Sustainability at the iF DESIGN AWARD: Commitment to Impact through design
Sustainability was and is a core component at iF Design, reflecting our ever deeply held belief that “as designers, we have a responsibility to make the world a better place”, as stated by iconic industrial designer Dieter Rams when he received iF Design’s first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award.
To ensure this responsibility and to honor the design studios, brands and manufacturers entering the annual iF DESIGN AWARD who are innovating for an even better future, we have taken three steps to strengthen sustainability as a core principle of the iF DESIGN AWARD: Starting 2025, sustainability will make up one fifth of the judging criteria in all 82 categories, we have established a Sustainability Working Group to help integrate core elements of environmental and social impact into the jury, and Lisa Gralnek has been appointed as iF Design Global Head of Sustainability and Impact.
Uwe Cremering, CEO, iF International Forum Design GmbH
"Our goal is to fully integrate principles of environmental stewardship and social equity into the core evaluation criteria of the iF DESIGN AWARD as part of a multi-year journey to help determine the true social and environmental impact of our participants' projects."
The Sustainability Criteria
Starting with the iF DESIGN AWARD 2025, sustainability will be a crucial component of the overall evaluation process. It will now be a key judging criterion across all nine disciplines and 82 categories and evaluated alongside Idea, Form, Function and Differentiation. The iF DESIGN AWARD has replaced the former criteria 'Impact' with Sustainability. This new category focuses on social and environmental factors and reflects the organisation's commitment to excellence and impact in design.
To ensure this, all participants must answer three questions via multiple choice before entering the iF DESIGN AWARD 2025, adapted to discipline- and category-specific features. For the biggest discipline 'Product', this would be:
What sustainable design strategies are incorporated into the design of this product?
How did you design this product/c to promote inclusivity, accessibility, and affordability for all users?
Which design decisions did you take to encourage more sustainable user behavior?
Which design decisions were made to prioritize lower energy consumption and reduced resource use during daily operations? (Architecture)
This process was developed by iF Design's new Sustainable Development Group (SWG), who helped to prioritise topics and define specific questions. Our interdisciplinary experts will also play a key role in the decision making process for the iF DESIGN AWARD 2025: They will provide proactive and consultative feedback to support the jurors in their decisions in the two-stage jury process - from the pre-selection to the iF Final Jury in Hamburg in February.
Sustainability Working Group
Diana Verde Nieto
Founder & Former CEO at Positive Luxury and Clownfish
“I'm proud and honored to be an Expert for the iF DESIGN AWARD, where innovation, sustainability, creativity, and impactful design come together to shape a better future.”
Joe Brown
Founder, Publisher & Editor at one5c; former Editor in Chief at Popular Science
“Encouraging sustainable design empowers consumers to make sustainable choices – and the more of those they have, the better off we'll all be.”
Kenny Arnold
Senior Manager, Service Design, Design Activation Team at Ellen MacArthur Foundation USA
“Design's impact goes beyond form and function. Whether eliminating waste, circulating materials, or regenerating nature, design has a crucial role in creating anything. This is why it is critical to raise the standards for what good design means today and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation is happy to help.”
Michael Lanz
Partner at Vagabund Moto, IF DESIGN AWARD Jury Chairperson, Former Managing Partner of designaffairs, Accenture Alumni
“I’m proud and honored to work alongside a talented team of experts on one of today’s most critical missions: advancing sustainability within our industry.”
Richard Trigg
Design Partner at Tangent
"Our aim is to guide the industry beyond designing solely for form and function, encouraging a mindset where every design decision considers the planet. Even small, intentional changes can reduce our collective carbon footprint."
Steve Alagna
Senior Sustainability Packaging Engineer, Worldwide Packaging Engineering at Dell Technologies
“I am truly excited and proud to be a part of the iF Design SWG to contribute my expertise and working with like-minded people to drive a consistent point of view on good design and sustainability awareness and practices that will ultimately reduce environmental impact.”
Teun Van Wetten
Design Director & Head of Sustainability at Accenture Industrial Design
“It is a true honor to support iF Design in its sustainability journey. I am thankful to be given the opportunity to work alongside other talented experts to create positive impact at scale. Afterall, design done right, has the power to do good.”
To be announced
Lisa Gralnek, Global Head of Sustainability and Impact
With over 15 years of experience working in social and environmental topics across a range of industries and geographies, Lisa’s expertise has been instrumental in implementing these changes at iF Design and helping shepherd what iF Design believes will be a new and better design future. “We no longer live in a world where we can relegate sustainable design to its own category, and evaluate it separately,” says Lisa Gralnek. “Great design - be it a product, packaging, platform, place, or policy - should be sustainable. I believe in the power of design to push our world forward, and if we as one of the world’s largest and most prestigious design awards won’t take this step, who will?”
Contact: sustainability@ifdesign.com