Dare to design
31.08.2024 – 05.01.2025
The exhibition “Dare to Design” (31.08.-05.01.2025) at the Museum Angewandte Kunst in Frankfurt am Main presents the most outstanding works by graduates of German universities. They provide deep insights into their work and show promising solutions for tackling the major challenges of our time – climate change, political radicalization, gender equality. These are complex and sometimes simple, but all the more intelligent concepts with which the designers are shaping our future. An expert jury selected projects and concepts for “Dare to Design” from over 220 submissions that reflect the range of innovative power of design talent – from circular product design for electronics and wind energy in urban areas to medical solutions using 3D printing and robot-assisted craftsmanship.
The exhibition is being realized by the design office buero.us in cooperation with graphic designer Nikolas Brückmann.
This exhibition is funded by the Hessian Ministry of Economics, Energy, Transport, Housing and Rural Areas as part of the Hesse Innovation Promotion Programme under the measure ‘Promotion of cultural and creative industry facilities’.
Photos: Christof Jakob
The exhibition programme
GDG Talks – Design Perspectives on Transformation
In light of significant developments in politics, society, and the environment, the GDG Talks focus on the central issues of our time. Experts from the design industry, academia, and research engage with design graduates to discuss transformative approaches, innovative solutions, and new product cultures.
Thursday, 31 October 2024
As capacities for the program items are limited, please register using the form below.
3:00 PM
Exhibition Tour “Dare to Design”
with Katrin Krupka, Project Manager of German Design Graduates
Admission included in the museum ticket.
4-5:30 pm
GDG Talk
31 October: From research to application – on the practice of design research
With Philipp Cartier (Gestaltungszentrale Politik & GDG Award Winner), Armand Zorn (Member of the German Bundestag) and Carsten Waldeck (Shift Phone), moderated by Stephan Ott (Director Institute for Design Research and Appliance, German Design Council)
For a long time now, we have had fewer problems with understanding the causes and possible solutions to current crises than problems with implementation. For some time now, traditional academic research has been concerned with how its validated results can be put into practice instead of ending up in the drawers of their respective clients. The aim of the panel is to discuss how design and design research, with their specific methods and ways of working, can help to ensure that practical relevance is not lost sight of or established.
Together with experts from the field, perspectives for the discipline of design will be presented.
Conception & Moderation
Stephan Ott, Director Institute for Design Research and Appliance, German Design Council
Organisation
Katrin Krupka, Director German Design Graduates, German Design Council
Speaker*innen
Philipp Cartier, GDG Award Winner 2024 and graduate of the Hochschule für bildende Künste Hamburg
With his master’s thesis ‘Gestaltungszentrale Politik’, Philipp Cartier, together with Jule Helene Leinpinsel, Robert Schröter, Lisa Heinze and Norbert Lein, founded the association of the same name, which investigates the relationship between politics and design. In the spirit of applied research, the initiative works on pilot projects with members of the Bundestag and political scientists – in order to gain a precise understanding of everyday political life and processes and to promote a sustainable change in the design culture in political creative processes in the interests of the common good.
Armand Zorn, Member of the German Bundestag in the SPD parliamentary group from constituency 182: Frankfurt am Main
Armand Zorn’s professional experience includes working at the Federal Ministry of Finance in the German Bundestag, as well as representing the European Commission internationally and as a management consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers GmbH, specialising in advising companies on digital transformation, dealing with risks and complying with legal requirements.
Armand Zorn and his team are currently developing new measures on the topic of ‘digital skills in society’ with the support of Gestaltungszentrale Politik e.V.
Carsten Waldeck, CEO and founder of SHIFT GmbH, designer, philosopher and inventor
With a degree in communication design, Carsen Waldeck worked as a research assistant at Fraunhofer IGD in the field of ‘Mobile Information Visualisation’ and wrote scientific publications about his invention ‘Liquid Browsing’ and other interaction innovations, while at the same time founding various companies.
The main goal of SHIFT, which Carsten Waldeck founded together with his brother Samuel Waldeck as a start-up in 2016 in Falkenberg, Hesse, as an investor-free, 100% social enterprise, is to maximise purpose and value, not profit.
Admission included in the museum ticket. The events are held in German.
Show registration form
Friday, 29 November 2024
As capacities for the program items are limited, please register using the form below.
3:00 PM
Exhibition Tour “Dare to Design”
with Katrin Krupka, Project Manager of German Design Graduates
Admission included in the museum ticket.
4:00–5:30 PM
GDG Talk
Forty Degrees and Rising
Heat as the New Reality – Identifying Challenges and Designing Solutions
Temperatures exceeding 40°C are increasingly being recorded in Europe, with scientists predicting further rises. The human body will be pushed to its limits. The health impacts of the accelerating, man-made climate crisis will no longer be an issue just for the ill, elderly, or very young – it will become part of everyday life for the majority of the population. This talk will explore health and climate adaptation, as well as future-proof design, with a focus on innovative textiles and textile technologies.
Moderator
Bernd Müller, Director of International Relations & Sustainability, German Design Council
Concept
Katrin Krupka, Director of German Design Graduates, German Design Council
Bernd Müller, Director of International Relations & Sustainability, German Design Council
With
Arista Meyer, GDG exhibitor 2024 and graduate of Muthesius University of Fine Arts and Design, Kiel
In her master’s thesis “Cold Layer”, Arista Meyer developed garments for the head, forearms, and calves that help prevent the body from overheating and offer protection from UV radiation.
Constanze Schmidt, Senior Climate Adaptation Researcher, Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment, Energy
In the publication “Future Impulse No. 28”, Constanze Schmidt and her research colleagues outline the challenges, potentials, and targeted measures for climate adaptation.
Astrid Rehner, General Practitioner, KLUG (German Alliance on Climate Change and Health) / Health for Future
Climate-sensitive health advice and the prevention of climate-related health issues are central to Astrid Rehner’s work. She is committed to climate protection and planetary health, and is an active member of Health for Future and KLUG.
Hans Kohn, Chief Operating Officer, Schoeller Technologies AG
Schoeller Textil AG specialises in the sustainable development and production of innovative textiles. Active climate protection has been a core element of the company’s strategy for years.
Admission included in the museum ticket. The events are held in German.
Show registration form
Saturday, 30 November 2024
As capacities for the program items are limited, please register using the form below.
Designing-Cities: a Walk
11:00–13:30 (Fully booked)
12:00–14:30 (Fully booked)
To be placed on the waiting list, please send an e-mail to hello@wdc2026.org.
Meeting point: Konstablerwache
The presentations will be held in German.
The city offers numerous opportunities to view it from different perspectives – and to actively help design it. World Design Capital Frankfurt RheinMain 2026, in cooperation with the German Design Graduates Initiative of the German Design Council, invites to a guided city walk through Frankfurt. Together we would like to explore three central themes: Vacant buildings, defensive and dementia(un)friendly architecture.
On our walk, we will visit an empty department stores’ floor, analyse public spaces in Frankfurt’s city centre and conclude the walk with the Dare to Design exhibition at the Museum Angewandte Kunst. The two graduates Luise Kempf and Irini Schwab, who is exhibiting as part of the German Design Graduates, and Dr.-Ing. Valerie Rehle, interior designer, urban designer and dementia researcher, will provide exciting insights and professional input.
More information can be found here.
Show registration
Alternatively, you can also register by e-mail to hello@wdc2026.org.
Exhibitors
Design for Practical solutions with responsibility
Su(n)spend
Celina Kroder
Folkwang Universität der Künste Essen
ThermoCell
Linjing Wu
Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Berlin
DUC 20
Simon Morgenstern & Robert Baumgart
Bauhaus-Universität Weimar
Cable Mania
Josua Roters
Burg Giebichenstein Kunsthochschule Halle
TAG
Lena Hellmann
Kunsthochschule Kassel
Furtho
Jungwoon Lee
Burg Giebichenstein Kunsthochschule Halle
Stand-bye
Christoph Hilmer
Hochschule Hannover
280+
Estelle Willers
Hochschule Düsseldorf
THEA – Therapeutischer Audiocontroller
David Zech
Hochschule Darmstadt
Zum Schluss
Florian Albrecht
Fachhochschule Potsdam
Adaptives Interaktionsdesign zur Motivation ökologischen Handelns
Ina Qian
Technische Universität Dresden
Clayer
Sophie Bernauer
Hochschule für Gestaltung Offenbach
Design for a new knowledge culture
3D-gedrucktes Organmodell für die robotische Cholezystektomie- Operation
Nan Song
Folkwang Universität der Künste Essen
Am Drücker
Severin Göbel-Groß
Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Dresden
Ceramic Interfaces
Charlotte von Ravenstein
Weißensee Kunsthochschule Berlin
xy²
Julia Kulaga
Hochschule für Gestaltung Offenbach
Sonnenschutzverhalten
Lea Kutschke & Geraldine Kutschke
Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaft und Kunst Hildesheim
non traditional wood bending
Ilija Majcen
Weißensee Kunsthochschule Berlin
About Slag
Max Greiner
Burg Giebichenstein Kunsthochschule Halle
Handmade with a Robot
Lotte Schlör
Weißensee Kunsthochschule Berlin
Planned obsolescence, problem or opportunity?
Dean Weigand
Hochschule der Bildenden Künste Saar
Break-up Lab
Sophia Reißenweber
Burg Giebichenstein Kunsthochschule Halle
recasting aesthetics
Marc Roman Page
Weißensee Kunsthochschule Berlin
Design for a diverse coexistence
A Graphic Guide On Female Tropes
Lilly Alicia Günther
Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Dresden
Gendermedol+
Dorothea Wagnerberger
Hochschule Magdeburg-Stendal
Impact Model for Transformative Education
Lena Kölmel
Bergische Universität Wuppertal
be seeing you
Lukas Henneberger
Universität der Künste Berlin
Ecken und Kanten
Julia Karpf
Ostbayerische Technische Hochschule Regensburg
GamingWell — WorkingWell
Bernadette Geiger
Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Dresden
design as democracy
Michelle Pilz
Kunsthochschule Kassel
Undoing Arne
Mira Müller
Bauhaus-Universität Weimar
The Test Seating at Hansaplatz
Irini Schwab with Anna Ulmer, Tina Henkel, Maren Hinze
Hochschule für bildende Künste Hamburg
Gestaltungszentrale Politik
Philipp Cartier with Frederik Kampe, Jule Helene Leinpinsel, Robert Schröter, Lisa Heinze, Norbert Lein
Hochschule für bildende Künste Hamburg
making an inventory
Florian Bremer
Kunsthochschule Kassel
Design for a sustainable product culture
COLD LAYER
Arista Meier
Muthesius Kunsthochschule Kiel
The Boiling Purple
Shani Nahum
Burg Giebichenstein Kunsthochschule Halle
Urban Sails
Johannes Schmidtner
Weißensee Kunsthochschule Berlin
Compostable Devices
Eric Geißler
Burg Giebichenstein Kunsthochschule Halle
MycoColors
Birke Weber
Weißensee Kunsthochschule Berlin
cool pieces
Amelie Poxleitner
Staatliche Hochschule für Gestaltung Karlsruhe
Mono Wool
Michelle Müller
Weißensee Kunsthochschule Berlin
Hotspot
Moritz Walter
Weißensee Kunsthochschule Berlin
MonoSpeaker
Lion Sanguinette
Burg Giebichenstein Kunsthochschule Halle
Steps to Stay
Lara Aue
Bergische Universität Wuppertal
Bela
Max Böhm
Bauhaus-Universität Weimar
With additional video works by
Exhibition location
Museum Angewandte Kunst
The Museum of Applied Arts in Frankfurt am Main is among the most esteemed and prominent museums of its kind internationally. It is dedicated to applied arts, design, fashion, book art, graphics, and architecture, as well as lifestyles and performance. With its changing exhibitions, it focuses on the perception of societal trends and developments. Since its reopening in 2013 under the direction of Prof. Matthias Wagner K, the Museum of Applied Arts sees itself as a space of possibilities – as a place for sensory realms of thought and experience, for conversations, and critical discussions.
Museum Angewandte Kunst
Frankfurt am Main
Duration: 31/08/2024 – 05/01/2025
Opening hours
Monday
closed
Tuesay, Thursday – Sunday
10 am – 6 pm
Wednesday
10 am – 8 pm
Jury Awards & EXhibition
The jury’s selection is characterized by a wide range of topics as well as differentiated design attitudes. The selected projects respond intelligently and in a forward-looking way to challenges at the intersection of culture, society, research, technology and sustainability. On the day before the opening of the exhibition, four award winners will be selected from among the exhibitors in a jury round, who will particularly impress the jurors with their outstanding work.
The graduation projects will be evaluated with individual weighting in the areas of innovation & impact, design & construction, and presentation & communication. In addition, specific selection criteria are added that relate to Sustainability & Circular Thinking, Society & Community, and Research & Transfer.
The opening program
Friday, 30.08.2024
18:30: Award ceremony & opening
From 20:00: Exhibition open
Free admission
GDG Talks – Design Perspectives on Transformation
Saturday, 31 August, 11:00 a.m. – 16:00 p.m.
Free admission
Under the influence of significant developments in politics, society, and the environment, the GDG Talks focus on two central themes of our time. Experts from the design industry, business, and research, as well as design graduates, will discuss transformative approaches to circular product culture and innovative solutions in planet-centred design across various panels.
Moderated by Katrin Krupka (Director German Design Graduates) & Julia Haecker (Communications & Programme Manager)
11:00 – 12:00
Turning Ideas Into Reality – Visionary Circular Design Principles
Designing and producing within cycles is essential for the sustainable transformation of our product culture and economy. Designers play a crucial role in translating visionary circular principles into practical solutions for today’s markets and in moderating the interdisciplinary development processes that are so important in this context. We will discuss the planning, designing, and implementation of circular products, holistic systems, and services.
Speakers:
- Daniela Bohlinger, Senior Expert Innovation-Management Sustainability Strategy, BMW Group
Daniela Bohlinger is deeply involved in sustainability and the circular economy within the design process. Her focus is on promoting a shift in thinking about sustainability and embedding it deeply within structures. - Leif Huff, Director of Strategy and Innovation at FLUID GmbH
Leif Huff is a design and innovation strategist, speaker, and teaches at universities worldwide. As a former IDEO partner, he now leads the strategy and innovation team at FLUID. - Dean Weigand, GDG Award Finalist and Graduate of the University of Fine Arts Saar
In his thesis, Dean Weigand explored the factors contributing to the wear and tear of washing machines and developed concrete solutions for a rental and sharing system that includes aspects such as reparability and recyclability. - Dr. Sandra Wolf, Managing Partner, Riese & Müller
With a doctorate in economics, she focuses in particular on the challenges of future mobility and the sustainability strategy of bicycle manufacturer Riese & Müller.
13:00–14:00
One Step Beyond – Perspectives on Planet-Centred and Interspecies Design for Profound Transformation
The global challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, and ecosystem destruction have reached new heights. The human capacity for foresight is now more crucial than ever to protect the planet and the communities that inhabit it. We will discuss the economic, design, and scientific aspects of planet-centred and interspecies projects and visions, driven by critical ecological thinking and a positive will for change.
Speakers:
- Lynn Harles, Founder of Design Research Lab “Studio Harles” & Board Member of the German Society for Design Theory and Research (DGTF)
Lynn Harles explores the potential of the interdisciplinary intersection of design and science in relation to social, technological, and ecological challenges. - Prof Mareike Gast, Head of BURG Labs at the BURG Giebichenstein University of Art and Design Halle
The industrial designer is convinced that topics such as sustainability, biotechnology, robotics and artificial intelligence need to be integrated more strongly into production processes by designers across all disciplines. - Nicola Stattmann, Director & Founder of Product Development/Technology at OMC°C and Director & Founder of Stattmann Furniture
Nicola Stattmann studied product design and has been working in the field of eco-design for 20 years. She develops product strategies and solutions for various industries, particularly characterised by sustainability and an intelligent combination of materials and technology. - Tobias Trübenbacher, Product Designer
Tobias Trübenbacher is a product designer specialising in sustainability and material innovation. To expand his design expertise interdisciplinarily, he is currently pursuing two additional master’s degrees in architecture and urban planning.
15:00–16:00
Circular Design – A Guided Tour of the “Dare to Design” Exhibition with Exhibitors and Katrin Krupka, Director of German Design Graduates
Circular design describes a comprehensive design approach aimed at minimising the environmental impact of products and services throughout their lifecycle and, beyond that, developing sustainable business models in line with a circular economy. Visitors can learn more about how the next generation of designers envision exemplary projects during the tour.
Guided tour through the exhibition with:
- Katrin Krupka, Director German Design Graduates
- Max Böhm, Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, about „Bela“
- Lion Sanguinette, Burg Giebichenstein Kunsthochschule Halle, about „MonoSpeaker“
- Dean Weigand, Hochschule der Bildenden Künste Saar, about „Geplante Obsoleszenz: Problem oder Chance?“
