Swedish Design Academy

The Swedish Design Academy (SDA) is a non-profit organization that has been working to promote the function of design since 1998.

The importance of form and imagination in design - with a particular focus on industrially produced products. SDA's mission is to support and strengthen the traditions of Swedish design, and to recognize and encourage its development in education, research and professional practice.

In collaboration with other design organizations, including Svensk Form, SDA members work actively to disseminate knowledge about the role and value of design for social development. This is done through publications, lectures, expert interventions and other public contexts.

The breadth of design - and the relevance of SDAs

Since its inception, the field of design has evolved and broadened. Today it encompasses not only product design but also service design, system design and other applications where the methods and perspectives of the design process are central. The artistically based design process remains a mainstay - even in new areas such as public service development, where, for example, health services are increasingly working with designers to improve services and systems.

Despite - or because of - this broadening, the SDA's purpose is more relevant than ever. In an era where innovation is often equated with technology and AI, the role of design risks being marginalized. SDA therefore works to highlight the unique value of design in innovation processes, and to strengthen the understanding of form, function and tradition in Swedish design.

Awards and engagement

Each year, the SDA awards a diploma to a designer or design company considered to be working in the spirit of the association. The recipient is nominated and appointed by SDA members at the annual fall meeting. Through this award, SDA highlights role models in Swedish design who combine tradition with innovation.

In 2024, the diploma was awarded to industrial designers Folkform, Anna Holmquist and Chandra Ahlsell

Members of the Board
Jonas Bohlin, Professor Emeritus of Interior Design MSA
Hans Cogne, Professor Emeritus of Graphic Design
David Crafoord, Professor em. Industrial Designer MFA
Johan Dahlberg, Industrial Designer MFA
Torsten Dahlin, professor em, industrial designer
Wanja Djanaieff, professor em. textile designer
Stina Juhlin, industrial designer MFA
Sara Ilstedt, Professor, Industrial Designer
Sara Kristoffersson, Professor of Design History, Author
Erika Lagerbielke, Professor, designer and glass artist
Aina Nilsson Ström, Professor Emeritus Industrial Designer
Peter Nordgren, industrial designer MFA
Lisbeth Svengren Holm, Professor em. Design Management
Kerstin Wickman, Professor Emeritus of Design and Crafts History
Åsa Wikberg Nilsson, Professor, Designer
Stefan Ytterborn, Entrepreneur

Nobili
The Swedish Design Academy uses the term nobili - from the Italian word for "noble" - as an honorary designation for members who have made significant contributions to Swedish design through their life's work. These are people whose work has been characterized by deep knowledge, integrity of form and a long-term commitment to the role of design in society.

Gunila Axén, Professor Emeritus, Textile Designer
Maria Benktzon, Professor, Industrial Designer
Lars Lallerstedt, professor em, industrial designer
Jan-Olof Landqvist, Professor em. Industrial Designer

Deceased members
The Swedish Design Academy wishes to honor with reverence and gratitude the members who have left us. Through their life's work, they have helped shape Swedish design history and strengthened the role of design in society. Their work lives on in ideas, objects, education and the professional legacy they left behind. We remember their contributions with respect - and their place in the Academy remains alive in our collective memory.

Börje Alge (1943-1999), industrial designer
Johan Huldt (1946-2016), professor, interior designer
Torbjörn Lenskog (1936-2020), graphic designer, collector
Rune Monö (1920-2007), professor, industrial designer
Hans Sjöholm (1936-2006), industrial designer