manuel Pedro Aránega (Escola d’Art i Superior de Disseny de Castelló) and “Educational environments for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: design criteria and architectural strategies” by María José Bustos Garnica (Universitat Politècnica de València) will receive the student distinctions for 2025.

It will be honouree Manolo Bañó who will close the ceremony with a lecture on social design and his more than 25 years of experience in the discipline, combining his extensive teaching career with his status as one of Spain’s leading industrial designers.

The Social Design Distinctions 2025 ceremony will take place on Thursday, March 6 at 8:00 p.m. at Teatre El Musical (Plaça del Rosari 3, València). Admission is free, upon registration via the following form: https://fundaciodisseny.typeform.com/social2025

Local and international recognition of social design

These distinctions are conceived as annual awards, serving both as professional reference and educational exercise for society, sending a universal message grounded in social values and acting as a lever for future generations. The committee, composed of Vicent Martínez, Amparo Bertomeu and Pepe Cosín from the executive board of the Design Foundation; Kike Correcher and Luis Calabuig as board members; and external experts Xènia Viladàs, Anatxu Zabalbeascoa, and Lilian González, decided to grant the 2025 professional distinctions to Manolo Bañó and Hilary Cottam, thereby highlighting the global reach of their work, from local to international impact.

The committee was appointed by the Foundation’s Board of Trustees and will invite internationally renowned figures each year to help select and spotlight both professional figures and student projects. The organisation emphasises that having such outstanding profiles for this 2025 edition, consultant and educator Xènia Viladàs, journalist and art historian Anatxu Zabalbeascoa, and Mexican designer Lilian González, has been an invaluable contribution to launching this new project by the Design Foundation.

Social design from Valencian schools and universities

At the same time, the selection committee chose two student projects from over a hundred submitted by various design schools and universities of the Region of Valencia over the past two years, highlighting both the dedication of Valencian educational institutions and the high quality of final projects.

“Fauna, el joguet dels parcs naturals” is the Final Degree Project in Graphic Design by Juan Manuel Pedro Aránega (Escola d’Art i Superior de Disseny de Castelló), supervised by Ester Parra Sebastià. It proposes an educational and inclusive toy designed to connect Castellón’s Natural Parks with schools, going beyond one-off visits. Through a graphic system and a promotional campaign, the project seeks to position these parks as a key option for family leisure, including exercises and materials co-designed with teachers to encourage literacy, creativity, and psychomotor skills, while adapting to classroom diversity. The visual identity was developed in collaboration with students from CEE Baix Maestrat, validating its educational impact through school workshops.

As for “Educational environments for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: design criteria and architectural strategies” by María José Bustos Garnica, this is her Final Master’s Project in Advanced Architecture, Landscape, Urbanism and Design, supervised by José Luis Baró Zarzo and Ana Pascual Rubio at the School of Architecture of the Universitat Politècnica de València. The project analyses how architecture influences the education of children with ASD, proposing design guidelines that foster well-being and development. In the absence of specific regulations, it examines spatial, sensory, and emotional needs, evaluates adapted educational centres, and establishes strategies for more inclusive environments, extracting, through a comprehensive approach, architectural principles that facilitate learning and autonomy, promoting accessible and universal architecture.

During the ceremony, special recognition will also be given to the tutors of these student projects, as well as their schools.

The design of the professional distinction pieces will be unveiled during the ceremony, crafted by Matterica, a Valencian studio that fuses craftsmanship and design to create jewellery objects that bridge tradition and contemporary expression. Another Valencian company, Dominio De la Vega, will sponsor the post-ceremony wine reception with its first organic wines, a project deeply rooted in sustainability and guided by designer Inma Bermúdez.

The ceremony is made possible thanks to the collaboration of the Cultural Action Department of the València City Council, Teatre El Musical (TEM) and Caixa Popular, an institution that promotes social values and supports their growth from within the educational community of the Region of Valencia.

· Thursday, March 6 at 8:00pm
· Doors open: 7:30pm
· Teatre El Musical (Plaça del Rosari 3, València, Spain)
· Free entry registering at: https://fundaciodisseny.typeform.com/social2025

UPDATE: Read the ceremony recap > HERE