Design despite the crisis


Frankfurt Main, 03 February 2009


Good design ensures a positive brand image and brings increasing sales even in times of crisis. These are the initial results of a survey among 25 winners of the Design Award of the Federal Republic of Germany 2009. And there is a further positive factor: there are more newcomers to the profession than there have been for a long time. The Design Award of the Federal Republic of Germany, sponsored by the German Ministry of Economics and Technology, will be presented this year on 13 February at a ceremony in Frankfurt am Main. A total of 25 design awards will be given for products, including 20 in silver and 5 in gold. The designer Richard Sapper will be presented with the Celebrity Design Award in recognition of his lifetime’s work in design.

Design Award - History
 
The Design Award of the Federal Republic of Germany is the country's highest distinction in the field of design and is presented by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology. The award was given for the first time under the name 'Federal Award for Good Design' in 1969 and thereafter every two years. Moreover, the focus of the award was changed on each occasion. The name of the award was first changed in 1992. Thereafter, the 'Federal Product Design Award' and the 'Federal Award Promoter of Design' – which went to a personality for achievements in the design field – were presented annually. Since 2006, it has been called the 'Design Award of the Federal Republic of Germany' and is given for outstanding achievements in the fields of product and communication design, and to a personality in the design sector.