The Change by Design series opens with a bold yet inquisitive statement: “Nature creates beauty. Man creates things. Design is a store of knowledge. Can it save the world? Is it the solution? Design changes the world”. The fuel of the future is sustainable: compelling ideas and social energy. Designers today are creating things that are functional, sustainable and beautiful – whether it’s a chair, a lamp, a jacket, a smartphone or a ship. Each of the three half-hour films focuses on key design areas such as technology, fashion and furniture.

In the episode on technology and specific products, the young designer Tobias Trübenbacher, who has been awarded the German Design Award Newcomer of the Year 2023 by the German Design Council, looks for solutions to the waste of resources. He explores how to generate light where there is no electricity and how to harness the forces of nature to provide energy. His lamp “Ignis” uses the heat from fireplaces, converts it into electricity and generates light. It can also charge a mobile phone. His “Papilio” street lamp uses wind to generate light day and night, reducing light pollution. Dr Laura M. Giovanetti, a naval architect and world-class sailor, is working with the Swedish shipping company Wallenius on the “Oceanbird” project to design sustainable ships. Giovanetti believes that the power of the wind can be harnessed to glide these ocean giants across the oceans with vertical wing sails, emission-free. The mobile phone manufacturer “Shift” aims to extend the typically short life of the smartphone through a consistently modular design and repair-friendly features. Founders Samuel and Carsten Waldeck not only contribute to sustainable technology, but also promote social sustainability in their home village in northern Hesse, for example by maintaining a village shop as a community hub.

The furniture episode looks at ‘fast furniture’, noting that around 10 million tonnes of furniture is thrown away in the EU each year – roughly the same amount as is produced each year. A prime example of sustainable design is the Thonet No. 14 chair, a classic that is still handmade and often passed down through generations. “Stooly” in Paris creates recyclable furniture from cardboard, and Finnish bathroom manufacturer Woodio uses wood chips to make sinks, bathtubs and toilets. In fashion, many small initiatives and ideas are helping to transform Europe’s textile industry by 2030 as part of the European Green Deal. Berlin designer Natascha von Hirschhausen and Lithuanian fashion designer Akvilė Meškauskaitė-Dobrajs show how attractive fashion can be produced in a resource-efficient and socially responsible way. Design and knowledge researcher Claudia Mareis talks about active materials that function like small machines, able to change and adapt.

All three episodes are available online in the Arte Media Library until 21 February 2025.