german design graduate winners dare to address sex, sustainability & society

german design council: dare to design

The annual Dare to Design exhibition, featuring the most noteworthy graduate projects from German art and design academies, officially opens its doors at the Museum Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg (MK&G). Organized by the German Design Council, the initiative showcases the work of the graduates in the fields of product and industrial design. From a wide range of perspectives and with a broad range of expertise, the nine-member jury selected 47 works for the exhibition, and 12 projects as finalists for the German Design Graduates Awards. The exceptional winning projects include a sex toy, invasive plants, and an ‘analogue’ space where queer-feminist issues and current challenges can be discussed. 

the annual Dare to Design exhibitionopens its doors at the Museum Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg (MK&G) | photo Henning Rogge

all images courtesy of the German Design Council 

Museum Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg hosts the annual exhibition

For 2023, the Museum Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg (MK&G) opens its doors to host the annual Dare to Design exhibition. Initiative of the German Design Council, the visionary projects tackle a wide range of themes around society, sustainability and research. While diverse in their concepts and products, the works share a common belief that design goes beyond surface aesthetics. Instead, design processes are used to question existing systems, to renew them and to realize projects that enable socially sustainable living. Lutz Dietzold, CEO of the German Design Council, emphasized the role of design in innovation and transformation, expressing the Council‘s commitment to nurturing young talents and facilitating collaborations between different industries to bring visionary ideas to life.

‘The role of design as a catalyst for innovation and transformation is particularly evident in the works shown. I am therefore very pleased that the German Design Council is able to make the innovative strength that emerges from German universities visible through the German Design Graduates initiative. Since our foundation 70 years ago, one of our core tasks has been to pave the way for young designers to enter the industry – we help to form alliances between designers and between design and industry, business and science, so that these visionary ideas for a future worth living can be put into practice. With the German Design Graduates, we can advance this initiative in an ideal manner,’ says Lutz Dietzold.

the visionary projects tackle a wide range of themes around society, sustainability and research | photo Henning Rogge

The award categorizes the projects under Society and Community, Sustainability and Circularity, Research and Science as well as the focus topic, Inclusion, representing the wide range of current design discourses and focal points. The awards, which include 2,500 euros of prize money, are presented by a top-class jury: Leif Huff, Design and Innovation Strategy at the Agency FLUID 3/6; Dr. Florian Sametinger, Head of Research at the agency KISKA; Ronja Scholz, Expert for Eco-Design & Circular Service Design at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration IZM; Dr. Andrea Augsten, Strategist and Design Researcher in the Innovation Lab for Sustainable Development; Lynn Harles, Creative Engagement Manager, Museum für Naturkunde Berlin; Stephan Ott, Director Institute for Appliance and Research (IfDRA) by the German Design Council; Barbara Lersch, Hans-Sauer-Stiftung; Prof. Kris Krois, Professor at the Freie Universität Bozen; and Tobias Trübenbacher, Product Designer.

out of over 250 submissions, 47 exceptional projects have been selected for the exhibition | photo Henning Rogge

tackling design’s role in society: from sex toys to invasive plants

For Sustainability & Circularity, the jury chose Leila Wallisser with project Toxic Legacies as the winner. Starting with the problem of how used cigarette filters could be put to good use, various experiments with materials led to the question of the value of the initial product itself – and the price at which recycling is worthwhile. What convinced the jury was the transparency with which these detours are described in the project, and how the path to the result of the work is demonstrated and visualized. In her project, the designer takes on the magnitude of the problem and not only deals critically with the topic, but also with her own way of working.

Leila Wallisser wins the Sustainability & Circularity category with Toxic Legacies | photo Leila Wallisser

For the focus topic, Inclusion, Vruit by Juliane Kühr is crowned winner. Selected by the entire jury, the designer developed a product, a sex toy, which empowers a large group of people, primarily same-sex couples and singles with the desire to have children, to help fulfil this desire in an aesthetic and pleasurable way. Juliane calls the process around insemination (sperm transfer), through the toy, but she also seeks to educate people about health issues and legal challenges with an accompanying booklet that also refers them to crucial support services.

Juliane Kühr’s Vruit winning project for the focus topic, Inclusion | photo Juliane Kühr

(non-) local lab by Beatriz Oria Lombardía wins the prize for the Research and Transfer category. Based on the question of how design can add value to a scientific, ecological and social issue, this project not only pursued an interdisciplinary research approach, but also actively involves civil society. The designer has a clear mission: to question what contribution she as a designer, and the design discipline as such, can make to the environment, society and research. Through her installation, the designer uses the example of dealing with invasive plants such as knotgrass to show the complex connections between environmental problems and our everyday actions.

(non-) local lab by Beatriz Oria Lombardía is awarded for the Research and Transfer category | photo Beatriz Oria Lombardía

Bücheria by Anna Unterstab receives the prize for the Society & Community category. The designer not only creates visibility for queer-feminist issues and current challenges in Hamburg Wilhelmsburg, but she also realizes an ‘analogue’ space or a meeting place for exchange, for self-empowerment and for learning together and collective reading. Instead of focusing solely on designing a product or system, Anna creates something more profound, demonstrating the potential for the design discipline to expand its boundaries with confidence and challenging traditional expectations. 

Bücheria by Anna Unterstab receives the prize for the Society & Community category | photo Anna Unterstab

the works of the prize-winners as well as 43 other projects by German art and design academies are on display at MK&G until 8 October, 2023 | photo Henning Rogge

Dare to Design presents the most relevant work by graduates of product and industrial design from German art and design academies | photo Henning Rogge

as different as the projects, concepts and products are, they are all united by the understanding that design goes far beyond mere surface design | photo Henning Rogge

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Leila-Wallisser wins with project Toxic Legacies, photo by Jakob Börner

Anna Unterstab wins with Buecheria, photo by Jakob Börner

Beatriz Oria Lombardia wins with (non-) local lab, photo by Jakob Börner

Juliane Kuehr wins with Vruit, photo by Jakob Börner

project info:

name: German Design Graduates: Dare to Design | @germandesigngraduates

organizer: German Design Council | @germandesigncouncil

winners: Leila Wallisser; Beatriz Oria Lombardía; Anna Unterstab; Juliane Kühr

location: Museum Kunst und Gewerbe (MK&G) | @mkghamburg

supporters: Ambiente Messe Frankfurt; BASF Designfabrik, Covestro; Designcampus Dresden; Haute Innovation; ID Berlin; Internationale Handwerksmesse München; Jasmin Jouhar; Mono; Afilii

dates: September 01 – October 08, 2023

photography: Henning Rogge; Jakob Börner