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Seeds of Kindness – A Call to Design Empathy
Posterheroes announces the 14th edition of its international social design contest
Turin, May 20, 2025 | In response to the widespread rise of dominance, social exclusion, and fear of difference—forces that shape today’s world and often lead to the need to assert oneself by undermining others—Posterheroes takes a stand. The 14th edition of the international poster design contest is dedicated to exploring the transformative power of empathy and kindness.
“Seeds of Kindness – A Call to Design Empathy” is the theme of this year’s open call, inviting designers, illustrators, visual artists, students and storytellers from across the globe to submit one or more 70×100 cm posters that reflect the many facets of this timely social issue.
Following the success of the 2024 edition—with over 4,900 posters submitted from 117 countries—the 2025 contest aims to spark a collective reflection on the role of kindness and active listening in building more inclusive, supportive, and aware communities.
In social contexts marked by imbalanced relationships and systemic inequalities —whether in schools, workplaces, public spaces, or digital environments—the lack of empathy fosters exclusion and perpetuates dynamics of bullying, discrimination, and passive indifference. Posterheroes invites participants to convey through design and amplify the power of everyday gestures of care, relationships built on respect, and the richness of human experience in all its diversity.
“Empathy is not compassion, nor is it sympathy. It is the ability to feel with, not just for. It is an act of listening and presence that can deeply reshape the way we live together” – says Silvia Barbero, President of the Plug Association.
As in each edition, an international panel of experts will select 40 winning posters. The chosen works will become part of the Posterheroes archive, showcased in international exhibitions and featured in a dedicated calendar. Monetary awards will be granted to selected works through special partner mentions: the Favini Mention (€2500) and the Time2 Foundation Mention (€1500).
“We began collaborating with Posterheroes to promote a fair, diverse, and accessible society by rethinking how we represent bodies, people, and relationships. With Seeds of Kindness, the new international open call, the invitation to the creative community becomes even more compelling: let’s design a society open to diversity, respect for differences, and the recognition of universal rights to fight back discrimination and foster spaces in which everyone can feel seen, valued, and actively involved” – Samuele Pigoni, Secretary General, Fondazione Time2
Participation is free of charge and open to creatives of any age or nationality.
The contest officially launched on May 19, 2025, and submissions will be accepted from May 26 through August 22, 2025, via the dedicated platform: www.posterheroes.org
Posterheroes – Seeds of Kindness is a project promoted by PLUG in collaboration with Favini, ITC-ILO, Fondazione Time2, and Print Club Torino/Graphic Days®.
With the contribution of Camera di Commercio di Torino.
THE CONTEST
Posterheroes is an international contest about social communication that calls for posters (70×100 cm) about social and environmental issues. Every year, Posterheroes invites students, professional designers, and everyone who is into graphic design to create a poster about topics of social interest. All the works are judged by a selection panel composed of some of the most relevant graphic design and visual communication experts that choses 40 winning posters.
For more information
[email protected]
www.posterheroes.org
@posterheroes
facebook.com/posterheroes