For our recent Kittl x Dezain Crush design challenge, we invited you to submit your own original designs for a chance to win some amazing prizes — and you didn’t disappoint.
We’re excited to share the winners of this design challenge here! Plus, we’ll get to know them better, sharing answers from each of them about their design disciplines and what inspires them.
A huge thank you to everyone who participated, and congratulations on your incredible work!
These design challenges are a great way for designers to grow their professional portfolio. Don’t forget to check out our portfolio tips guide and update your portfolio with your Dezain Crush submission!
About the Dezain Crush design challenge
We brought back our design challenges to give creators (like you!) the chance to flex your creative muscles. Each challenge is curated to inspire fresh ideas, sharpen your skills, and create designs you can proudly showcase in your portfolio with the added bonus of winning tiered prizes.
This latest challenge was in partnership with Dezain Crush, a graphic design and illustration festival featuring exhibitions, networking opportunities, and talks from industry leaders.
To complement the festival, we invited Kittl users to get involved with a themed challenge and the chance to win exclusive prizes. With lots of opportunities to win, here’s a breakdown of the winning categories:
- Three Jury Pick winners selected by our special jury the founders of Dezain Crush(!)
- One Staff Pick winner selected by us here at Kittl
- One Community Pick selected by you (our community!)
Check out our interview with the creators behind Dezain Crush learn their tips and career advice for creators of all levels.
To wrap up the challenge, we hosted a special live event where we reviewed the winning designs, highlighted honorable mentions, and shared actionable career insights. (If youd like to watch the recording, reach out to our community manager!)
Meet the winners of the Kittl x Dezain Crush design challenge
Jury selections
Nadia Shalennaya
My disciplines are poster design, illustration, and ceramics.
This Design is like a big party of shapes and colors! The circles with lines are inspired by Japanese Temari balls — handmade, full of craftsmanship and playfulness, like the exhibition itself. I actually first noticed them in Anime »Demon Slayer«.
Heart emojis were already part of the festival’s original design, and I loved using them, because they are a perfect metaphor for technology, globalization, internet culture and of course Japanese Kawai Culture.
Structurally, I wanted to create a flexible visual system — one that can stretch in any direction and still feel complete. Even reduced to just three elements, the layout remains strong and recognizable.
To develop this poster, I did a bit of research on possible symbols that could be developed into a good system. I also looked closely at the strengths of the original exhibition design and how well it works in all the mediums. I also made a mini-survey and asked some acquaintances what their interpretation of the poster was.
Francesca Disbrow
(Just a note — I’m new to posting on Instagram and haven’t shared content yet, but this win has inspired me to start showcasing my creative journey and upcoming projects through my brand, Dizzy Dreamhaus.)
Design Discipline: I’m a multidisciplinary artist working across graphic design, digital illustration, hand-painted art, murals, and AI-assisted artwork. I love exploring a wide visual range — from bold, geometric compositions to dreamy, whimsical designs. This particular piece for the Dezain Crush challenge was created entirely by hand, personally designed by me without the use of AI.
Inspiration/Process: My design was inspired by the idea of creative collision — the joyful chaos that happens when color, type, and shape all come together in perfect harmony. I wanted to explore both emotional intensity and playful aesthetics, with layered elements that draw the viewer in for a second look. I had so much fun experimenting in Kittl and pushing my design boundaries!
Elena Wllner
My name is Elena Wüllner (28) and I’m based in Düsseldorf. I’m doing my Master’s in Communication Design at the Peter Behrens School of Arts and work part-time in a design agency. I have a passion for creating corporate identities and designing experimental typefaces.
I definitely wanted to pick up on the “crush” in “Dezain Crush” because I like the name so much. When I’m in an exciting design process, I’m also kind of in love with it: I spend hours on my laptop trying to find exactly the right colours, shapes and fonts for my design and can’t get enough of it.
In Germany, gingerbread hearts are given as gifts to friends or to your own ‘crush’. A strong symbol to start with. Now all I needed was a Japanese element. I decided to incorporate the aesthetics of Japanese kawaii culture. So I added the big cute pink eyes on the gingerbread heart. A new symbol for the great cultural exchange between Japan and Germany.
To expand this design world even further, I also decorated a grid with baking paper and gingerbread biscuits to display more information.
Staff pick
Sina Barkmann
I am a graphic designer with the focus on Illustration (starting my masters in Hamburg soon).
About my inspiration: I’m a freshly graduated designer from Düsseldorf, and right after finishing my Bachelor, I traveled to Japan – a journey that deeply shaped my visual style.
This key visual is a playful homage to Chocobi, a nostalgic Japanese snack I discovered there.
By reimagining its iconic character, I wanted to express the energy and cultural exchange at the heart of Dezain Crush: bold, curious, and full of joy. Since I am from Düsseldorf I visited the exhibition myself and was really really impressed by it!
Community pick
Juan Combrink
Inspiration/Process: I kept thinking about birds, but it felt too expected. Then I thought — what if I start at the shell? That’s how the idea came to life: a serious little chick wearing a happy eggshell. It’s a playful reminder that what’s on the outside doesn’t define us — God looks at the heart, not appearances. I wanted to reflect that truth in a simple, creative way, inspired by the Dezain Crush brand.
Want a behind-the-scenes look? Step into the shoes of Duda, our Social Media Manager, as she attends Dezain Crush with Kittl co-founder Tobi. Soak in the energy of the festival and see what it’s like to be part of this creative community:
Kittl brings pro-quality templates, premium fonts, and AI-powered tools right to your browser. Drag, drop, customize, and share. Perfect for brands, creators, and anyone who loves great design. Kittl was made to give you seamless and fast design process.
