CFA was delighted to once again support Ireland’s design community through our sponsorship of the Design for Good Award at this year’s IDI Awards. This special category recognised design projects that make the world a better place – initiatives that drive positive social, political, or environmental change through creative problem-solving. Whether raising awareness, fulfilling a physical need, or empowering communities, these projects show how design can generate real, measurable impact.
As keen supporters of design excellence in Ireland, we believe in the power of creativity to shape a more sustainable and equitable future. The IDI Awards provide a vital platform to celebrate that impact, and we were thrilled not only to sponsor this meaningful award, but also to receive a commendation and take home an award on the night.
This year, CFA’s work was recognised with an award and commendation that highlight our commitment to purposeful, sustainable design.
Design Challenge and Design Ideas
Building on these sustainability principles, Creative Boardroom addressed a critical design challenge: how to activate climate leadership in Ireland’s boardrooms through intergenerational collaboration. This cross-border partnership between the Institute of Directors Ireland, Institute of Directors Northern Ireland, and Creative Futures Academy paired 24 Chartered Directors with 20 students using design thinking frameworks.Participants tackled Ireland’s carbon-intensive sectors—food, transport, textiles, and built environment—through learning pathways: intergenerational collaboration, individual student development and director-focused solutions. The methodology combined systems thinking with empathy-driven design, featuring expert sessions on circular economy and doughnut economics.
Intergenerational Design System: Five-Workshop Framework This programme developed a replicable design methodology for cross-generational climate collaboration. Through five structured workshops following the Double Diamond framework (Discover, Define, Design, Deliver, plus an added Co-Design), 24 Chartered Directors and 20 design students from NCAD and IADT co-created climate solutions across Ireland’s carbon-intensive sectors. The cross-border partnership between Institute of Directors Ireland and Northern Ireland created North-South knowledge exchange. By workshop five, 100% of participants reported clear understanding of their climate leadership role, demonstrating the framework’s effectiveness in transforming governance approaches through design thinking.
Find out more HERE
This dynamic exhibition extended the reach of the Creative Boardroom initiative, engaging audiences across Ireland in the power of creative thinking to influence industry and cultural outcomes. Through a carefully curated and mobile design, the exhibition ensured that important conversations were accessible, visible, and actionable. Design agency Wove worked with CFA to conceive an exhibition that would be visually arresting, mobile and cost effective to encourage appearances across the island of Ireland.
Sustainable Design
This project puts sustainable advancement across every layer. Stemming from an innovative programme that aims to advance positive climate action (SDG13) and responsible consumption (SDG 12) by bringing it to boardrooms in innovative ways (SDG9) in order to drive systemic shifts in how businesses are governed. This exhibition project aims to amplify these aspects by increasing reach and influence for the programme, its approaches, ideas and insights. Find out more HERE
CFA was honoured to award the Design for Good accolade to Farm Social. Farm Social showcases design as a powerful tool for cultural and community connection. By addressing the challenges of rural isolation and wellbeing, the project highlights how thoughtful design interventions can foster support networks, celebrate local identity, and promote mental health across farming communities. Find out more HERE
CFA was inspired by the calibre of entries across all IDI Awards categories this year – projects that tackle complex problems and demonstrate the responsibility and potential of the design profession.
