Prime Editions

Prime Editions
Prime Editions is the name we give to ultra premium hardcover print publications, especially special edition books published by DesignerPress, with highly selective contents, in collaboration with Museo del Design and A' Design Award & Competition, mostly anthologies and monographs, highly focused on a single subject, such as a single industry, a design category, a geographical area or a designer, yet featuring award-winning designs from multiple years.

Eligible Platinum, Gold and Silver winners of A' Design Award & Competition have a potential possibility and prospects to get included in the Prime Editions. Eligible A' Design Award laureates will have the unique and special opportunity get books solely dedicated to them, as in Designer Prime Editions or Designer Signature Prime Editions.

The unique value proposition of the Prime Edition publications lies in transformation: transforming your temporary award-winning commercial work into permanent cultural artifacts that elevate both you, the creator and your audience through their very existence. This is particularly powerful because it operates on multiple levels simultaneously - commercial, cultural, and emotional - creating a complex web of value that's difficult for your competitors to replicate. Prime Editions centers on exclusivity and excellence validation: Being featured at a Prime Edition publication transforms your work from "one of many" to "one of few" creating a powerful differentiation tool that resonates with sophisticated clients who value proven excellence. Being featured in prestigious, limited-edition design publications such as the Prime Editions represents a transformative milestone that elevates a brand from excellence to legacy. These carefully curated volumes, showcasing only award-winning work, serve as permanent testaments to creative mastery and cultural significance. Beyond mere documentation, Prime Editions create an exclusive ecosystem where third-party validation meets artistic preservation, positioning featured works alongside industry legends. The substantial physical presence of these premium publications - from their museum-quality printing to their commanding size - transforms temporal creative work into timeless artifacts, residing in the intimate spaces of decision-makers and influencers. This elevation transcends traditional portfolio presentation, creating a powerful differentiation tool that resonates deeply with sophisticated clients who understand the difference between good design and museum-worthy excellence. The impact extends far beyond immediate recognition, establishing lasting professional networks, opening doors to elite collaborations, and creating a permanent place in design history. The prestigious Prime Edition feature serves as both a testament to past achievements and a catalyst for future opportunities, justifying premium positioning while creating an inimitable barrier to entry that competitors simply cannot replicate, and getting featured at Prime Editions is an opportunity you may unlock simply by winning the A' Design Award multiple times.

Prime Editions are different from the coveted A’ Design Award Yearbook of Best Designs that feature award-winning Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron Designs from all categories in a single year. Prime Editions do not feature explanatory text, instead Prime Editions are profusely illustrated, noteworthy monographs with high quality color reproductions showing original design work.

Artwork in its Own Right
When it comes to Prime Editions, the extra-large, super-premium, limited-edition coffee table books featuring the most excellent content from the grandmaster designers, artists and architects, the planning and production process is given the utmost importance to properly and perfectly represent the featured works; the importance of the feel of the book, how the book touches the skin and appeals to the eye, how the book creates a positive sensation matter for us; every and each aspect is thought of, starting with the difference between backlighting and reflected light, and ending with its final presentation and packaging. Prime Editions books are produced in cooperation with OMC² Design Studios, the affiliated office for design and image processing to ensure the greatest attention to details; high-fidelity color reproduction and rich gamut printing, well-constructed binding, beautiful layout, typography, kerning and all other details are considered. Similar to art books, coffee table books and photobooks, in Prime Editions, visual elements, graphics and photographs make a significant contribution to the overall content and thus greatest attention is given to color accurate quality printing. Heavy, opaque, acid-free, pH buffered, sturdy archival papers are selected for printing. Since Prime Editions are designed to be collectible, special attention is given to presentation and long-term conversion is equally thought of.

Active Distribution Worldwide.
DesignerPress, whose backlist is mainly focused on illustrated books covering the areas of groundbreaking architecture, design, creativity, innovation, inspiration, visual arts, contemporary fine arts, craft, landscape, urban planning, furniture, packaging, graphics, communication, fashion, photography, ethnography, visual and popular culture aims to distribute the Prime Editions in design museum shops and mainstream bookstores, galleries and retail stores as well as art prints direct to consumers through its online retail website. DesignerPress also creates campaigns and initiatives to reach audiences not used, or not having time to buying in traditional bookshops. DesignerPress, specialized in design and architecture photobooks in an international context, pioneer in fostering the circulation of culture and ideas, pride themselves on the time and effort put into each of their books to ensure that the Edition books are a timeless source of inspiration, pleasure and learning. Edition books, represent the very best in design, quality, and innovation, and feature award-winning works from the World’s most influential artists, architects, designers, illustrators, innovators, photographers and brands. There are six distinct types of Prime Editions: Designer, Designer Signature, Theme, Category, Locality, and Category × Locality, all are Extra Large, Super-Premium, Limited-Edition prints.

Designer Prime Editions, Extra-Large, Super-Premium, Limited Edition
Monographs on the works of grand master designers and architects. Designer Prime Editions are books published by DesignerPress, in collaboration with Museo del Design and A' Design Award & Competition, featuring award-winning works of only one designer, artist, architect, design office, creative agency, or a brand. The Designer Prime Editions book use premium, archival grade, acid-free, pH buffered, high-opacity, bright white, thick paper pages, digitally printed, perfect bound in hardcover case and presented in sleeve jackets. Designer Edition books are great to explore an individual designer's portfolio of award-winning works. It is a distinct pleasure and honour to get your own Designer Edition book. A' Design Award & Competition aims to launch individual Designer Prime Editions books for top ranked designers, as noted in Designer Rankings. Designer Prime Editions are generally sold at design museum bookshops and major book retailers. Hardcover, 32 cm (height) × 35 cm (width), 325 mm × 356 mm with hardcover, 100 ~ 200 pages, featuring 20 to 100 works, printed in Italy, with Italian ISBN, sold in protective, cardboard slipcases / book shoe with glossy illustrated metallic color dust jackets.

Designer Signature Prime Editions, Extra-Large, Super-Premium, Very Limited Edition
These are same as Designer Prime Editions for their contents except the paper is heavier and therefore opaquer, furthermore each book is signed by the Designer and they are always limited edition with only up to 88 copies printed. Given the signature of designer, they have higher value and are more collectible and command a more premium price. These further accompany a signed, framed poster of one of the featured works and may further be accompanied with art prints, silk-screen prints and/or products or designs that were created by the designer, and sometimes they also come with memorabilia such as signed photographs or original photography. The Designer Signature Prime Editions are further particularly noteworthy due to the inclusion of rare interviews conducted with designers and design-world personalities and professionals.

For Designer Prime Editions and Designer Signature Prime Edition books, the eligibility criteria consists of two main requirements, usually noted as 5/55 rule. (A) First, the designer should obtain a lifetime grand portfolio of fifty (50) Platinum, Gold or Silver award-winning works, this is possible by winning a total of at least fifty (50) A' Design Awards, that is any combination of Platinum, Gold and Silver A' Design achievements in non-concealed categories. (B) Second, the designer must demonstrate truly exceptional, transcendent design skill by winning at least five (5) Platinum A' Design Awards.

Category Prime Editions, Extra-Large, Super-Premium, Limited Edition
Anthologies featuring most outstanding examples of good design in a given industry. Category Prime Editions are books published by DesignerPress, in collaboration with Museo del Design and A' Design Award & Competition, featuring platinum, and sometimes also gold and silver award-winning works from a single A' Design Award & Competition award category. The Category Prime Editions book use premium, archival grade, acid-free, pH buffered, high-opacity, bright white, thick paper pages, digitally printed, perfect bound in hardcover case and presented in sleeve jackets. Category Edition books are great to help you develop your creative visual acuity and design industry wisdom further, providing outstanding inspiration. Category Prime Editions are among top gifts you could give to designers, artists and architects. A' Design Award & Competition aims to launch multiple Category Prime Editions books for most competitive design fields, as noted in Design Classifications. Category Prime Editions are generally sold at design museum bookshops and major book retailers. Hardcover, 32 cm (height) × 35 cm (width), 100 ~ 200 pages, featuring 20 to 100 works, printed in Italy, with Italian ISBN, sold in protective, cardboard slipcases / book shoe with glossy illustrated metallic color dust jackets.

Locality Prime Editions, Extra-Large, Super-Premium, Limited Edition
Contemporary design publications featuring excellent design works from a given geographic area. Locality Prime Editions are books published by DesignerPress, in collaboration with Museo del Design and A' Design Award & Competition, featuring platinum, and sometimes also gold and silver award-winning works from a single country, region, province, city, locality or geographical area. The Locality Prime Editions book use premium, archival grade, acid-free, pH buffered, high-opacity, bright white, thick paper pages, digitally printed, perfect bound in hardcover case and presented in sleeve jackets. Locality Edition books are great to help you discover local preferences and customs in design, art and architecture, and helps you further develop your understanding for the artistic spectrum and cultural heritage of a region. Locality Prime Editions make it easy to explore and understand local design cultures and are great for creative growth and multicultural inspiration. A' Design Award & Competition aims to launch multiple Locality Prime Editions books for regions listed top in World Design Rankings. Locality Prime Editions are generally sold at design museum bookshops and major book retailers. Hardcover, 32 cm (height) × 35 cm (width), 100 ~ 200 pages, featuring 20 to 100 works, printed in Italy, with Italian ISBN, sold in protective, cardboard slipcases / book shoe with glossy illustrated metallic color dust jackets.

Category × Locality Prime Editions, Extra-Large, Super-Premium, Limited Edition
Contemporary books that bring together the best works of important artistic and design figures of a given geographic area, in a given industry. Category × Locality Prime Editions are books published by DesignerPress, in collaboration with Museo del Design and A' Design Award & Competition, featuring mostly platinum, and occasionally gold and silver award-winning works from a single A' Design Award & Competition award category, from a specific geographical region. The Category × Locality Prime Editions book use premium, archival grade, acid-free, pH buffered, high-opacity, bright white, thick paper pages, digitally printed, perfect bound in hardcover case and presented in sleeve jackets. Category x Locality Edition books are excellent to help you understand local design culture and preferences for a given industry and design category. Category × Locality Prime Editions are very suited for market research and talent scouting, and represent design and art movements in an industry, in a location and great sources to satisfy your intellectual curiosity. A' Design Award & Competition aims to launch multiple Category x Locality Prime Editions books each year. Category × Locality Prime Editions are generally sold at design museum bookshops and major book retailers. Hardcover, 32 cm (height) ×35 cm (width), 100 ~ 200 pages, featuring 20 to 100 works, printed in Italy, with Italian ISBN, sold in protective, cardboard slipcases / book shoe with glossy illustrated metallic color dust jackets.

Theme Prime Editions, Extra-Large, Super-Premium, Limited Edition
Anthologies featuring most outstanding examples of good design in a given subject matter and area of interest. Theme Prime Editions are books published by DesignerPress, in collaboration with Museo del Design and A' Design Award & Competition, featuring platinum, and sometimes also gold and silver award-winning works from a multiple A' Design Award & Competition award categories that relate to a single topic of interest. The Theme Prime Editions book use premium, archival grade, acid-free, pH buffered, high-opacity, bright white, thick paper pages, digitally printed, perfect bound in hardcover case and presented in sleeve jackets. Theme Prime Edition books are designed as visual groundwork, research and mood board for business people, entrepreneurs, marketing managers and design strategists. Theme Prime Editions are great gifts for business owners, filled with inspiration and ideas to expand and improve their business with good design, art, architecture and strategy that relate to the subject. A' Design Award & Competition aims to launch various Theme Prime Editions books for most popular cultural topics and business interests. Theme Prime Editions are generally sold at design museum bookshops and major book retailers. Hardcover, 32 cm (height) × 35 cm (width), 100 ~ 200 pages, featuring 20 to 100 works, printed in Italy, with Italian ISBN, sold in protective, cardboard slipcases / book shoe with glossy illustrated metallic color dust jackets.

Different from A' Design Award Winner Yearbooks
Good to Know: Prime Editions are different from A' Design Award Yearbook of Best Designs. Every year, the A' Design Award & Competition publishes its winners within print edition, hardcover versions of its yearbook in multiple volumes, these yearbooks of best designs cover a wide-range of correlated categories and feature award-winning designs of Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron A' Design Award laureates in a single year, on the other hand the Prime Editions may include works from different years and the subjects of the books are more focused. Learn more about A’ Design Award Yearbook of Best Designs.

Why Called Prime Editions?
There are two reasons, first of all, as you may imagine, A’ Design Award is read as A-Prime Design Award, and thus the “Prime Editions” makes logical sense, however the actual reason why we chose “Prime Editions” to represent these books is different. In the art world, if an artwork exists in several versions, the one known or believed to be the earliest is called the “prime version”. Artists and designers often make variations and versions of their initial work, and it is regarded as a matter of importance both by art historians and the art market to establish which version has "priority", that is to say was the original work. The presumption usually is that the prime version is the finest, and perhaps the most carefully done, though some later versions can be argued to improve on the originals. We believe that our “Prime Editions”, our well-crafted, ultra-premium, extra-large, carefully curated, engineered and high quality printed, outstanding photobooks of World's most excellent designs, art and architecture are our original work, our master piece, our “prime version” when it comes to creating truly sensational, beautiful, photobooks featuring the most excellent and outstanding arts, architecture, design, that will define a series of future books and publications by us as well as other design institutions, design awards, competitions and government initiatives, to serve as a basis of how to properly and respectfully represent, promote and disseminate good design.

Get Featured in Prime Editions
To get yourself featured and your work published in Prime Editions, or especially if you wish to have a whole book dedicated to you such as in Designer Signature Prime Editions, you need to be a multiple, multi-year winner of A’ Design Award & Competition, preferably with Platinum, Gold and Silver level designs. A’ Design Award, at its sole discretion, may make a decision to publish a book only dedicated to you as a designer, yet inclusion in other Prime Editions is much easier. In general, A’ Design Award & Competition will include and feature top ranked designers and their excellent designs, especially Platinum and Gold award-winning works as part of Category Prime Editions, Locality Prime Editions, and Category × Locality Prime Editions. Inclusion to Category Prime Editions, Locality Prime Editions, and Category × Locality Prime Editions is mostly a processed fully managed by A’ Design Award; A’ Design Award will start an edition, then present the designers whose works would be included within that Edition, prototype pages. Designers will have time to reject their prototype pages and/or opt-out of Prime Editions fully. If the Designers do not reject their pages and/or opt-out of Prime Editions, the prototype pages will pass to design office for final design and then pass to DesignerPress for finalization. Platinum and Gold award-winning works are highly likely candidates for publishing and getting featured in Prime Editions. Designers who wish to have their award-winning works to be included will also require to provide a valid license and declaration for use of their images and photographs as part of Prime Editions. While Category Prime Editions, Locality Prime Editions, and Category × Locality Prime Editions participation is rather easy when you have Platinum and Gold award-winning works the Designer Prime Editions and Designer Signature Prime Editions are more personalized and requires a personal touch, if your portfolio is selected to be featured and published as a Designer Edition and/or Designer Signature Edition, A’ Design Award will assign a supervisor to your book and the supervisor will get in touch with you to ensure you have a book that is relevant to you. In general, designers featured in Designer Edition and/or Designer Signature Edition will have control over the cover, dusk jacket and are able to propose additional pages and/or content for inclusion, while for the Category Prime Editions, Locality Prime Editions, and Category × Locality Prime Editions, the content, page layout, cover and packaging design are all provided by A’ Design Award & Competition to ensure a common graphic language and consistent identity. If you are a laureate of A' Design Award & Competition, visit Prime Editions Inclusion page to learn more.

Architecture V.1 - Category Prime Editions
Below, we would like to present you with a conceptual overview of an example Category Prime Editions book: Architecture V.1 which would feature Platinum and Gold A’ Architectural Design Award Winners that have been selected for Prime Editions feature.

Tangible Benefits for Brands
Being featured in A' Design Award's Prime Editions delivers three fundamental benefits that directly impact a brand's bottom line. First, it enables premium market positioning and price justification through tangible evidence of design excellence, with museum-quality presentation and cultural validation creating sophisticated differentiation that supports higher pricing strategies. Second, it facilitates high-value client acquisition and retention by providing strategic exposure to decision-makers in prestigious venues, while the multi-dimensional validation reduces perceived risk and serves as a compelling proof of expertise during client negotiations. Third, it drives long-term brand value appreciation by transforming current achievements into lasting cultural assets that generate business value through multiple economic cycles, establishing the brand as a reference point in its field and providing ongoing returns through consistent exposure to new generations of clients and industry leaders. These benefits work in concert to create sustainable competitive advantages that support premium pricing strategies while building cumulative value over time, making Prime Editions a powerful instrument for long-term business growth and market differentiation.

Intangible Benefits for Brands
Being featured in A' Design Award's Prime Editions delivers three crucial brand-building benefits beyond direct financial returns. First, it establishes cultural authority and thought leadership by positioning the brand within the broader design discourse, creating opportunities for media coverage and speaking engagements while facilitating the transition from market player to cultural influencer. Second, it builds valuable relationship capital through meaningful connections with other featured design leaders, opening doors to high-level collaborations and generating organic word-of-mouth among influential professionals. Third, it enhances brand narrative by providing rich, sophisticated content for marketing communications, strengthening the brand's heritage story, and offering authentic material for multi-channel brand communications. These benefits work together to create a robust foundation for long-term brand development, establishing deeper connections with audiences and strengthening the brand's position within the design community.

Value of Being Featured in Designer Prime Editions:
Being featured in A' Design Award's Designer Prime Editions offers a significant milestone that elevates traditional portfolio presentation. These ultra-premium publications transform creative achievements into enduring cultural artifacts. The careful curation process, featuring multiple-time A' Design Award winners, provides compelling evidence of sustained excellence that resonates with sophisticated clients. The substantial physical presence - from the distinguished 325mm × 356.6mm format to museum-quality production - creates a meaningful impact, positioning works alongside respected industry figures. Available through design museum shops and prestigious bookstores worldwide, these editions provide valuable exposure to decision-makers while creating a lasting legacy that continues to generate opportunities.

Value of Being Featured in Designer Signature Prime Editions:
A' Design Award's Designer Signature Prime Editions represent a highly distinguished recognition, offering remarkable prestige through its selective 88-copy limited run. Each volume serves as a significant collector's item, enhanced by the designer's personal signature, original photography, and thoughtful interview content. The inclusion of signed artwork and curated memorabilia creates multi-dimensional cultural artifacts that resonate with design connoisseurs. Reserved for designers achieving the 5/55 distinction through A' Design Award, these editions provide a sophisticated platform for connecting with discerning collectors and clients who value exceptional design.

Value of Being Featured in Category Prime Editions:
A' Design Award's Category Prime Editions serve as valuable industry references, featuring carefully selected Platinum and Gold award-winning works within specific design disciplines. These distinguished large-format publications, with their high-quality printing and refined presentation, help transform design achievements into lasting professional references. Distribution through design museum shops and major retailers provides meaningful exposure to industry professionals. For designers and brands, inclusion helps establish their work as a valuable reference point in their field, while combining A' Design Award's credibility with category-specific excellence.

Value of Being Featured in Locality Prime Editions:
A' Design Award's Locality Prime Editions thoughtfully present award-winning works within their cultural and geographical context. These publications serve as meaningful chronicles of regional design excellence, helping transform local achievement into broader recognition. The premium format and production quality ensure featured works receive sophisticated presentation, while A' Design Award's distribution network provides exposure beyond regional boundaries. For featured creators, this offers a valuable opportunity to serve as cultural ambassadors of their region's design excellence.

Value of Being Featured in Category × Locality Prime Editions:
A' Design Award's Category × Locality Prime Editions present a refined intersection of geographic and disciplinary excellence. These publications showcase distinguished achievements within specific design disciplines from particular regions, offering valuable positioning opportunities for featured creators. For designers and brands, this dual focus provides meaningful opportunities to demonstrate expertise in specific market segments while highlighting their contribution to regional design development. The premium production and A' Design Award's distribution network help connect these achievements with audiences seeking specialized expertise.

Value of Being Featured in Theme Prime Editions:
A' Design Award's Theme Prime Editions present topical design excellence through carefully curated collections across category boundaries. These publications showcase how award-winning works address specific themes or challenges, creating valuable resources for industry professionals. The thoughtful selection of Platinum and Gold award-winning works helps represent significant innovation and excellence within each theme. For featured designers and brands, inclusion offers recognition as valuable contributors to specific design areas, while A' Design Award's distribution network helps connect these insights with relevant professional audiences.

A' Design Award and Competition works hard to help its laureates reach worldwide audiences, press members and buyers through international publications and media placements.