Recently, during routine verification, the Asia Design Week Organizing Committee discovered instances of individuals forging award certificates, appointment letters, and other authorization documents under the name of this Committee. Such actions not only infringe upon the legitimate rights and interests of the Committee but also severely damage the credibility and professional image of our events. In this regard, the Committee hereby issues the following solemn statement:

[Official Solemn Statement Regarding the Issuance of Official Information]
Asia Design Week reminds all participants and partners that all official information related to certificates, winner lists, exhibitor lists, appointment announcements, etc., shall be solely based on the information released on the official Asia Design Week website and officially certified platforms (WeChat Service Account, Little Red Book, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram) as the only accurate source. Any lists, certificate templates, or announcements released through unofficial channels do not represent the position of the Committee and hold no official validity.

[Scope of Officially Authorized Certificates]
To maintain the brand image of Asia Design Week and the authority of its various activities, it is hereby clearly announced:

Currently, the certificates, appointment letters, and proofs officially authorized and stamped with the official seal of the Asia Design Week Organizing Committee are limited to the following categories:

• Asia Design Week Organizing Committee Personnel and Council Member Appointment Letters

• Design and Art Studies Journal Editorial Board Member and Reviewer Appointment Letters

• International Poster Exhibition of Asian Urban Culture

  • Jury Appointment Letter

  • Official Exhibition Certificate

  • Official Curator/Expert Certificate

• Asian Vanguard Art and Design Award (AVADA) (The 2024 edition was named "Asian Vanguard Art and Design Competition")

  • Jury Appointment Letter

  • Award Certificate

  • Shortlist/Exhibition Certificate

  • Special Note: From 2025 onwards, only official award winners may use the AVADA winner's logo within a reasonable scope.

• Volunteer Certificates and Intern Certificates

• Joint Exhibition Areas with other cooperative events such as Hebei International Industrial Design Week

  • Official Exhibition Certificate

  • Official Curator Certificate

• International Conferences Hosted or Co-hosted by Asia Design Week

  • Official Participation Certificate

  • Official Organizer Certificate

  • Official Reviewer/Speaker Certificate

• ASEAN-China Design Convergence Series Events (including competitions, exhibitions, forums, seminars, etc.)

  • Official Exhibition Certificate

  • Official Participation Certificate

  • Official Curator/Organizer/Expert Certificate

• Any other certificates or proofs formally issued, explicitly authorized, and bearing the official seal of the Organizing Committee for activities.

Any certificates, appointment letters, or proofs not listed above are not officially authorized by Asia Design Week.

[Certificate Authenticity Verification Channel]
If you have doubts about the authenticity of any materials such as "Award Certificates," "Exhibition Certificates," "Appointment Letters," or "Expert Certificates," you may submit a verification request. However, before submitting a request, please first consult the officially published lists:

• Winner Lists

• Shortlist Lists

• Exhibitor Lists

• Curator Lists

All the above lists have been published on the official website or officially designated platforms. Please submit a verification request only if the person's name does not appear in these lists, to avoid unnecessary duplication of work.

Please contact the Organizing Committee via the official account backend, email, customer service, or other means. We will complete the verification and reply within 7 working days.
(Please provide a clear image of the certificate and basic information required for verification to facilitate quick comparison.)

Special Note:

• Information of the certificate holder, employer, or supervisor submitting verification requests will be kept strictly confidential, used solely for authenticity verification, and not for any third-party purposes.

• For certificates confirmed as forged through verification, the Committee will publicly announce them in accordance with the law and contact relevant units for handling.

• The Committee encourages public oversight to maintain the fairness, credibility, and professionalism of the design industry.

[Certificate Usage Standards]
All official Asia Design Week certificates, appointment letters, and appointment documents are real-name based and for the sole use of the individual.
Lending, proxy use, selling, copying, screenshot splicing, or using them for personal publicity or commercial activities unrelated to the certificate's purpose is strictly prohibited.
Once discovered, it will be deemed as forgery or misuse of the certificate and will be subject to verification and accountability.

[Joint Supervision by Co-organizers]
Asia Design Week activities have wide coverage and numerous co-organizers.
It is hereby specially noted:
Certificates jointly issued by Asia Design Week in cooperation with associations, institutions, universities, etc., from various countries/regions are also included in the scope of certificate authenticity verification. Asia Design Week and its global partner associations and co-organizers will establish a cross-regional joint anti-counterfeiting and risk notification mechanism.
If forgery, misappropriation, or alteration is discovered:

• Co-organizers will jointly take accountability measures;

• Partner associations in various countries/regions will simultaneously initiate corresponding legal procedures or industry disciplinary actions;

• Severe cases will be included in the industry risk list and notified publicly.

[Explanation Regarding the Term of Office for Council Member Appointment Letters, Editorial Board Member and Reviewer Appointment Letters]
Asia Design Week Council Member appointment letters, as well as appointment letters for Editorial Board Members and Reviewers of the Design and Art Studies journal, all have clear terms of appointment.
After the certificate expires, if you wish to continue in the relevant position, you must submit a reappointment application to the Organizing Committee or the journal's editorial department. Reappointment is only possible after review and approval.

At the same time, all certificate holders should note:

• If the term of appointment has expired and you have not been reappointed, in future personal introductions, title applications, author information in papers, and public event profiles, you should use the term "former" (e.g., "formerly served as").

• And you must specify the exact years of service in the description, for example:

  • "Former Council Member of Asia Design Week (2023–2024)"

  • "Former Editorial Board Member of Design and Art Studies (2024)"

• If false appointment information appears in personal public profiles, academic papers, official websites, exhibition catalogs, etc., the Committee will contact the relevant institutions for correction. This measure aims to ensure the standardization of activities, maintain the authority of the organization, and also facilitate objective and accurate qualification review by external parties.

[Prohibition of Unauthorized Use of Official Names and Logos]
Without formal authorization from the Asia Design Week Organizing Committee, no individual or institution may use the name, logo, seal, visual identity system (VI), or variations thereof of Asia Design Week.

Individuals/teams who have officially won awards, exhibited, or participated in official events may reasonably cite the official name and logo in award certificates, exhibition proofs, event promotions, or personal resumes, but must ensure the usage is true, accurate, and limited to the scope of the event in which they participated.

Any other unauthorized use, including use in commercial promotions, non-related activities, or unauthorized modification of official visual elements, will be deemed a violation and subject to verification and accountability.

[Serious Warning]
We hereby solemnly advise all individuals attempting to forge, modify, or counterfeit certificates to cease such actions immediately.
If discovered:

• Asia Design Week will publicly expose the forgery across the entire network,

• Notify relevant units (universities, HR departments, companies, competition organizations, etc.),

• And simultaneously reserve the right to pursue legal liability in accordance with the law.

If you have unknowingly purchased or used unofficial certificates due to misinformation, please contact the Organizing Committee promptly for correction and clarification, and immediately cease using them.

[Future Anti-Counterfeiting Measures]
To prevent similar incidents from recurring, the Asia Design Week Organizing Committee will introduce a series of official anti-counterfeiting mechanisms in the future, including:

• Unified layout and coding system

• Online certificate verification system

• Anti-counterfeiting labels and digital signatures

• Gradual opening of the official database for public inquiry

The Asia Design Week Organizing Committee will continuously safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of all cooperative activities, participants, and partner institutions.
Thank you for your support and understanding. Let us jointly protect the fair, transparent, and professional ecosystem of the Asian design industry.

The 3rd Asia Design Week Organizing Committee (2025)
Asia Design Week Organizing Committee

November 24, 2025