Statement of the jury

Felix Thode studied sustainable design, focusing on editorial design, at Fresenius University of Applied Sciences, ecosign/Academy for Design. In his unusual work, the designer tackles the manipulation of facts in international politics (»Lessons learnt«), social injustice and the violation of human rights in the global production chain of high-tech products (»Human Rights and Technology«) and other socially relevant issues. In the course of this, again and again he manages to establish the crucial thematic focus and, in this way, to hone his readers' awareness of such topics, while still maintaining an extremely high quality and clarity of design. A bold talent from whom we will certainly see and hear a great deal more.

Interview with Felix Thode:

You are a »Newcomer« Finalist at the German Design Award 2022. What does this award mean for you and your work?

This distinction is a great honour for me. Being recognised for projects that are close to my heart inspires me in my work.

Your work deals with the manipulation of facts in international politics, among other things. Is it even still possible for us as the addressees to recognize where the truth begins and where it ends?

An objectively true statement is impossible in my eyes. The objective of journalism and my books is to get as close to the truth as possible. Truth can be broken down in infinitely small parts in philosophy and science. In everyday use, thus, you need to limit the definition of »truth« to a certain extent in order to engage in discussion. Leaving out certain perspective is both necessary and harmful. For the reader, it is impossible to recognise what information has been left out by the author. This makes it difficult to recognise the truth. That’s why I try to bundle as much information as possible in my books and try to annotate the information that I can’t include in some way so that the readers can get more information themselves.

Which projects of yours are closest to your heart and why?

My bachelor’s thesis is very close to my heart. It offers both a holistic view of the entire world and a very detailed look at the problem areas of the electronics production chain.

Where is the biggest challenge in your projects – both with regards to content and design?

The content defines the design. I don’t see these aspects as being separate in my work. The challenge for me is to reconcile the content and the design with one another. I usually develop a rough idea of the design before the content is ready. Once the concept is in place, all the other pieces fall into place.