Rimowa Design Prize 2024 spotlights emerging German design excellence

The Rimowa Design Prize 2024 was announced in Berlin on 29 April, with Anhalt University's Janne Kreimer was announced as the winner for her innovative RO waistcoat. Kreimer was mentored by designer Andreas Murkudis, and received €20.000 as part of the prize. 

Rimowa began hosting its design prize last year, with the aspiration of nurturing the growth of Germany’s design talent and spotlighting voices that have the potential to shape how we live in the future. Offering prestigious mentorship to the first round of applicants, the contest provides designers with crucial networking opportunities, infrastructural support such as working facilities, and remuneration for its seven esteemed finalists. The contest has also awarded special mention to Daniela Lindenberga with €10,000, whilst the five other finalists have received €5,000 each.

Rimowa Design Prize 2024 winner

Kreimer's RO waistcoat combines technology with exposure therapy to address anxiety: 'Integrating acupressure meridians and Deep Pressure Stimulation, the waistcoat offers a holistic approach to anxiety management, activating the parasympathetic nervous system for a calming effect,' reads a note from Rimowa announcing the winner. 

The prize's special mention went to Daniela Lindenberga, from SRH Berlin University of Applied Sciences, who was mentored by Sebastian Herkner. Her project IXO was created as a response to hate crimes in Germany. 'The design is a wearable safety device featuring essential tools like a flashlight, camera, microphone, speaker, and GPS tracker, designed to enhance user safety while travelling,' reads a statement on the project. 

Rimowa Design Prize 2024: exploring mobility

Before reaching its final stage, the brand’s sophomore design prize saw twenty-one semi-finalists take part in a contest that began at the start of 2024, matching some of Germany’s brightest up and coming designers with a selection of judges and mentors, all aimed at tackling this year’s theme of mobility. 

Design students from across the country were encouraged to explore the topic however they saw fit, so long as the final products conformed to Rimowa’s own standards for resilience, excellence, and high quality. Alongside an emphasis on creativity, contestants were encouraged to consider the global nature of their work, taking into account the inclusivity of their practice, their final products’ sustainability, and to foster designs that speak to providing mobility for all.

Not only are these qualities abundant in Kreimer's work, but throughout the finalists’ collective designs. A testament to the prize’s drive toward innovation, and the importance of encouraging flexible and experimental thinking during the design process, the contest has brought a plethora of unique ideas to the fore. 

From Fengfan Yang’s unconventional interpretation of how table design can be adapted to public spaces in ‘Hang On’, to Angelicka Barbie and Sarah Eckerlein’s conception of a head mesh that measures the neurological activity of those living with epilepsy in ‘Epilepsense’, the array of new ideas on display is staggering. Rimowa’s most recent prize has been as much a celebration of the latest in German design as that of the individual creatives involved. 

rimowadesignprize.com