Arabic-derived scripts
Arabic, Persian, Kurdish, Urdu
Eligibility & Categories
Bloom Awards are open
Standard submissions close in—
Introduction
The GRANSHAN Bloom Award recognizes outstanding design solutions across cultures and script systems. The world doesn’t write in Latin alone. It writes in Arabic and Bengali, in Khmer, Japanese, Korean, Tamil, Thai – in shapes that are more than marks: they are expressions of heritage, belonging, and emergence.
GRANSHAN is the only international design competition fully dedicated to this richness. Our focus is exclusive: Global scripts beyond Latin are not a category, they are the core. Every entry is judged by jurors who not only see design – they read it. In the original script. In the original language. In the cultural, political, and emotional context it speaks from. Here, design is not only seen – it is understood, in all the shapes and sounds that carry a culture.
The Bloom Award celebrates the strength of the specific. Because only those who know their own script, who speak through their identity, can add a distinct voice to the global chorus – and be truly heard.
Make your script visible. Make your voice resonate.
Welcome to the very new GRANSHAN Bloom Award!
Boris Kochan
President of the GRANSHAN Foundation
Who & what is eligible?
If your work uses typography to connect cultures, tell stories, and shape identity – this competition is for you:
- Designers
- Typographers
- Creative directors
- Studios
- Agencies
- In-house design teams
- Publishers
- Cultural institutions
- NGOs
- Students
- Recent graduates
- Brands
- Organisations
Works created or first published between January 2023 and October 2026 are eligible for submission. The publication or completion date must fall within this window. Works created before January 2023 are not eligible, regardless of whether they remain in active use or distribution.
Categories
Alongside this typographic diversity, the competition embraces 9 media categories – each offering its own stage for outstanding typographic creativity. Every project is assessed within its chosen medium by experts in that specific field.
Editorial & Publishing Exceptional design work in editorial contexts, where content and typography come together to form compelling reading experiences across printed and digital media. View all eligible formats
- Book Design (e.g. fiction, non-fiction, art books, catalogues)
- Magazine & Newspaper Design (print or digital)
- Typographic Editorial Series (columns, literary series, serialized essays)
- Independent Publishing (zines, self-published books, newsletters, experimental formats)
Packaging Innovative and functional packaging that elevates brand identity and user engagement. Strong emphasis on typographic detail and visual storytelling through form. View all eligible formats
- Single Product Packaging
- Product Lines & Series
- Typographic Packaging (designs where type is the core visual element)
Digital Media & Interface Design Creative screen-based design solutions that push interaction and typographic excellence in digital spaces. View all eligible formats
- Websites & User Interfaces
- Mobile Applications
- Digital Publications / E-books / Interactive Books
- Microsites or Digital Storytelling Platforms
Motion Graphics & Animation Time-based design work that uses typography and visual motion to tell stories, express ideas, or guide attention. View all eligible formats
- Typographic Animations
- Title Sequences
- Motion Graphics for campaigns, music, education, or branding
- Kinetic Type Experiments
- Applications making distinctive use of variable fonts (e.g., dynamic weight, width, or optical size)
Environmental & Experiential Spatial communication projects that use type, image, and structure to shape experiences in the physical or hybrid environment. View all eligible formats
- Exhibition & Fair Design
- Wayfinding Systems & Signage
- Spatial Typography (installations, type in architecture, digital-physical hybrids)
Campaigns Integrated communication strategies across single or multiple channels, with a strong typographic and visual narrative. View all eligible formats
- Print Campaigns (editorial, advertising, public communication)
- Cross-Media Campaigns (print, digital, physical)
- Public Interest Communication (social, political, cultural)
Visual Identity & Branding Design of coherent brand identities that express character, values, and context through typography and visual language. View all eligible formats
- Corporate Design Systems / Visual Identities
- Logo Design
- Type-Centered Branding (identities primarily driven by type)
Experimental, Unpublished & Calligraphic Works A home for independent and speculative work that explores new typographic approaches, tools, and cultural narratives — especially in beyond Latin script contexts. View all eligible formats
- Self-Initiated Projects
- Research-Based or Conceptual Prototypes
- Early-Stage Concepts / Works in Progress
- Calligraphic Works and Explorations
- Not Yet Published or Realized Works
- Explorative Typography
Posters (Print & Digital) Expressive typographic communication in printed and digital posters. View all eligible formats
- Single Posters
- Poster Series
- Large Format Posters (e.g., 18/1 billboards, urban outdoor formats)
- Digital Posters (screen-based displays in public or commercial space)
Script groups
Eight script groups. Native experts. Your work is evaluated in its original script, with its language and cultural context at the centre.
Armenian
Chinese
Traditional or simplified Chinese
Greek
Indic / South Asian scripts
Gurmukhi, Devanagari, Gujarati, Bengali, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, Sinhala
Japanese
Korean
South East Asian scripts
Thai, Burmese, Lao, Khmer
FAQs
Who can enter the competition?
Designers, typographers, studios, agencies, in-house teams, publishers, cultural institutions, students, recent graduates, brands and organisations working with scripts beyond Latin.
Can I enter work that’s unpublished or still in progress?
Yes. The Experimental, Unpublished & Calligraphic Works category welcomes self-initiated projects, prototypes and work not yet published or realised.
May I submit the same project in multiple categories?
Yes. Each category is a separate entry and attracts its own participation fee.
Do I keep the rights to my work?
Please review the rights and usage provisions in the full competition guidelines before submitting.
What if my work contains third-party materials (fonts, images, etc.)?
Ensure you have the necessary rights and permissions for all submitted material. Refer to the guidelines for the complete requirements.
What happens if I have technical issues with the submission tool?
Contact granshan@granshan.com and describe the issue.