The Aoyama Design Forum (ADF), a non-profit organization, is pleased to announce the first round of jurors for the 16th annual ADF Design Award 2026, an international design competition organized by ADF. This year’s panel once again features distinguished figures from the global architecture and design community. The four confirmed jurors are as follows.

Christina Yao / China Editor of Dezeen

Christina Yao is Dezeen’s China Editor. She oversees Dezeen’s WeChat and Red Note accounts, managing coverage of architecture and design across China and the wider Asia-Pacific region. Now based between Shanghai and Melbourne, she previously spent six years in London as Europe Correspondent for the weekly magazine China Business Network. After returning to China in late 2019, she served as Managing Editor of the China branch of the British digital media outlet Business of Fashion before joining Dezeen in 2021.


M.L. Varudh Varavarn / Founder, Principal Architect of Vin Varavarn Architects

M.L. Varudh Varavarn is the Founder of Vin Varavarn Architects (VVA), an architecture studio based in Bangkok, Thailand. He is a recipient of the Silpathorn Award 2022, the country’s most prestigious honor for living Thai contemporary artists.


His projects have earned numerous national and international recognitions, including the winner of the 8th International Biennial Barbara Cappochin Prize of Architecture, the Golden Pin Best Design Award, the Design Anthology PEOPLE Award, the RIBA International List 2018, and Gold Medals of the ASA Architectural Design Awards.

Alongside his practice, Varudh is deeply committed to using architecture as a tool for social impact. He regularly collaborates with non-profit organizations to design schools and low-cost housing for underprivileged communities across Thailand. In 2018, he was appointed Chief Curator of the Thai Pavilion at the 18th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia.



IDr Ooi Boon Seong / Chief Executive Director of OD&A

Ooi is a respected figure in Malaysia’s interior design industry, with more than 30 Excellence Awards to his name, including the 2019 Industry Icon Award from The BrandLaureate. He played a key role in the establishment of the Malaysian Institute of Interior Designers (MIID) and served as its President from 2022 to 2024.

A long-time contributor to the industry, Ooi is dedicated to fostering the next generation of designers and has served as a juror for major design competitions organized by Lembaga Arkitek Malaysia (LAM), Pertubuhan Arkitek Malaysia (PAM), MIID, Star Property, and the Asia Young Designer Award (AYDA). With over 30 years of experience, he leads the award-winning interior design firm OD&A, bringing fresh perspectives to the field while upholding high standards of quality, creativity, and professionalism.


Marco Bevolo / Adjunct Professor of Design Futures, World University of Design; Founder, Marco Bevolo Consulting

Marco Bevolo is Adjunct Professor of Design Futures at the World University of Design in Sopalt, India, and a researcher at Breda University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands. He earned his PhD from the Graduate School, Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Tilburg University.

From 1999 to 2009, he served as a Director at Philips Design, where he led the second global edition of city.people.light. From 2010 to 2016, he was Principal Researcher in Urban Futures at Philips Lighting (now Signify). He has presented his future-focused research at organizations such as Sony Creative Center and Fabrica / Benetton, and has consulted for clients including FCA and Lighting Design Collective.

Bevolo has conducted seminars at institutions including Politecnico di Milano and Fashion Institute Arnhem. He has published four books and more than 30 peer-reviewed papers and magazine articles.

Please find more information and application details for the “ADF Design Award 2026” at the link below.
ADF Official Website
For inquiries: award@adf.or.jp

▶ ADF Design Award 2026 – Details Page