Iconic Awards 2022: The trend barometer for sustainable interior

In 2022, the German Design Council will continue to promote and honor new solutions and sustainable design with its Iconic Awards: Innovative Interior

iconic awards
© German Design Council | Iconic Awards: Innovative Interior

Author: House of Eden

Every year the German Design Council, Germany's leading competence center for design, organises the ICONIC AWARDS: Innovative Interior . The aim is to highlight pioneering designers and companies as representatives of the current zeitgeist and to promote sustainability and innovation through design. Within the industry, awards are a yardstick for trends and performance.

Iconic Awards: Trend barometer for future-oriented solutions

Every product in the furnishing industry has a chance to win an award. As long as it's outstanding. So all categories of interior design are taken into account: bathroom and wellness, office and workplace, kitchen and household, lights, furniture and accessories for indoor and outdoor, textiles and also walls, floors or ceilings. For the Iconic Awards 2022, however, particular attention is paid to two new special categories. The "Sustainable Solution of the Year" and the honorary award "Innovation of the Year".

Special awards: applause for sustainability and innovation

The special award "Sustainable Solution of the Year" honors a project that encounters the social buzzword of our time: sustainability. The focus of the independent jury is clearly on a holistically sustainable strategy. From the product idea, along the entire value chain, to the finished product.

According to Lutz Dietzold, CEO of the German Design Council, designers are important initiators who are obliged to develop better quality products and to encourage companies to invest in sustainability and circularity. And since sustainability messages secure long-term corporate success and competitive advantages, it is also in the company's interest to act with foresight and to anticipate regulations on environmental protection at early stage. Win win.

"Innovation of the Year" is to be awarded to a product that impresses with a new type of solution. Through smart processes, production techniques or business models. This makes the award particularly interesting for the new generation of young designers, who are aiming to become the engines of change.

Success at the interface of nature and technology

These special awards underline a clear trend: the interior industry is increasingly turning towards sustainability and innovation. While diversity is absolutely desirable in the product range, it is about creating great things under the uncompromising claim of environmental protection as well as individual solutions. Perhaps even to promote one trend topic through the other: For example, more sustainable production through innovative green tech.

The fact that sustainability is moving more and more from niche to mainstream is primarily due to a new mentality, that sees conscious consumption as a statement for a better lifestyle. Consumers demand environmentally friendly products and transparent communication. Which in short means that sustainability is the most important megatrend or better say movement of our time and has advanced to become a lucrative economic factor too.

What can the Iconic Awards mean for designers?

For the entire interior industry and in particular for participants in the Iconic Awards, this development means that future perspectives must be designed, sustainability integrated into the company's DNA and commitments communicated transparently. It is therefore important to find answers to current challenges: e.g. by conserving resources, researching innovative material alternatives and minimising waste and emissions.

Those who face these challenges and are also able to master them ultimately, receive much more than an award. The ICONIC AWARDS: Innovative Interior provides a unique platform that, as a strategic communication tool, can increase attention, reach and awareness and thus the brand value. Designers who are interested in exactly this can still register for the Iconic Awards 29 until October 2021, 2022. Sign up here.

Experience creates inspiration: Recap Iconic Awards 2021

Anyone looking for ideas for new design concepts - whether on the consumer or company side - can be inspired by the Iconic Awards winners 2021. For example, the RUM chair by Wehlers made of recycled ocean plastic has won the Best of Best Award in the furniture category. Scandinavian minimalist and sustainable.

sustainable chair

© Mette Johnson, Design Council

Decided in terms of building equipment Wallstoxx "One Piece Wallcover" has won the Best of Best Award for itself. As a market novelty, it is a one-piece wallpaper that is tailor-made at the customer's request. It can be washed, is therefore reusable and is also made of 2% recycled materials.

iconic awards

© German Design Council

Secretair Home is a compact home workspace and has won an award in the furniture category. And not only because of recent home offices development, due to COVID-19. In the name of sustainability, Secretair Home is made of recyclable PET material with a wireless charging plug-in as an innovative gadget.

iconic award

© German Design Council

Best of Best in the bathroom category made a clear statement of willingness to innovate. A smart hand shower from Hansa Armaturen. The shower head has an integrated display, which shows how much energy has been consumed influencing the individual CO2 footprint. The goal: to encourage a conscious use of resources and a sustainable lifestyle. Last, but not least, the shower generates the electricity it needs.

iconic award

© Hansa Armaturen; German Design Council

What's Next?

It is particularly significant that all winners of the Iconic Awards were honored on the basis of their sustainable and innovative commitments as early as 2021. Be it a smart solution to generate more awareness for waste or emissions or a recyclable wallpaper as a trend-setting invention against the throw-away mentality. Exciting to see which innovations will win the Award 2022, while one thing is certain: there will be impetus for positive change.

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