Statements

Nicolette Naumann
Vice-President Ambiente

What was special about the projects that were submitted?

What strikes me positively was how many of the submissions reflected social, political and structural questions. It was not always possible to implement this in the design – more interdisciplinary networking would have been needed here.

What value does the German Design Graduates Project have for you?

I hope that it will develop into a resilient interface between graduates and industry.

Where and how can design be important in the upcoming years? 

Less is more – we need less but better/smarter/sustainable products. The expectations are enormous.

© Dieter Schwer

What was special about the projects that were submitted?

I liked the range of concepts very much. I was particularly interested in the various approaches to reconnecting the digital with the analog.

What value does the German Design Graduates Project have for you?

I consider the project to be a very important initiative. Design colleges are always also think tanks for the future, and these discourses should be presented to a wider public. I think it’s good that the selected projects are presented in the museum, because this offers a different framework than for example a trade fair.

Where and how can design be important in the upcoming years? 

Design always also means shaping society. In the future, I hope to see much more “positive” impact here. Perhaps this also means that you have to rethink your design training.

Dr. Claudia Banz
Curator Kunstgewerbemuseum Berlin

Stephan Ott
Chief Editor Form

What was special about the projects that were submitted?

Overall, I was impressed by the quality of the work. I was delighted by the fact that students seem more and more to prefer working conceptually and not exclusively on objects and products. In the future I would like to see a broader participation of all design departments and faculties. 

What value does the German Design Graduates Project have for you?

I consider the German Design Graduate Project to be an important initiative. On the one hand, to give more weight to the graduates themselves, and on the other hand, to help the achievements of graduates to reach a broader public.

Where and how can design be important in the upcoming years? 

I am convinced that design science and design research will play an important role in the future. Scientific discourse will also contribute to the practical autonomy of design as a discipline.

What was special about the projects that were submitted?

In addition to classic product design, designers are increasingly devoting themselves to research and concept.

What value does the German Design Graduates Project have for you?

It provides a concentrated, independent overview of the most relevant thesis projects in the design field.

Where and how can design be important in the upcoming years? 

The designer is able to network lateral thinking and classical methodology in such a way that new approaches to solutions can be found.

Nils Moormann
Founder & Owner Moormann Möbel GmbH