The Red Dot Award is an international design competition for product design, communication design and design concepts, established in 1955. Each year, experts evaluate submissions and recognize the best in three categories: Product Design, Brands & Communication Design, and Design Concepts. Winning teams receive the Red Dot Label ("Red Dot")—a mark of quality for excellent design. Awarded works are displayed at the Red Dot Design Museum in Essen.
This recognition adds to Ukraine's impressive tally, with over 130 Red Dot awards in total, including more than a hundred in the "Brands & Communication Design" category.
Algorithm of Actions NGO announced the award, sharing that the misto.cafe logo combines elements that evoke the smile of people attending events at the cafe, a hot dish freshly served, and a cup of aromatic coffee. The entire brand identity was inspired by the shapes of Lutsk — just a walk through its streets sparks countless ideas and inspiration, which were used to create patterns for packaging, presentations, social media, and communication.
Thanks to a digital campaign, 100 co-founders contributed charitable donations of 80,000 UAH (almost $2000) each over a 71-day crowdfunding period.
Misto.cafe opened in Lutsk as the first social impact café in the Volyn region, directing 80% of its net profits toward supporting community projects in the city in September 2024. The café is backed by 100 co-founders, each contributing a one-time, non-refundable donation of $2000 to launch the project. Co-founders do not influence the café’s operations nor claim any profits. The initiative to create misto.cafe came from the Algorithm of Action platform.
The menu offers dishes from Volyn, Crimean Tatar, and modern European cuisines. Among the options are
Traditional Crimean meat and cheese chebureks, Volyn's Teremne pâté with sauce and onion marmalade, salads, pastas, a variety of sweet and savory pastries are among the options to choose.
The coffee selection includes drinks from more than five Ukrainian roasters, as well as Jezva coffee. There’s also a unique selection of alcoholic cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages.