Awards
Every year, the German Design Graduates initiative presents four awards. The prizes are endowed with 2,500 EUR each.
SelecTion process
A top-class jury of experts will select approximately 45 projects for the GDG Exhibition and 4 award winners for the GDG Awards from all submitted graduation projects in one GDG year. The evaluation will be based on the text and photographic material submitted with the registration form.
Jurors
The six-person, high calibre jury of experts represents a multitude of perspectives and is distinguished by a wide range of expertise. In order to enable a diverse evaluation process, we strive to have a diverse mix of qualifications, experience levels, genders, and nationalities on the jury. In addition to the jurors, further experts with specialist knowledge may be brought in.
Award Winners’ Benefits
- Every award will be accompanied by prize money in the amount of 2,500 EUR, donated by the German Design Council Foundation
- Unlimited use of the “Award” label for their own communication strategies
- Press release and PR work
- Presentation of their work in the GDG Exhibition
- Award ceremony at the opening of the exhibition
- Invitation to a networking opportunity with the German Design Council community
Partnerformats
GDG partner formats are individual support programmes and are realised with our cooperation partners from industry and culture. The formats and partners can change annually.
The GDG partner formats give you the chance to make exclusive contacts, expand your knowledge and skills and share your knowledge of design and specific topics. The individual support programmes offer you profound opportunities for professionalisation and support significant professional and personal development potential.
Presentation
Renowned companies and institutions select graduates to be presented in front of an international audience of experts. That includes exhibition space, free of charge, as well as the associated partner’s public relations work, and enables in-depth and multifaceted contact to potential customers and partners from each industry. Previous presentation partners include: Ambiente, Haute Innovation, one&twenty (Milan Design Week).
Publication
Our media partners report on young talents and their graduation projects in print, online publications, and podcast productions. Previous publication partners include: ndion, Baunetz ID, DD-Cast, Affilii, form, Experimenta91, Arts Thread.
Workshops
Industry and design partners invite select design graduates to workshops in their companies, in order to implement an existing product or project in a targeted manner. Previous workshop partners include: BASF, Designfarm.
Residency
The GDG industry and culture partners make it possible for young graduates of design to prove themselves and their skills in a professional environment. The residency offers designers the opportunity to develop a specific project that is connected to the context of the company or the cultural centre. The basis for this is mutual responsibility, experimentation, communication, and dialogue. The residency comes with financial compensation for the graduates, which will include, at a minimum,the assumption of travel and production costs. Previous partners: BASF, Magazin, RSW Design, ID Berlin, Mono.
