Upcoming Events
Cooper Hewitt High School Design Competition – Entry Period
Cooper Hewitt National High School Design COmpetition
Organized by Cooper Hewitt
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum launched the National High School Design Competition in 2016. Every year, students around the country are challenged to design a solution to a unique scenario, inspired by Cooper Hewitt’s rich collection and stimulating exhibitions.
2027 DESIGN CHALLENGE: What would you design to help people connect?
We live in a world where people can connect instantly through social media and online. Yet many people still feel alone, isolated, or disconnected from their communities. Communities thrive when people connect, work together and build deep relationships. You have the power to bridge these gaps and bring people closer together through design. What would you design to help people connect?
Every great design begins with a clear approach. Cooper Hewitt’s exhibition Design Across Time: Exploring the Smithsonian’s Design Collection highlights six strategies that designers use to address people’s needs and create meaningful experiences. Each of these six approaches can serve as a tool to help people connect. Consider using one or more of these design strategies to guide your design:
- Play: Experiment with unexpected ideas.
- Tweak: Consider an existing design and how it can be improved.
- Repeat: Use recurring elements to reinforce a core message.
- Transform: Turn systems, materials, and experiences into unexpected solutions.
- Show off: Highlight masterful craftsmanship and expertise to create solutions that inspire.
- Simplify: Streamline complex processes, objects, or information to ensure accessibility for all.
Create a sketch that communicates your idea and describe how your design addresses the challenge question. Review how to enter and check back in November for resources to inspire your thinking and explore how designers, scientists, and engineers use the design process to help their communities connect.
WHO CAN ENTER
The design competition is open to all high school students in grades 9 through 12, or who are homeschooled students working toward a high school degree anywhere in the United States. You can enter as an individual or as a team of up to three people. Review the competition Rules and Conditions, which will be available soon, for complete information on eligibility.
ENTRY DEADLINE: MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2027, 11:59 P.M. (EASTERN TIME)
The entry period will begin on January 5, 2027, but you can start working on your design now! Learn more about how to enter. To be notified when the submission site opens, email us at DesignCompetition@si.edu.