HfG-Alumna Amelie Poxleitner German Design Award Newcomer Nominee 2026.

The German Design Awards have been presented by the German Design Council since 2012 as an international accolade for outstanding design that makes an impact. Their roots go back to the Federal Award for Good Design, a long-standing benchmark for design quality in Germany. Today, the awards keep their eyes firmly on the future: by tackling themes like Circular Design or AI, drawing on the cross-industry, global network of the German Design Council, and building on more than 70 years of experience linking design with business.

HfG is crossing their fingers for Amelie!

Some excerpts of Amelie's work:

COOL PIECES cool pieces’ deals with the effects of climate change on the human body and its adaptation to heat. with an open source mindset, the project presents an ensemble of three wearable objects whose design takes on multiple facets of a simple fan, one of the most accessible ways to cool the body. The set includes a sun poncho, a deployable headgear and a hand fan for effective cooling. a central idea in the development of the items was to overcome financial barriers to enable widespread participation. for this reason, all instructions are available for free on the website to ensure that production is virtually cost-free. Special attention was paid to the use of commercially available sewing machines, as they are widely available and therefore accessible to a wide range of people.

DUMA duma is a project designed to raise awareness about the issue of abortion and create a profound societal movement. the aim is not only to educate and inform but also to encourage dialogue among those affected. at its core, the project seeks to support women who have undergone an abortion and help them free themselves from the burdensome societal stigma. by promoting openness and encouraging targeted dialogue, the project seeks to gradually remove the taboo surrounding the topic. the name „duma,“ which means „pride“ in polish, symbolizes a community that is aware of its strength and is brave enough to actively participate in the conversation. given the precarious situations faced by many women worldwide and the stringent abortion laws that frequently make headlines, the project primarily utilizes the extensive reach of social media for its accessibility. additionally, flyers and posters at demonstrations are strategically used to advance the movement and give a voice to those women who still suffer from the stigma.