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GoSolr shines with Grand Prix win
The Gold, Silver and Bronze DBA Design Effectiveness Award Winners have been announced, along with the Grand Prix winner at The Design Effect on Tuesday 10 March 2026 at the National Gallery in London.
The Grand Prix was won by GoSolr and Xfacta for the launch of the solar-energy brand.
GoSolr Brand Launch
GoSolr built a solar-energy brand from the ground up that has acquired thousands of users in a highly competitive, high-stakes category.
Xfacta worked end-to-end with GoSolr to create the distinctive brand world, intuitive digital tools and communications which framed solar as an upgrade to a modern way of living and achieved +1,013% revenue growth.
Power outages have affected households and businesses across South Africa since 2007, but despite being the most viable solution to the nation’s energy crisis, low trust and awareness were keeping consumers from adopting solar power.
In November 2022 that changed with the launch of GoSolr. The business has reimagined the way solar energy is positioned and delivered in South Africa with a disruptive subscription model, and its brand world has driven trust with a hesitant public. Design was crucial to conversion and differentiation, and to how fast the model was scaled – there was a narrow window of less than six months to establish the brand and digital experience before its launch.
At the heart of the brand’s success in rapidly attracting and converting consumers is a confident and clear customer journey. From the first point of contact to installation, GoSolr’s brand world reassures users throughout the journey, removing jargon and fear from the decision-making process. The visual identity connotes warmth, optimism and reliability, three qualities the market lacked, earning over 100 million media impressions for the brand and shaping how competitors behave.
In a category where most of the competition feels technical and impersonal, GoSolr feels like a human service. At a time of national uncertainty, GoSolr has literally and emotionally given people power. Read more about Gold and Grand Prix winner: GoSolr Brand Launch >
Find out more in GoSolr and Xfacta's video:
The DBA Design Effectiveness Awards recognise and reward the integral role design plays in transforming businesses, improving societies and enhancing people’s lives. Judged by a broad range of business leaders, and entered jointly by client and designer, these awards are the most rigorous standard for measuring the effectiveness of design.
40 Gold, Silver and Bronze award winners were announced at The Design Effect on 10 March at the iconic National Gallery in London.
Congratulations to all the winning agency and client partnerships and thank you to our fantastic judges who brought their insight and experience to judge the entries this year, and to Sean Carney, Former Chief Design Officer at Philips, Trustee and Founder of Design for Good, and Strategic Advisor & Chair of the Future Lab Board at PASHA Holding for expertly Chairing the Judging.
Browse all the 2026 DBA Design Effectiveness Award winners’ case studies.
