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Community Edition Hardware Design Brief



Submissions are open! We’re creating a unique edition of our latest smartphone, Phone (3a), with someone from our community.

All it takes is a great idea… 

  • Is there a story to tell? 
  • Is there an unexpressed aspect of the Nothing DNA we have yet to reveal? 
  • Is it surprising?
  • Is it fun? 
  • Does it solve a problem? 

You can submit a concept in any form. A video, sketch, render, inspirational images, anything. It’s the idea that counts. We’re looking for something that will stand on its own. 


What can be adjusted with Phone (3a)?

You can customize all the dark grey parts of the Phone (3a) Community Edition, highlighted below, to bring your vision to life. The light grey parts are limited to one of our signature colors: White, Black, or Blue.


What makes a great submission?

A successful candidate will explain their idea, showcase their inspirations and demonstrate their development process. Consider how last year's winners, Astrid and Kenta, presented their vision for a glow in the dark smartphone.

Why not research and explore an iconic design movement or era? Get inspired, build a bank of references and make a great submission that demonstrates your vision.

The submission deadline is 23 April 2025, 11am BST. Shortly after, all entries will go forward for 24hrs of community voting. Votes will help the internal jury led by Adam Bates, Design Director, identify which ideas are popular. Later in April, our winner will be announced, after which they will begin collaborating with the Nothing team and the winners of the other briefs.

Pay close attention to the additional information below before you submit your idea:


Things to consider:

  • You cannot make any adjustments to the physical geometry of Phone (3a). Submissions that appear to alter the physical geometry of Phone (3a) are likely to be disqualified.
  • Winners will be expected to work collaboratively with the Nothing team and the other Community Edition winners. This is a firm requirement to take part in this project.
  • The winning submission will go through a feasibility assessment for production and is therefore subject to change. 
  • Timescales are limited for the development of Phone (3a) Community Edition. To meet production deadlines and to collaborate with our team, you must be available in some capacity for collaboration from May onwards. 
  • Nothing reserves the right to choose any design submitted and will take community votes and production feasibility into consideration.

Download Links

Templates download

FAQ

  • What do I get if I win?

    Winners will engage directly with the Nothing Team and the other Community Edition winners to collaborate and build on their winning submission. This collaboration may occur via video calls or the winner may be offered an expenses paid visit to the relevant teams at their respective work location.
    All winners will be invited for a trip to London later in the year for an event to officially launch Phone (3a) Community Edition. Each brief also rewards £1000 GBP (or local equivalent) to the winning team/individual. Of course, winners will also receive Phone (3a) Community Edition when they are produced!

  • Yes, this is a fundamental principle of The Community Edition Project. Winners will be expected to take part in workshops, development meetings and engage with our team members and other winners. If you are selected but are unable to commit to this, we may select an alternative winner.

  • No. This project is not designed to generate revenue but as an exploration of co-creation between Nothing and our community.

  • No. You are free to make submissions via any supported file types, including images, videos and text. The most important part of your submission is the idea.

  • If you decide to use an AI tool for your submission, you should only do so to elevate your own original concept - not for it to generate a concept for you. We ask that participants openly disclose the use of any AI tools that were used to create their submission, as well as explaining how it has helped you to elevate your idea. Failure to disclose AI usage can result in disqualification.

  • Yes. We will celebrate the winners online throughout the campaign and on the product itself. We may even have your work showcased in design publications.

  • Winners are chosen by internal juries at Nothing; juries are made up of experts in the respective design discipline. Juries will consider the strength of each submission's idea and the overall design impact - they will also consider community voting as an indication of a submission's popularity. Community votes are non-binding.

  • Yes! This is a project of collaboration after all.

  • No. Under the Terms & Conditions, participants assign rights to designs to Nothing. The reason for such assignment is that designs are closely tied to Nothing’s products and Nothing requires full rights to manufacture and distribute the winning Community Edition phones. Participants will be credited and retain a licence to display their design work.

  • Yes!

  • No. We're looking for quality over quantity. Accounts will be limited to one submission each per brief.

  • The competition is open to individuals over the age of eighteen (18). Due to legal restrictions, we are unable to accept submissions from countries/regions subject to sanctions or from individuals on export control or sanction lists. Please see our Terms & Conditions.