Newcomer

How can I take part?

The Newcomer Award cannot be applied for directly. Instead, nominations are put forward either by representatives of participating universities affiliated with the German Design Graduates initiative or by our scouting team. Once nominated, candidates are notified and may confirm their nomination by submitting a digital short portfolio.

Eligible to participate are graduates from the fields of textile, fashion, product, industrial, communication, digital, and interaction design.

The winner of the German Design Award Newcomer is selected by an independent iernational expert jury. Just like the main award categories, the jury is made up of representatives from industry, academia, and the design world.

The jury assesses the submitted portfolios with a focus on the unique stylistic identity of the work and its development potential. Criteria include:

• Conceptual quality
• Design quality
• Technical and formal originality
• Development
• potential Degree of innovation Symbolic and emotional depth
• Social relevance

Aspects such as sustainability and circularity, material and resource awareness, as well as relevance and future viability also play a key role in the evaluation process.

Prize Money
From all nominations, five finalists are selected by the expert jury. One of them will be named Newcomer of the Year at the awards ceremony – a title that comes with a €15,000 prize. The other finalists each receive €2,500.

Visibility
All five finalists are introduced to our social media community and featured with dedicated profile pages on the website, where they can present their work, interviews, and video portraits. Presentation at the

Award Ceremony
During the ceremony, finalists are showcased in a special exhibition and celebrated on stage, culminating in the announcement of the Newcomer of the Year and the official award presentation.

Networking
All finalists are invited to the annual German Design Council Gala at Soho House Berlin. There, they have the opportunity to meet foundation members, high-ranking industry representatives, and decision-makers from design-driven companies – a perfect setting to make valuable connections.