NEWS

DARE TO DESIGN – SPaces of Care

The annual exhibition Dare to Design – Spaces of Care by the German Design Council showcases the most innovative work by design graduates from German universities. Despite their diversity, the projects are united by a collective consciousness and a determination to bring about change in response to urgent questions and ongoing crises. They all understand design as a collective practice and an act of care.

more information about the exhibition

PLATFORM ONLINE

Over 370 inspiring design theses from 25 universities across Germany are now available to explore on our platform. Since German Design Graduates was launched in 2018, our online archive has grown to include over 1,500 projects.

Graduates Platform

Extended categories and new opportunities

In order to do justice to the growing interdisciplinary design practice, we are expanding our content focus: In addition to product and industrial design, work from the fields of textile and fashion design, communication and digital design can also be submitted from 2025. In addition, all submitting graduates are automatically qualified to participate in the German Design Award 2026 – Newcomer. The four finalists of the German Design Award – Newcomer will each receive €2,500 in prize money, while the winner will be awarded €15,000.

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ProgrammE

German Design Graduates, funded by the German Design Council Foundation, is the only nationwide initiative with the purpose of promoting young graduates in product and industrial design, textile and fashion design, communication and digital design as well as the presentation of renowned German universities, art colleges and universities of applied sciences.

Platform

Museum EXhibition

Festival Exhibition

Trainings

Cooperations

German Design Award – Newcomer

About German Design GRaduates

Timeline

March 3 – April 3

Registration

Schools

APRIL 14 – MAY 12

Call for Entries

German Design Graduates

JUNE 10 – AUGUST 15

Submissions

German Design Award 2026 – Newcomer

AUGUST

Publication

Graduates Platform

September 04
– OCtober 12

Museum Exhibition
Museum für Angewandte Kunst
Köln

OCTOBER 18 – 26

Festival Exhibition

Dutch Design Week
Eindhoven

NOVEMBER – December

Trainings
Workshops on professionalization

February 2026

German Design Award – Newcomer
Award Ceremony

Design studieren!

The most renowned universities for design in Germany

Düsseldorf University of Applied Sciences

TU Dresden

Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences

Ostbayerische Technische Hochschule Regensburg

Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Berlin

HAWK Hildesheim/Holzminden/Göttingen

Weißensee Kunsthochschule Berlin

Fachhochschule Potsdam

Universität der Künste Berlin

Hochschule der Bildenden Künste Saar

Kunsthochschule Kassel

Hochschule für Bildende Künste Hamburg

Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Künste Stuttgart

Hochschule für Gestaltung Offenbach

Hochschule Hannover

Folkwang Universität der Künste Essen

Burg Giebichenstein Kunsthochschule Halle

Muthesius Kunsthochschule Kiel

Hochschule Magdeburg-Stendal

Staatliche Hochschule für Gestaltung Karlsruhe

GDG SOCIAL

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