Form Follows Friendship 2026
Co-Design as a democratic practice
CALL TO ACTION
Are you involved in or looking for a German-Dutch design collaboration? Then we are looking for you!
Closing date: January 10th 2026
What is it about?
In January 2026, a renowned jury will select/match Dutch-German design newcomer duos from various disciplines (product/industrial, communication/digital design, textile design). Equipped with a budget, the teams will have the opportunity to work together for four months on a project that has the ambition to initiate change processes in society, business or culture. The design process and results will be presented in an exhibition.
Where can ideas be submitted?
Please tell us about your project / idea by filling out the form via the Matchmaking tool of the Design Networking Hub (app. 5min). By submitting your idea, you agree to its publication on the Design Networking Hub website, giving you the opportunity to find project partners. The Matchmaking Tool is generously provided by the German Design Museum Foundation.
Who can apply?
You can apply as a single person, an existing studio team or an collaboration. Under Dutch-German design collaboration we understand every kind of cross-border collaboration since 2022 with another designer or studio, company, material producer, or you name it. Important is that one of you works from the Netherlands and the other one from Germany. This call is open to every form of design.
What should the scope of the project be?
The proposal should fit in one of the following topics:
- Design fostering communities in a fragmented society to engage living together well
- Design transforming things, processes and behaviors to foster a circular economy and society to ensure living beings survival
- Design becoming a lever for any kind of responsible services, interactions within digital transformation
The project period runs from beginning of February to end of June 2026. During this time, participants must be able to actively work on the projects.
The exhibition will take place from 13 to 28 June 2026 at the Museum Angewandte Kunst Frankfurt am Main during “Open – Design Week Frankfurt RheinMain” in the context of World Design Capital 2026. The teams must organise the set-up and dismantling themselves, and they should be willing and able to participate in networking events.
Please note the Code of Conduct of World Design Capital 2026. We foster a respectful, open, and constructive environment where all individuals, regardless of their background, identity, or abilities, feel valued and welcome. In order to receive funding, it is essential that your work complies with the key points of the Code of Conduct.
The budget per team (covering production costs for prototyping and exhibits, Transport, Set Up / Dismantling, Design fee) can be 3-5.000 EUR/Brutto, depending on the individual project scopes and number of teams selected.
Backround
The aim of ‘Form follows friendship’ is to learn and show more about how to support and facilitate cross-border collaborations in design. You may remember us from our Form follows Friendship network breakfast which we organize since 2022 during Dutch Design Week Eindhoven. As the setting was meant to provide an atmosphere for getting to know new ‘partners in design’, we are now looking for projects and / or project proposals to bring them to live.
Partners
‚Form Follows Friendship – Co-design as a democratic practice‘ is a project by the German Design Council and the diplomatic network of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in cooperation with World Design Capital 2026 during the ‚ Open – Design Week Frankfurt RheinMain‘.
In cooperation with:
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact:
Katrin Krupka, Project Lead German Design Graduates
Katrin.Krupka@gdc.de
Lene ter Haar, Kulturreferentin at the Dutch Consulate General Düsseldorf
lene-ter.haar@minbuza.nl