New trophy unveiled at The Design Effect

For nearly 40 years, the DBA Design Effectiveness Awards has championed the power and impact of effective design, and the iconic, silver trophy, originally designed by Seymourpowell, has been awarded to the winners.

But just as industry times have changed, so have the realities of modern manufacturing. The DBA made the strategic decision to partner with Morrama to design and make a new award that not only better reflected the relationship of design and business today, but also future proofed the trophy against rising material costs and production complexities.

Morrama’s design embodies the vital interdependence of client and designer. The new trophy is made from two distinct halves that cannot stand alone – two identical forms that rely on each other for stability, representing the equal but different value a design agency and client bring. Says Deborah Dawton, Chief Executive at the DBA: “Great designers need great clients. The two halves of this new trophy cannot stand up alone; they are a picture of the relationship that must exist between those commissioning the work and those delivering the outcomes. Morrama has created a design that perfectly tells our story, and captures the essence of not only the awards but our industry today.”

The material and production story

Wanting to reduce impact and celebrate UK manufacturing, the trophies are produced and assembled within a 2.7km radius of the DBA’s London base. Made in collaboration with Batch.Works using additive manufacturing techniques, each trophy is 3D printed in a plant-based material derived from coffee waste. The result is glass-like in appearance, the two halves twisting upwards to present the name of the recipient and the level of the award.

Lightweight by design, the production method reduces carbon emissions and is naturally zero-waste. The nature of the material also leaves the door open for the trophies to take on a new look each year, creating an opportunity for ongoing exploration into sustainable materials and storytelling. Jo Barnard, Founder and Director at Morrama said: “We’re honoured to have been selected to redesign the iconic DBA Design Effectiveness Awards trophy. The DBA and Morrama have a shared passion for beautiful design that tells a story in physical form and creates impact. It’s been fantastic to work with our friends at Batch.Works to produce the trophies locally from renewable materials; this will provide a platform for further material play and experimentation each year.“

The DBA selected B Corp Morrama as partner for this new era due to their capabilities in demonstrating a deep understanding of what the awards really mean, and how that story could be communicated through design and crafted into physical form. The partnership also continues to reflect the UK’s strong legacy of industrial design that originated with Seymourpowell in 1989.

The new trophies were presented to the 2026 DBA Design Effectiveness Award winners at The Design Effect, held at National Gallery in London.