A prize that shapes the future

What really unites the world of contemporary Danish design is a deep respect for materials and people, which goes beyond the categories we are used to.

That is why the new Danish Design Award was launched without rigid reference categories, but selecting the projects based on five fundamental values: Do No Harm, Pursue Beauty, Lead the Way, Prove your Impact, and Solve problems worth solving.

Activated in 1965 with the ID Prize, the award was born from the collaboration between the DDC – Danish Design Center and the trade association Design Denmark.

The project at the center

Before telling you about the winners, it is important to underline two aspects of this award that no, is not one among many.

First of all, it is a recognition and not a commercial award: the aim is to establish a long-term agenda that inspires, raises awareness and encourages the use of design in companies and in all facets of society to do better.

Finally, but this last observation probably comes from our external and distant point of view (culturally as well as geographically) from Danish society: at the center of victory is never the person, but his idea.

During the award ceremony, in fact, the jurors who announced the winners did not call a name and surname, but declared the title given to the project.

The very last note of amazement: it was not a physical person, with a name and surname and role, not even the person presenting the ceremony, but a puppet created with AI, capable of demonstrating emotions and empathy, without ever adding a hint of ego.

Seven winners

Values ​​were therefore placed at the centre of the selection of the proposed projects and the jury, composed of several members from the international design community, selected the winners based on their ability to demonstrate how their idea can create positive change in the world.

Best of the Best

The award given to the solution that best embodies the five design values, was awarded to the project Marys, a concept for the hospital experience of the future developed in a close public-private collaboration between the Capital Region of Denmark, the Ole Kirk Foundation and Rigshospitalet. The jury's statement: “Marys sets a new benchmark, demonstrating how design can make healthcare more than a clinical experience: transformative, meaningful and human.”

Young Ideas

The winner is called VisiBIT and is, I might add, by Line Kloster Pedersen.

The idea is to revolutionize the asphalt industry by replacing bitumen, the fossil fuel-dependent binder currently used in asphalt production, with a fungal binder.

Several prototypes have already been tested and significant progress has been made towards achieving the brand's three primary goals: reducing energy consumption, reducing CO2 emissions and eliminating dependence on fossil fuels in the asphalt industry.

Caramma Support Bottle

It is the first bottle without air inside, designed to allow everyone to feed their baby in the most natural position. It promotes bonding with the heart and stimulates oxytocin, which reduces stress hormones in parents and children.

Gabriel LOOP

Textiles made from 100% recycled polyester from post-consumer and post-industrial materials, combining textile waste with recycled plastic bottles.

The Aalborg textile company has been researching sustainability since the 1980s and is completely carbon-free since 2019.

The jury on Gabriel LOOP: “The concept goes beyond its aesthetics: it represents a complete solution that addresses sustainability throughout the entire life cycle of the product. This commitment invites industrial partners and consumers to take part in reshaping the way resources are valued, used and reused.”

Living Places Copenhagen

A collaboration between Effekt Architects and Velux, the project was developed with the aim of demonstrating how an innovative approach to construction and buildings can help solve some of the world's climate and health challenges.

Living Places develops three prototypes of replicable housing units with a record low CO2 footprint and a first-class indoor climate, which can be built at a price that corresponds to the market price of a single-family home or terraced houses on a scale.

Luja (™)

It is the only compact intermittent catheter with Micro-hole Zone technology, for both men and women, designed to completely empty the bladder in a single free flow, reducing the risk of UTIs.

Unlike traditional models, which can cause flow interruptions and leave urine residue, Luja's innovative Micro-hole Zone technology, with more than 50 microholes for women and more than 80 for men, allows for complete bladder emptying without repositioning.

Molten Salt

The Molten Salt Energy Storage (MOSS) facility in Esbjerg, Denmark is the world’s first facility to store green electricity in molten hydroxide salts at temperatures of up to 700 degrees Celsius, making a significant contribution to the global energy transition, a highly compressed and efficient way to store energy from wind and solar.

By transforming green electricity into a storable form at high temperatures, MOSS advances energy storage technology and supports a more sustainable energy grid, making it a key component in the transition to cleaner energy solutions.