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Dear readers,
On Monday, the Federal Ecodesign Award ceremony took place at the Federal Ministry for the Environment, with ten submissions being honored. We are proud to have organized this special competition for 13 years now. As the highest distinction of the German government for ecological design, the award stands for credibility and quality.
We look forward to continuing our collaboration with our members and partners. And – with a glance toward the new year – we echo the words of the wonderful Mascha Kaléko: “Be wise and stick to miracles.” In this spirit, we wish you all a peaceful and carefree end of the year and a wonderful new year!
Your IDZ Team
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IDZ Member of the Month
PLEXGROUP, presented by Tatjana Kohler
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PLEXGROUP stands for networked thinking for dynamic brands. As an agency for brand communication, the team develops strategies, designs and content for brands and those who want to become brands. They strengthen the positioning through consistent brand communication at all touchpoints - digital, analog and in architecture; always flexible and easy to use. Because they make brands simple.
Tatjana Kohler is Strategy Director and Associate Partner at PLEXGROUP and responsible for concept and strategy. She studied social and business communication at the UdK and has been pursuing her passion for storytelling, evoking emotions and communication ever since. She has been working for PLEXGROUP for seven years, supporting a wide range of clients from small associations to large industrial giants, while always remaining curious about new topics and projects.
All contributions to our “Member of the Month” series can be found on the IDZ website!
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German Ecodesign Award
Meet the Winners
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Sandra Kühnapfel © IDZ
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What will the textiles of the future look like and how will they be manufactured? Which eco-friendly bicycle tires will get us from A to B and why is an electric tractor an attractive solution for rural areas?
The ten winners of the 2024 German Ecodesign Award have provided answers to these and other questions. On 2 December, they were honored at the Federal Ministry for the Environment by Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke and Prof. Dr. Dirk Messner, President of the Federal Environment Agency, with the highest national award for ecological design. For more information, film clips of the awarded projects, and interviews with the winners, please visit the German Ecodesign Award website.
Starting from 21 January 2025, outstandingly designed, environmentally friendly, and forward-looking projects from all over Europe can be submitted again!
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UX Design Awards – Spring 2025
Talent Track on 4 December
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UX Design Awards – Spring 2025: Start of the Jury Phase
The submission deadline for the UX Design Awards – Spring 2025 passed in mid-November. A record-breaking 441 participants from 38 countries submitted projects for the spring edition. Now it's up to the jury. The nominees will be announced on 16 January 2025. They will then undergo another thorough evaluation by the jurors. On 5 March 2025, we will announce the winners! Starting 1 March 2025, #UXDA25 enters its second round – you can already register for the competition today!
Talent Track on 4 December
Today, on 4 December, the Talent Track will feature the designers behind two projects that won the New Talent Award this year.
Ophelia Chen from the ArtCenter College of Design will present the project Routio: Enhancing Organization for Kids with ADHD. This development tool for children with ADHD uses physical components to build habits and effectively manage symptoms. An app allows for managing daily tasks and tracking progress in real time.
Sabrina Kuom, Sarah Franke, and Paula Trummer from the Hochschule für Gestaltung Schwäbisch Gmünd will present cosmo - discover the colours of language, a tablet app that allows students to learn English in a playful and context-based way. Cosmo promotes long-term intrinsic motivation through collaborative learning and meaningful gamification.
All information about participation and competition deadlines can be found on the UX Design Awards website.
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AdlerSchmidt
legibility.info Relaunch
AdlerSchmidt presents “legibility.info” in a new light: The guide for inclusive communication design, launched in 2017 and awarded multiple times, now offers fresh content, an updated design, and an English translation. The popular tools, such as the font size and contrast calculator, are now even more user-friendly.
Archimedes Exhibitions
New Exhibition Center for European XFEL
Congratulations to Archimedes Exhibitions on the opening of the “Lighthouse,” the new exhibition and conference center on the European XFEL campus! Archimedes designed a 550 sqm space that vividly explains the science behind the world’s largest X-ray laser. The centerpiece is a walk-in model of the European XFEL, surrounded by interactive stations, large-format graphics, and atmospheric lighting.
Bauhaus Archive / Museum of Design
Taking a Stand: “Who’s Afraid of Bauhaus?”
The far-right AfD faction in Saxony-Anhalt attacks the Bauhaus as a “misguided path of modernism.” Back in 1932, the Nazis closed the Bauhaus and denounced many works as “degenerate art.” More than 90 years later, the fear of Bauhaus seems to persist. On 5 December, Dr. Annemarie Jaeggi will discuss with guests the influence mechanisms of the AfD, parallels to the NSDAP, and the underlying goals.
FSB
Certified Sustainability
FSB has received a new EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) from the “Institut für Bauen und Umwelt.” This allows the environmental impacts of their products to be transparently displayed over their entire lifecycle – from raw material extraction to recycling or disposal. This comprehensive approach brings FSB a step closer to sustainable design in architecture.
Joachim Kobuss
#53. Design Bureau of Investigation
In his new column, Joachim Kobuss examines why a Design Bureau of Investigation (DBI) can effectively support professional brand & design management. He highlights the various and specific tasks of a DBI and explains how it can help enhance value and effectiveness.
Peter Post
From Timeout to Restart
Everything will be fine – but not by itself: Our board member Peter Post is leaving Scholz & Volkmer after 18 years to focus entirely on the Studio Peter Post × Petra Esveld. With optimistic design and projects like Circular-Experience.org, they are committed to a better future. Congratulations!
Prof. Jürg Steiner
Lecture on the History of System 180
Our Member of the Month for July/August 2024, Prof. Jürg Steiner, gave an interesting lecture on the history of his System 180 at Orgatech in October, titled “Connections – The Power of a Timeless Design that Creates Connections.” Those who couldn’t attend in person in Cologne can watch the lecture on YouTube.
wirDesign
Brand Relaunch of the Hannover Re Group
In a process lasting over two years, wirDesign has reviewed and gradually strengthened the visual identity of the Hannover Re Group. The result is a new, consistent appearance centered around the so-called “Supersign” – a distinctive symbol that encapsulates and visualizes the brand idea “Team up to create opportunities.”
Dear IDZ members: Send us your news – we will happily publish it here!
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Aedes Metropolitan Laboratory
Rural Rebellion
Christoph Hesse Architects tackles the challenges of rural areas by questioning and reinterpreting traditional village and landscape structures. Christoph Hesse integrates his connection to nature into his projects, which often arise in collaboration with partners. Rural Rebellion presents spatial interventions through models, panoramic drawings, films, portrait photos, and statements from the “Rural Rebels” until 24 January 2025. The exhibition demonstrates how projects create social, ecological, and economic connections and foster a transformation that redefines rural life as a source of innovation.
BcmA Gallery
Klein aber Fein Pop-Up Store – Illustration Edition
The Klein aber Fein Pop-Up Store invites you to the Illustration Edition 2024! Until 19 December, discover sustainable, unique Christmas gifts by talented illustrators and artists in Kreuzberg. Among the participants is our esteemed colleague Joanna Simson! Originals, one-of-a-kind pieces, and handpicked treasures make every purchase a special experience.
Berlin Design Week
Open Call Now Open!
Under the motto “Common Sense”, Berlin Design Week will bring together design expertise in the city from 15 – 18 May 2025. New this year is the opportunity to apply directly for a speaker slot on the BDW stage, as well as the introduction of the “Wild Card”. This offers young companies and start-ups a discounted participation fee. The open call is aimed at national and international designers, studios, collectives, brands, companies, and research institutions.
Berlinische Galerie
Rineke Dijkstra: Still — Moving
The Berlinische Galerie is presenting a comprehensive retrospective of renowned photographer and video artist Rineke Dijkstra until 10 February 2025. The exhibition features around 80 works from eight series that focus on the central theme of identity. Dijkstra's reduced but powerful portraits invite reflection on individuality and self-presentation. Some previously unpublished photographs from her archive are also on display.
Deutsches Design Museum
Rafael Horzon’s Latest Creation
In November, Rafael Horzon opened the “Deutsches Design Museum” on Uhlandstrasse in Berlin. The 750-square-meter space exclusively exhibits works by Horzon. The Welt reported on the opening: "There is this Berlin mix of sweet madness and carefree spirit that has slowly been fading in recent years in the rearview mirror of the capital. The DNA of this “Everything Goes” feeling is rooted in the post-reunification era of the city; Horzon, who insists on not being called an artist, has always been a key figure of this period – depending on the perspective, as a shrewd businessman, a furniture baron, or a cultural authority." In any case, it's a great deal of fun!
Various Locations in Berlin
#BerlinIstKultur
The planned cuts in Berlin’s budget heavily impact the cultural sector. For example, the Werkbundarchiv – Museum der Dinge is expected to cut €251,000, which accounts for over 20% of its budget. This would mean massive reductions in programs and job cuts. The action platform #BerlinIstKultur brings together protests against the threatened cuts in Berlin’s cultural sector.
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National and International
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Frankfurt am Main
MGGU - Museum Giersch der Goethe-Universität: OUR HOUSE
The Museum Giersch of the Goethe University presents OUR HOUSE: Artistic Positions on Housing until 16 February 2025. The exhibition explores both the private and public dimensions of housing as a fundamental human need in times of rising rent prices and housing shortages. Works by contemporary and historical artists such as Matthias Weischer, Susanne Kutter, and Inge Werth are showcased.
Halle
Exhibition on the GiebichenStein Design Prize
From 13 December 2024 to 12 January 2025, the exhibition on the GiebichenStein Design Prize will display nominated and awarded works by students from the Department of Design at the Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design Halle. The exhibition at the Kunststiftung des Landes Sachsen-Anhalt offers a fascinating insight into the latest design concepts, innovative materials, and experimental projects.
Munich
Die Neue Sammlung – The Design Museum: Kitchen Culture
This exhibition showcases the development of the kitchen, from the first fitted kitchen to the present day. The Frankfurt kitchen by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky marks the beginning. Examples such as the Unité d’habitation in Marseille and Arne Jacobsen’s kitchen emphasize functionality. DDR kitchen modules like Eschebach K21 were versatile. New approaches include Stefan Wewerka’s Küchenbaum and the kitchen solitaire Erlkönig by J*Gast. The exhibition is complemented by electrical household appliances and an installation of 300 trays produced in the German Democratic Republic.
Paris
Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain: Olga De Amaral
Until 16 March 2025, the Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain in Paris presents the first major retrospective of Colombian textile artist Olga de Amaral in Europe. The exhibition features around 80 works, many of which are shown outside of Colombia for the first time. It highlights Amaral’s significant contribution to textile art, which has long been regarded as mere decoration.
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Trade Fairs and Conferences
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