The five finalists for the German Design Awards – Newcomer of the Year 2026 represent a generation that approaches design as a cultural and social practice. Balancing experimentation with responsibility, they explore how design connects processes, drives change and shapes the future. Here are the five promising talents.
by Lara Lochmann
Linn Zahn:
‘My interest lies in how design can reveal perspectives without interpreting or evaluating them.’
University: Hochschule für Gestaltung Schwäbisch Gmünd
Category: Communication & Digital Design
Title of the work: Collective Voice / Gemeinsame Stimme
Linn Zahn views design as a means of facilitating dialogue and fostering care. Her work, including ‘Kontakt Kiosk’ and ‘Stitches’, creates spaces where people can meet and makes belonging visible. For Linn, the design process begins with listening. It becomes a medium that enables closeness, trust and resonance.
Mareen Baumeister:
‘Rather than looking for something new, I’m looking for untapped potential in what already exists.’
University: Weißensee Kunsthochschule Berlin
Category: Industrial & Product Design
Title of the work: Material Intelligence / Materielle Intelligenz
Mareen Baumeister combines traditional craft techniques with robotics and experimental processes. Projects such as FRUMO, which is made from fruit waste, and FLOCK, which is made from wool, give rise to new circular materials. Her approach involves listening to the material and making its intelligence visible, with design acting as a mediator between nature and technology.
Marie Kurstjens:
‘Social design should not be seen as an exception, but as an integral part of our practice.‘
University: Universität der Künste Berlin
Category: Industrial & Product Design
Title of the work: Common Ground / Gemeinsamer Boden
Marie Kurstjens collaborates with affected communities on her designs. Her projects, such as ‘COOK/ABILITY’ and ‘Designing Dignity’, are created through dialogue with those affected and promote self-determination, dignity, and inclusion. For her, participation is an attitude, not a method – design as a democratic, social process.
Cornelius Richter:
‘Appropriateness does not dictate a particular style or time. Rather, it is an attitude.‘
University: Folkwang Universität der Künste
Category: Industrial & Product Design
Title of the work: Constructive Play / Konstruktives Spiel
Cornelius Richter explores playful and critical approaches to product design. In projects such as ‘STUHL’ and ‘re.form’, he combines childlike thinking with construction waste and concrete to offer new perspectives on value and materials. His design concept is based on decision-making, attitude and change.
Johannes Rothkegel:
‘Good design provides support without being intrusive, and disappears into the background when it is not needed.’
University: Hochschule für Gestaltung Schwäbisch Gmünd
Category: Communication & Digital Design
Title of the work: Human Interface / Menschliche Schnittstelle
Johannes Rothkegel designs digital systems that prioritise people. His work focuses on ‘calm technology’ – unobtrusive technologies that fit sensitively into everyday life. He believes that transparency, comprehensibility and responsibility are key to building trust in the use of AI, ensuring that technology does not become overwhelming.
About the Newcomer Awards
THE FORUM FOR YOUNG DESIGN TALENTS
Great talents need a forum! The Newcomer Awards of the German Design Council is a unique honour and promotes young designers who stand out due to their extraordinary achievements and creative talent.
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