Candice Olson ("Divine Design", "Candice Tells All") served as a judge for seasons 4 and 5; starting with season 6, a third rotating judge was brought in to fill the spot left by Olson.

Previous judges include Cynthia Rowley, a designer of fashion and home accessories; and Martha McCully, Executive Editor of InStyle magazine.

[2][3] On November 2, 2020, it was announced that a spin-off titled Design Star: Next Gen will premiere in 2021.

[4] This was Clive Pearse's final season as host, and two new judges (Olson and Gorder) joined the panel.

This season features Tanika Ray as host and David Bromstad as mentor.