Meet the judges for the identity Design Awards 2025

Marco Piva

Founder of Studio Marco Piva

Exciting, fluid, functional – this is the language that distinguishes Marco Piva’s large urban masterplans, architectural creations, interior design and product design. The effort in material research and technology, the value of differentiation, contamination and design innovation, lead the establishment of Studio Marco Piva, whose activity has become one of the most representative on the Italian scene. Marco Piva, a traveller and a designer, is an innovator who is dedicated to create unique design solutions pervaded by stylistic freedom, functionality and emotion.

Studio Marco Piva continues to make its mark across the global hospitality and design landscape with a diverse portfolio of recent and ongoing projects.

Bill Bensley

Founder, BENSLEY

Bill Bensley is world renowned for his outstanding, unique and inspiring award-winning hotel, landscape and interior design, and eye-catching architecture. He is also a concerned conservationist and passionate philanthropist. Bensley’s philosophy is “besides having as much fun as possible, to help the needy, to educate, help animals and help the planet via conservation”. Bensley has seamlessly and brilliantly combined his passions to benefit the environments and communities in which he has created his incredible projects. He is a highly qualified jack of all trades – gardener, fisherman, architect, interior designer, painter, and most of all, a wide-ranging explorer of as many corners of the earth as he can.

Li Xiaodong

Chair – School of Architecture, Tsinghua University

Li’s design expertise spans interiors, architecture, and urban spaces. He has received numerous national and international accolades, including the 2009 Architectural Review Emerging Architecture Award and the 2010 Aga Khan Award for Architecture for his Bridge School in Fujian. He also teaches architecture and has won prestigious international awards including the RIBA tutor’s prize (2000) and SARA tutor’s prize (2001) for his inspirational teaching at the Department of Architecture, National University of Singapore. Currently, he is now the chair professor of the architecture program at the school of Architecture, Tsinghua University, in Beijing; He is also a researcher -his publication in articles, books in both English and Chinese covers wide range of interests, from cultural studies, history and theory of architecture to urban studies.

Yasmine Ghoneim

Director, YSG

Based in Sydney, Ghoneim is the Director of YSG, a multidisciplinary practice trailblazing interior design across the residential, commercial and hospitality sectors globally. More recently, it introduced architectural services for new builds. Charging spaces with atmospheric potency, staging and storytelling narrate strong visual outcomes within all. Given the abundance of custom elements in every project, Ghoneim has built indelible ties with artists and skilled artisans to celebrate the maker’s touch. This has also led to collaborations with esteemed brands to create unique product ranges. In addition, she co-hosts the ABC’s Grand Designs Transformations series that launched in 2024.

The provocative chords of Ghoneim’s imagination have garnered countless global design accolades. Since 2022 she has regularly featured definitive lists that recognise the most influential interior designers, architects, and designers globally amongst its European and Middle Eastern mastheads.

Nina Takesh

Founder, Nina Takesh

Nina Takesh is the founder, CEO, and creative force behind three successful businesses: Petit Tresor, a luxury baby brand store where Gwen Stefani, Jennifer Lopez, and Madonna regularly shopped; a home flipping business through which she has remodelled and designed countless houses; and a residential and commercial interior design firm, Nina Takesh, where she creates unique interiors for clients across the world.
Nina, who has an MBA from Pepperdine University, worked for the French fashion house Guy Laroche. She continues to push the boundaries of design and architecture by incorporating the newest materials and custom bespoke furnishings in her work. She has clients all over the world and has amassed a social media following between Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube of nearly 1,000,000 followers.

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