The German Design Council (German: ''
Rat für Formgebung'') is a
non-profit organisation
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
with the aim of representing the interests of German companies focussed on
design
A design is a plan or specification for the construction of an object or system or for the implementation of an activity or process or the result of that plan or specification in the form of a prototype, product, or process. The verb ''to design'' ...
. The
foundation has more than 300 members today in industry, design, associations and institutions.
History
The German Design Council was founded in the wake of the harsh criticism of the presentation of German products from the post-war period at the New York export trade show in 1949. In accordance with a motion of the
Social Democratic Party
The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology.
Active parties
Fo ...
(SPD), the
German Bundestag
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
decided to create an independent council for design development''.'' This council was founded in 1953 as the '' in the form of a
nonprofit foundation with the explicit task of supporting German industry in developing design as an economic and cultural factor. Since then, the Council has carried out its duties by organising exhibitions, competitions and conferences, producing publications and providing strategic consulting. The
logo
A logo (abbreviation of logotype; ) is a graphic mark, emblem, or symbol used to aid and promote public identification and recognition. It may be of an abstract or figurative design or include the text of the name it represents as in a wordm ...
of the German Design Council was created in 1960 by the
graphic designer
Anton Stankowski (1906–1998). The German Design Council pursues a design approach focussed on creating cultural and economic values. As formulated in the foundation resolution of the German Bundestag, the meeting of the foundation members functions as a platform for the communication of everyone involved in the design process.
Activities (selection)
* From 1969 to 2001: ''
Gute Form (Good Design)'', presented on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economics
* From 2002 to 2012: ''Designpreis der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (
German Design Award)'', presented on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economics
* Since 2012: ''German Design Awards''
* Since 2013: ''Iconic Awards''
* Since 2016: ''German Brand Awards''
* Since 2009: ''German Brand and Design Congress''
*Library
References
Further reading
*
*
*
External links
Official WebsiteGerman Design Council Library
{{Authority control
German design
Foundations based in Germany
1953 establishments in Germany