Designblok Awards

Deisignblok Awards Judges

Yoko Choy

President of the Jury — China Editor, Wallpaper* magazine & Founder, Cultural Associates (Netherlands, Hong Kong)

Yoko Choy is a design journalist and creative consultant whose work reflects the quiet power of intercultural dialogue. As China Editor of Wallpaper magazine, she moves between Hong Kong and Amsterdam, bridging East and West to shape a shared narrative. Her practice centers on building meaningful relationships across cultures, using design and art as universal languages that foster human connection and creative innovation. This global perspective informs her collaborations with leading brands and institutions such as Assouline, Art Basel, Beijing Design Week, Hermès, Louis Vuitton, and Whyte & Mackay. She is currently developing a circular lifestyle concept, curating an intercultural platform, advising collectors and businesses, and organising a hospitality summit in Singapore.

— @missyoko

Bernard Dubois

Architect (Belgium)

Dubois is known for his precise, analytical approach and distinctive visual language that draws from classical, modernist, and postmodern traditions. His practice focuses on creating culturally resonant, context-driven spaces that blur the boundaries between architecture, design, and art. A graduate of La Cambre, he represented Belgium at the Venice Biennale in 2014 with a research project on Belgian interiors that shaped a new architectural grammar. He has designed boutiques and showrooms for fashion brands such as Courrèges, Icicle, and Nicolas Andreas Taralis, as well as interior projects for art collectors and collaborations with galleries like Maniera and Balice Hertling. His work also includes restaurants, furniture collections, and ongoing partnerships with brands such as Lanvin, Aesop, and PNY. Since 2016, he has co-directed the AA Visiting School Brussels, exploring new perspectives in contemporary architecture.

— @bernard_dubois

Mirkku Kullberg

CEO Kasthall AB, Chair of Paimio Sanatorium Foundation (Finland/Sweden)

Mirkku Kullberg is a design executive and cross-disciplinary thinker with a deep understanding of branding, strategy, and cultural phenomena. Currently CEO of Kasthall AB and Chair of Paimio Sanatorium Foundation, she is also the founder of Glasshouse Helsinki, a platform exploring the intersection of business, sustainability, and creativity. Kullberg has held leadership roles at renowned design companies including Artek (CEO), Vitra (Head of Home Division), Poltrona Frau (VP Americas), and served as Creative Director of Hotel St. George. Her work is known for connecting visionary thinking with strong strategic execution, shaping forward-looking brands and cultural experiences.

— @mirkku.kullberg

Chris Martin

Designer-in-Chief / Co-Founder of Massproductions

Chris Martin is a British designer based in Stockholm. After his studies at the Royal College of Art in London, Martin worked as an assistant to Jasper Morrison, then moved to Sweden, where he worked as a freelance designer at IKEA and also collaborated with leading Scandinavian architects and designers. In 2009, together with Magnus Elebäck, he founded the brand Massproductions, drawing inspiration from the factory as both a production tool and a creative muse. His work is focused on minimalism, with an emphasis on functionality and control of the entire process from idea to production. The Tio chair has become iconic, symbolizing his ability to transform simple industrial materials into timeless design. In 2020, he was awarded the Bruno Mathsson Prize, one of the most prestigious recognitions in Scandinavian design. Today, Martin leads Massproductions as Creative Director, with his work represented at international design fairs as well as in museum collections.

— @c_h_r_i_s_m_a_r_t_i_n

Cyril Zammit

Design Consultant and Strategic Advisor (France, UAE)

Zammit began his career in 1991 at the Institut Français in Prague before holding cultural sponsorship roles in London, Switzerland, and Abu Dhabi. From 2005 to 2009, he supported Design Miami as a sponsor, before founding Design Days Dubai in 2012, which he directed until 2017. He also played a key role in launching Dubai Design Week, serving as its founding director from 2015 to 2016. From 2017 to early 2022, he held positions in cultural diplomacy at Dubai Culture & Arts Authority and the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Since 2022, he has worked as a strategic consultant for the Uzbekistan Art & Culture Foundation, a Design Consultant for the Royal Commission for AlUla, and an invited instructor at Ithra Academy. In 2024, he curated an exhibition for the Doha Design Biennale and managed an international project during Milan Design Week. He also contributes regularly as a design columnist for Esquire Middle East.

— @cyrilzam

Deisignblok Awards Judges

Ben Hobson

President of the Jury, Media Executive, co-CEO of Dezeen (UK)

From 2012 to 2018, Benedict led Dezeen's in-house creative team, Dezeen Studio, which produces the online magazine's original video content and delivers projects as diverse as print publications, exhibitions, talks, and events for prestigious clients all around the world. He held the position of Chief Content Officer from 2018 to 2022, which saw him oversee Dezeen's editorial, video, and social media output and spearhead Dezeen's digital development strategy. Benedict is an experienced public speaker and digital media consultant and has spoken at events in cities that include London, Beijing, and Sao Paulo. He has hosted talks and panel discussions, organised workshops, and been a member of panels of judges all around the world. Benedict was appointed co-CEO at Dezeen together with Wai Shin Li in 2022.

Yoko Choy

China editor at Wallpaper*, Creative Consultant (HK)

Her work has been featured in numerous Chinese and international publications by renowned publishers such as Assouline, Gestalten, and Phaidon. With a deep understanding of creative and communications dynamics, she has collaborated with institutions like Art Basel, Beijing Design Week, and the German Design Council, as well as prestigious brands including Hermès, Louis Vuitton, and Whyte & Mackay. Dividing her time between Hong Kong and Amsterdam, Yoko is an active participant in design awards and conferences, such as Architizer A+Awards, Dezeen Awards, Maison & Objet, and Salone del Mobile. She is dedicated to fostering cross-cultural exchange, aiming to bridge the gap between East and West by translating knowledge and insights into a shared creative language.

Luca Nichetto

Designer, Founder of Nichetto Studio (IT/SE)

Luca Nichetto began his career at the Murano-based glassmaker Salviati and later worked as a consultant for the lighting company Foscarini, following his graduation from the Università Iuav di Venezia. He founded Nichetto Studio in Venice, which is celebrated for its multidisciplinary design approach, and subsequently opened a second studio in Stockholm. This expansion mirrors his fusion of Italian creativity with Swedish modernity. Nichetto's diverse body of work, which includes products, furniture, architecture, and branding, has been showcased in major global exhibitions and has garnered numerous international awards. His achievements underscore his prominent status in both Scandinavian and Italian design cultures.

Tej Chauhan

Designer, Founder of Tej Chauhan Ltd (UK)

Tej Chauhan is a British industrial designer and founder of Tej Chauhan Ltd. A Central St Martin’s graduate, he is known for creating emotive connections through everyday objects. At Nokia, he designed iconic phones like the Nokia 7600 and 7280. Chauhan has collaborated with top brands such as Artifort, Blackberry, British Airways, EE, Fiskars, Huawei, Ikea, Nike, Panasonic, and Samsung. His work has earned awards like IDSA Gold and Silver and has been featured in Elle Decoration, Vogue, and Wallpaper*. In 2022, he was a judge on Sky TV’s The Big Design Challenge.

Emma Marga Blanche and Fredrik Färg

Designers and founders of FÄRG & BLANCHE (SE)

Studio FÄRG & BLANCHE has collaborated with renowned furniture brands such as BD Barcelona Design, Bernhardt Design, Gärsnäs, Petite Friture, Johanson Design, and Design House Stockholm. In addition to product design, they create limited art pieces and public installations. Known for their experimental approach to materials and techniques, they skillfully balance between handmade one-offs and commercial production. In 2023, the studio created an installation for Sweden's Presidency of the Council of the European Union in Brussels.

Deisignblok Awards Judges

Ineke Hans

President of the Designblok Awards Jury 2023, Designer and Teacher (NL)

Ineke Hans is a Dutch critical designer of furniture, products, exhibitions, and spaces with content. She explores new design strategies and works for clients and leading international manufacturers on product typologies to fit our future social context. Ineke has a studio in Arnhem (NL), a small workshop in Berlin, and is a teacher of Design & Social Context at the Berlin University of the Arts.

Joseph Grima

Architect, Editor, Curator, Founder of Alcova and Space Caviar, Creative Director of Design Academy Eindhoven (UK)

Joseph Grima is the founder of Space Caviar in Genoa, a research collective that operates at the point where architecture, technology, design, and politics all intersect. Graduating from the Architectural Association in 2003, he broadened his international experience as a curator, publisher, and writer, most notably as editor-in-chief of Italian magazine Domus.

Birgitta Homburger

Creative Director, Designer and Strategist (DE)

Focusing on cultural context and strategic thinking, Birgitta Homburger has built up an impressive portfolio of work that spans the international stage, taking in collaboration with brands such as Mattiazzi, Wästberg, Volkswagen, and Laufen Bathroom. Her contributions to the development of creative direction and product design have been recognised by visiting professorships at Kunsthochschule Kassel and several other institutions, such as Universität der Künste in Berlin and Akademie der Bildenden Künste in Stuttgart. In 2023, her dedication to her craft led her to become creative director of and partner to Analog, an innovative glass brand based in Berlin.

Benedict Hobson

Journalist, co-CEO of Dezeen (UK)

From 2012 to 2018, Benedict led Dezeen's in-house creative team, Dezeen Studio, which produces the online magazine's original video content and delivers projects as diverse as print publications, exhibitions, talks, and events for prestigious clients all around the world. He held the position of Chief Content Officer from 2018 to 2022, which saw him oversee Dezeen's editorial, video, and social media output and spearhead Dezeen's digital development strategy. Benedict is an experienced public speaker and digital media consultant and has spoken at events in cities that include London, Beijing, and Sao Paulo. He has hosted talks and panel discussions, organised workshops, and been a member of panels of judges all around the world. Benedict was appointed co-CEO at Dezeen together with Wai Shin Li in 2022.

Simone Post

Multidisciplinary Designer (NL)

Simone Post, based in Rotterdam, is a Dutch multidisciplinary designer whose roots lie in textiles. She graduated with honours from Design Academy Eindhoven in 2015 and has since won numerous national and international awards. Her work has been recognised and exhibited worldwide, some works having become part of renowned collections such as those at Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein, Centraal Museum in Utrecht, MAD in Paris, the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW), and Cooper Hewitt in New York. Her clients include Hermès, Vlisco, Kvadrat, and Adidas.

Deisignblok Awards Judges

Andrew Ayers

Architecture and Design Critic, Contributor to Publications such as Architectural Record, L'Architecture d'aujourd'hui, Detail and Architectural Review (GB)