Epson Named Red Dot Design Team Of The Year For 2026

Epson has been awarded the “Red Dot: Design Team of the Year” title for 2026, making it only the second Japanese company to receive the honour since the award was first presented in 2000.

The title is awarded annually to a single design team as part of the Red Dot Award: Product Design competition, which has been running since 1955. The award ceremony is scheduled to take place in Essen, Germany, in July 2026.

Recognition spans multiple business divisions

The award citation highlighted Epson’s design work across its four business segments: precision innovation, industrial and robotics, office and home printing, and visual and lifestyle products.

The jury noted that the company has maintained a consistent design strategy across a broad product portfolio, with the award recognising how design has been embedded within Epson’s corporate activities rather than being confined to individual products.

Red Dot Founder and CEO Professor, Dr Peter Zec, commented on the breadth of Epson’s approach.

“With exceptional clarity and consistency, Epson has created a remarkably broad portfolio and translates technological innovation with great assurance into accessible, human-centred solutions – precise and carefully composed in their expression,” Zec noted.

“The design approach is defined by a strong sense of harmony – between form and function and between technological precision and user experience. Driven by a strategically embedded design culture, this results in internationally successful products with a clear identity.”

Design team frames award as collective recognition

Hideki Kato, General Manager of the Epson P Design Department, and Takayoshi Ishikawa, General Manager of the Epson VP Design Department, described the award as a reflection of the broader organisation’s work rather than any single product line.

“We see this award as recognition not of individual products, but of the collective efforts of Epson’s design organisation as a whole,” Kato and Ishikawa explained. “It reflects both a daily commitment within each business area and a collaborative mindset cultivated across departments.”

The pair framed the recognition as forward-looking rather than retrospective.

“We view this award not as an end point but rather as an expectation that we will continue to create new value,” they added. “We will remain committed to transforming the value of technology into meaningful experiences for people and society, and to creating value in a way that is true to Epson.”

A design philosophy built on efficiency and precision

Epson’s design work is guided by a philosophy it calls “Sho-Sho-Sei,” an approach that emphasises efficient, compact and precise innovation. The principle aims to transform technology into products that are intuitive to use and designed for long-term utility, rather than focusing on functional performance alone.

The company’s design organisation operates across business domains, with teams collaborating across disciplines while maintaining specialised expertise in their respective areas. Epson has described the structure as delivering both domain-specific focus and a sense of unity across the company.

Epson has also been recognised over multiple years in the Red Dot Award: Product Design category for individual products, which the award jury cited as evidence of sustained design quality across product generations.

About the Red Dot Design Award

The Red Dot Design Award was established in 1955 and is recognised internationally as one of the established design award programs. The Design Team of the Year title has been awarded annually to a single team since 1988, recognising teams that demonstrate innovation, creativity and design quality through comprehensive achievements delivered via collaborative teamwork.

Last Updated on May 27, 2026 by Nick Ross