Every year, Belgian and Dutch students from the universities of applied sciences and art academies take up the challenge of creating a winning design for HEMA. Students can enter the HEMA design competition until the 10th of February 2012.

For the 25th HEMA Design Competition, we are asking students to design a new “HEMA hero”. Think of a timeless product for our hard goods, fashion or food ranges that will earn a fixed place in our stores.

what is a HEMA hero?

A HEMA “hero” is a timeless product that is exceptional in its simplicity, stands out due to its design and is popular among our customers. A good example is the whistling kettle “le Lapin”, our vases, mugs and our cake stand “Tast Toe!”.

this is HEMA

HEMA believes that making life easier and more fun does not have to be expensive. If you enter a HEMA store you will see this immediately: nowhere else will you find the remarkable combination of only the best products for daily life with a special design, good quality and surprising low prices. Nowhere else will you find the HEMA’s characteristic and attractive shop design. And the HEMA staff are always ready to help you: proud, concerned with a heart for their HEMA. This makes HEMA unique.

best prize

It is also HEMA’s intention to actually produce and sell one or more of the winning items. Naturally, this is the best prize of all for the designer. Over the history of the competition, more than twenty designs have actually found a place in HEMA stores.

winner design competition 2011

The briefing for the 24th edition of the HEMA design competition was: design an authentic HEMA product, related to the theme ‘sports and games’.

Tjielp by Astrid Bontenbal from TU Delft received the first prize during the award ceremony of the HEMA Design Competition 2011. The jury was full of praise. “The name, the design, the packaging, the included instructions: everything about Tjielp is spot-on. These attractively designed birds let you easily and simply organize a ‘bird hunt’ in the forest. You attach the bird to a branch using the clips on the tail. Cards with tasks can be placed in the beak and tail. The concept is simple, but it is the implementation that makes this design really special.”

• download jury report

public award

The designs that fell just short of making it to the jury's table had a second chance at winning a prize. In addition to the winners selected by the expert jury, twelve other entries were given a chance of winning the HEMA design competition public award. Tjielp won once again by only a slight margin.

the competition

In the early 1980s, educational institutions indicated that more and better practical experience was required as part of their courses. During the same period, HEMA switched to a more trendy look in design and packaging. In 1983 and 1984, these two developments came together in the first HEMA design competition. Thanks to its continuity and quality, the competition quickly became highly regarded by educational institutions and students.

Since 1990, students at design schools in the field of hardware and fashion have been invited every year to design a real HEMA product that fits with the theme for the year. Every year, hundreds of students participate. HEMA tries to take one or more winning designs into actual production. Of course, this is best award of all for the prize winner. In the past, more than twenty designs have ended up on the shelves of HEMA stores.