Newcomer finalist 2019, Frauke Zoë Taplik

Frauke Zoë Taplik (*1990) completed her studies in design at the School of Design in Offenbach with distinction in 2018. As part of her dissertation, she developed a light pack raft for trips called Wasserläufer, which enables rapid inflation with no tools thanks to its innovative construction.
For her intermediate diploma she designed a splint for initial fracture care, which is ideally suited to a first aid box thanks to its design, material and ease of use.
Taplik was awarded the Dr. Marschner open day prize for the project in 2013. Her projects have already been presented in exhibitions, including at the Milan Furniture Fair.

A few questions to Frauke Zoë Taplik:

You are a Newcomer Finalist at the German Design Awards 2019. What does this award mean for you and your work?

Being a Newcomer Finalist at the German Design Awards 2019 is a great honour for me, acknowledgement of my work and an opportunity to make contacts. This provides me with further motivation to tread my own path and make a contribution to the design of tomorrow.

Your portfolio features very different products. Which is particularly important to you and why?

The diversity of my projects is important to me and represents my way of working. All projects combine my enthusiasm for design and for the understanding of connections. These three projects, for example, show the different forms that this can take: Wasserläufer is a light pack raft for one person that can be transported in a rucksack and inflated quickly without tools. The arm splint Frakturerstversorgung offers first aid for arm breaks. Aqualux is a dynamic light installation that invites visitors to linger a while.

What does good design in the 21st century mean for you?

Design in the 21st century should look to the future and find aesthetic forms of expression that are of relevance in the context. From a design perspective, there is a huge opportunity available in using the era's technical possibilities and testing boundaries, in part with sustainability in mind. It is motivating to see that design now plays a role in many areas to influence developments in a positive sense.

What are good sources of inspiration for your conceptual work?

Inspirations for my projects come in different contexts. Observations and impressions from my daily life, conversations, situations in sport or from travel all inspire my work. I encounter stimulating issues and forms of expression particularly when I am out and about and when I step outside my comfort zone. But interacting with materials and technical developments also influences my design process substantially.