Beautiful sustainability on the German Design Awards platform

The German Design Awards programme promotes the most innovative, industry-changing design, rewarding only entries that excel in both form and function, and now sustainability too.

By Gerrit Terstiege, Rat für Formgebung, and German Design Award

Rat für Formgebung

June 9, 2022 | 10:00 pm CUT

The new version of the 'Hari' chair by Ondarreta comes in two material variants: one uses wood polypropylene – a material that contains waste from wood production, while the other utilises recycled polymers

Sustainability is, to put it plainly, the most pressing issue in design, with the obvious effects of climate change impossible to ignore for any longer. And as the number of products designed and manufactured continues to increase, the need for companies and designers to operate using more sustainable approaches has rarely been greater. It is more important than ever to set the right course for the future and to limit the impact our activities have on the environment as much as possible.

Only projects that somehow break new ground are honoured by the German Design Award. An international jury vouches for the identification of these projects

It is precisely in this area that fresh ideas and new concepts are needed. How sustainable a product really is depends on a multitude of factors, but one thing is clear: the use of recyclable materials is only a part of the answer. Components should also be easy to separate at the end of their lifecycles and manufactured goods should be designed to be repairable in the long term. One thing, however, that is often not immediately thought of when it comes to sustainability is beauty.

Top: Salamander's 'Greta' window profile with a concrete appearance is made from recycled PVC. Below: Interface Deutschland has developed the 'Embodied Beauty' carpet tiles, which store more CO2 than they emit

I recently did an interview with New York designer Stefan Sagmeister on this topic. He has already conceived an exciting exhibition and published a book on the subject, and is vehemently in favour of taking the beauty of an object to be as important as its function: 'Because beauty itself is a function.’

Part of the global design community

When a designer manages to bring beauty, function and sustainability all together, they can have reason to feel confident facing the competition at the German Design Awards. The awards are presented by the German Design Council, which, since 1953 has acted as one of the leading competence centres for communication and knowledge transfer in the fields of design, branding and innovation. It is part of the global design community and contributes to establishing exchange and networks worldwide.

Top: Signa Development Selection has converted a historic department store into a business location with its own energy centre. Below: The honeycomb-shaped exterior wall element 'FON 23' by Truedreams Construction

Only projects that somehow break new ground are honoured by the German Design Awards. An international jury, which brings together leading minds from all design disciplines, vouches for the identification of these projects. Success here offers winners great visibility – helping to open up wide-reaching new networks and thus also creating new opportunities for them.

Last year, the GDA achieved an impressive reach with almost 30,000 publications and postings in print, online and social media. The award ceremony, the next of which will take place in February 2023 in Frankfurt am Main is one of the more well established events in the design calendar – a fixed date where international guests from a range of different industries meet, celebrate and exchange ideas.

Top: Sunreef Yachts' solar panels were developed in-house and deliver a high performance. Below: The bio-based soft foam 'eco-softfibre' by Ecofibre GmbH & Co. KG has a sound-absorbing effect

Focus on sustainable design solutions

In addition to the ceremony, 'Gold' award winners are also presented in a special exhibition. The best achievements in the award disciplines 'Excellent Product Design', 'Excellent Communications Design' and 'Excellent Architecture' are honoured, with all categories focusing on sustainable solutions. And with around 4,500 entries from 63 different countries, the GDA has again recorded positive growth in terms of international engagement this year.

Companies, designers, architects and agencies can now register for the 2023 edition, and here are some important dates for the diary: Those who apply by 8 July 2022 can benefit from the early-bird rate. Applications for funding should be submitted by 2 September and the general closing date for applications has been set for 16 September. The jury will meet in October and the award ceremony will then take place in February 2023 in Frankfurt.

The play furniture of the German-French design label 'bada&bou' is characterised by timeless and sustainable design, and is made by a northern Italian furniture manufacturer

Comprehensive communication package

Winners also receive a comprehensive communication package in order to maximise visibility of their success, which is tailor-made for various different media channels. Depending on the award – 'Gold', 'Winner' or 'Special Mention' – the winners benefit from different media services. These include personalised press releases including jury statements and individual, branded film clips that communicate the respective projects in a catchy and engaging way.

The project descriptions and jury statements are also an integral part of the online gallery on the GDA's official website, which also links to the website of each award winner. And beyond the awards show itself, participants and their submissions remain permanently present on the site. A sustainable form of communication, in more ways than one.

Beautiful sustainability on the German Design Awards platform

Part of the global design community

Focus on sustainable design solutions

Comprehensive communication package

Project Gallery