Member of the Month
Prof. Henrik Rieß
Henrik Rieß is Professor of Interaction Design at Berlin International, where he heads the B.A. in Graphic Design and Visual Communication. His teaching links human-centered design, new media and speculative futures.
Drawing on experience from both agency work and academia, he works at the intersection of practice and research.
German Ecodesign Award 2024
Award ceremony
It's going to be exciting on 2 December! The winners of the German Ecodesign Award will be announced in the atriums of the Federal Environment Ministry.
Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke and UBA President Prof. Dr. Dirk Messner will present the certificates and trophies.
We are the IDZ!
Our members of the month
Since 2020, we have featured one of our members with a short video interview, which we publish monthly in our newsletter.
On our website, you can find all the interviews we have done so far.
International Design Forum
The International Design Forum 2024 at InnoTrans focuses on innovative interior concepts for urban and regional mobility.
Renowned companies and design studios, including Alstom, büro+staubach, Deutsche Bahn, Hitachi and Priestman Goode, will present pioneering ideas for public transport.
IDZ virtual Meetup
The Inconvenience Space
“As if we were a nation of morons!” - When we heard Erik Spiekermann on the radio the other day, ranting in his usual sharp-tongued way about the election posters for the upcoming super election, we knew immediately: This is our candidate for the pre-election meetup on 23 September!
We look forward to your registration!
Photo: Norman Posselt
UX Design Awards
UX Conversations
Looking forward to our upcoming UX Conversation with Aditi Sharma, Head of Design & Research at Amazon Web Services (AWS).
Aditi will share her journey into UX leadership, offer insights into the challenges and opportunities of design within enterprise environments, and reveal the strategies that have made her an influential figure in the field.
UX Design Awards – Autumn 2023: 11 Winners Announced
The UX Design Awards 2023 announced its second round of winners. From well over 500 participants from 54 countries, 158 were nominated to compete. The #UXDA23 jury selected 11 winners, two of which received Gold awards.
The winning projects are showcased in an online exhibition on the UX Design Awards website. Congrats to all winners; we are proud to share your work!
IDZ Design Excursion
Retrotopia
On 11 July, IDZ member Silke Ihden-Rothkirch will guide us through the special exhibition “Retrotopia - Design for Socialist Spaces” at the Kunstgewerbemuseum Berlin.
Silke was co-curator and editor in the project, which showcases little-known design projects from former socialist countries in Europe, including former Yugoslavia.
EcoDesign Circle 4.0
EcoDesign Sprint 4.0
In mid-November we conducted the pilot of the EcoDesign Sprint 4.0.
Peter Post, Managing Director of Scholz & Volkmer and expert in service and UX design, and Markus Vihma, consultant for circular design and recycling management, developed numerous ideas for digital services with representatives of the management and various divisional managers of a large German furniture manufacturer.
DESIGN INSIGHTS #2
The Halle Process
On 19 June, we will continue our DESIGN INSIGHTS series with the presentation of the publication project “Der Halle-Prozess”. It deals with the right-wing terrorist attack in Halle of 9 October 2019.
Guests are Prof. Matthias Görlich, Maja Redlin and Nils Krüger from the study group Information Design (SI) of Burg Giebichenstein, Kunsthochschule Halle.
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IDZ Academy
Ecodesign in theory and practice
The series “Future-proof through sustainable design - Ecodesign in theory and practice” provides insights into the sustainable design of products, services, and business models.
Workshops, webinars, consultation hours, and a community event in Berlin offer practical learning experiences and networking opportunities.
IDZ Event
AI in Dialogue
Together with our member Archimedes Exhibitions, we invite you to a panel discussion on 10 April at the AMDX Workshop space.
In an interactive fishbowl format, we will explore how AI shapes our society, how it can strengthen or threaten democratic processes, and how science, design, and culture can collaborate to create inclusive, fair, and democratic AI.
Book Release
Visible. Women in Architecture
On 23 June, in our project space in the Metropolenhaus, together with Anke Illing, editor and photographer, and Dominika Hasse, professor for corporate and editorial design at the HAWK Hildesheim, we will present the illustrated book "SICHTBAR. FRAUEN IN DER ARCHITEKTUR”.
Registration by email is requested.
Transforming People & Places II
Redesigning the Asphalt
On April 30, the second event in the series, which was launched in cooperation with Archimedes Exhibitions, will once again focus on urban mobility – from urban design and smart mobility to sharing and participation and climate change.
The series creates space for exchange and discussion between the designers and residents of our city.
Berlin Showroom
Autumn/Winter 21/22
The DACH Showroom continues this season. In Vienna, Berlin and Tokyo, buyers have the opportunity to view the fall/winter collections of 19 designers, including nine from Berlin. In the new virtual showroom, buyers and press representatives can also experience the collections digitally and call up all relevant information.
UX Conversations
Jury Digest
Four of our company members will be represented at the Jury Digest on 30 April with #UXDA24 jurors Gennett Aku Agbenu from Siemens, Joon-Mo Lee from PHOENIX, Annika Rupp from Scholz & Volkmer, and Bernhard Staiber from Intuity Media Lab.
Find out more about what the jurors of the UX Design Awards look for when making their decisions.
German Ecodesign Award
Deadline extension
We have extended the registration deadline - you now have the opportunity to apply until 9 May!
Companies of all industries and sizes, designers, and students from across Europe have the opportunity to submit their projects for the Federal Ecodesign Award. The focus is on innovative ideas that are convincing not only in terms of design but also in ecological aspects.
IDZ members
introduce themselves
Anfang 2020 haben wir begonnen, in unserem monatlichen Newsletter ein IDZ-Mitglied des Monats vorzustellen.
Wir haben inzwischen vier dieser Beiträge auf der Website gesammelt, und hoffen, mit der Zeit einen interessanten Einblick in unsere Mitgliederstruktur zu geben.
German Ecodesign Award
Roadshow
The roadshow “Thinking ahead,” which exhibits the projects awarded the German Ecodesign Award, will again be presented at various locations this year–in museums, at design and environmental festivals, and conferences.
The first station until 23 March is the Esche Museum near Chemnitz, European Capital of Culture 2025!
otl aicher 100
kritik am auto
The IDZ continues its series of events with a retrospective of Aicher's exhibition and book „kritik am auto - schwierige verteidigung des autos gegen seine anbeter“.
The evening of talks will take place on June 25, 2022 in the rooms of the former Ulm University of Design. Click here for registration!
IDZ virtual Meetup
German Design Graduates
As a supporter of the German Design Graduates, the IDZ has awarded free annual memberships to three participants. Congratulations to Tobias Trübenbacher, Abdelrahman Ibrahim and Tien Han Huang! The three will present their projects on 28 October at the IDZ Meetup in the exhibition at KGM Berlin. We will be streaming live via Zoom.
We look forward to your registration!
UX Design Awards
Talent Track: Award Winners
On 30 April, Shuting Jiang and Tianyue Wu, co-founders of QIMU Design, will share insights into their UX Design Award 2024-winning project “WE: Wellness Support for Non-Native Speaking Women”.
The concept offers culturally sensitive, AI-powered healthcare support for immigrant women and fosters exchange within a supportive community.
otl aicher 100
bread and games
This summer marks the fiftieth anniversary of the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich. Otl Aicher created a style-defining design system for them with the rainbow as the color palette and a dachshund as the mascot.
On August 26, as part of our initiative otlaicher100.de, we will pay tribute to Aicher's contribution and discuss the political dimension of the games.
UX Design Awards
Nominees announced
We invite you to visit the UX Design Awards website to discover the nominees and their impressive work. The online exhibition showcases the nominees’ innovative solutions and creativity across various sectors.
Users worldwide can also actively support their favorite projects by voting in the online poll for the UX Design Award | Public Choice before it concludes on 25 February.
German Ecodesign Award
Exhibition at the Metropolenhaus

From 30 September to 3 October, all entries admitted to the jury session as well as the nominees of the German Ecodesign Award 2023 will be presented to the public at the Metropolenhaus Berlin.
Please check the website of the German Ecodesign Award for further info.
otl aicher 100
Online Platform
On May 13, Otl Aicher would have had his 100th birthday. The IDZ pays tribute to this great designer with the online platform www.otlaicher100.de - a curated space that provides information about his life and work and invites discourse.
It is flanked by a series of events that approach Otl Aicher's work from today's perspective.
Federal Ecodesign Award 2024
Award ceremony
On 2 December, Federal Minister Steffi Lemke and UBA President Prof. Dr. Dirk Messner honored the German Ecodesign Award 2024 winners. Ten projects received awards, including sustainable textiles, ecological bicycle tires, and an e-tractor.
The submission phase for the 2025 Award starts on 21 January 2025.
UX Design Awards
Spring 2025
The call for entries for the UX Design Awards—Spring 2025 is open until 18 November. Companies, agencies, professionals, and new talents are invited to submit their work for the global competition for outstanding experience design.
All information can be found on the UXDA website.
UX Design Awards
Congrats to the Winners!
Out of 441 participants from 38 countries, 162 were nominated. The jury has now selected 18 winners. Gold goes to Siemens Healthineers for the “CIARTIC Move, self-driving 3D C-arm”.
All winning projects are presented in an online exhibition on the UX Design Awards website.