Designing the Future. For Everyone.

On tuesday, September15th, the jury of the Hessian State Prize for Universal Design (HSUD) came together at Goethe University Frankfurt to review and discuss the outstanding submissions for this year’s competition. At the heart of the award is a simple yet powerful idea: Universal Design is democratic and empathetic. It means designing for the greatest possible number of people, creating solutions that serve people equally and enabling participation for all.

Recognising the importance of this shared responsibility, the Hessian Ministry of Finance, the Hessian Ministry for Labour, Integration, Youth and Social Affairs, and the Hessian Ministry for Economic Affairs, Energy, Transport, Housing and Rural Areas have jointly presented the Hessian State Prize for Universal Design every two years since 2013. The patron of the award is Boris Rhein, Minister-President of Hesse.

HSUD Jury, 2026.

The competition reaches beyond individual product groups, design disciplines or industries. Submissions come from a wide range of fields, including architecture and interior design, bathrooms and wellness, health and care, household and kitchen, lifestyle and fashion, working environments, accessible IT, leisure and sport, furniture and accessories, entertainment, as well as transport and public space. What connects these diverse fields is the ambition to develop forward-looking solutions that rethink inclusion and demonstrate the potential of Universal Design to create a more inclusive future.

The jury brought together expertise from design, research, politics, administration, business and the lived experience of disability. This year’s jury includes product designer and social design specialist Lola Behrens; Prof. Dr. Tom Bieling, Professor of Design Theory at the Offenbach University of Art and Design; Winfried Kron, Head of the department responsible for the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Hessian Equal Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities Act; Rolf Krämer, Head of Start-ups, Cultural and Creative Industries at the Hessian Ministry for Economic Affairs, Energy, Transport, Housing and Rural Areas; product designer and ecodesign expert Nicola Stattmann; Sophia von den Driesch, Head of the department responsible for university construction, building culture and Universal Design at the Hessian Ministry of Finance; Andreas Winkel, Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities in Hesse; Prof. Dr. Bettina Bretländer, Professor of Disability and Inclusion at Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences, and Sabine Lohner, who has long been involved in the representation of employees with severe disabilities at Hessischer Rundfunk and in promoting inclusion, accessibility and Braille. The jury was guided through the day by Lutz Dietzold, Miriam Höpfner and Monika Benz.

Jury at Work.

A particular focus of the jury was on the future potential of the submitted projects. The clearer a submission demonstrated how a project can help rethink inclusion and contribute to an inclusive living environment, the better the jury would assess its significance within the broader vision of Universal Design.

The award also places a special emphasis on the next generation of designers. Award-winning students will have the opportunity to participate in a mentoring programme in cooperation with Hessen Design e.V., receiving individual coaching and guidance from experts in areas such as strategic brand development, positioning, design management, industrial design, research, user experience, materials and technology, realisation and sustainability. The aim is to support young design talents in developing their projects further and preparing them for their professional careers. The winners of the Young Talent Award will additionally receive a total of €7,000 in prize money.

Tom Bieling, HSUD Jury.

The jury’s work marks another important step towards the Hessian State Prize for Universal Design 2026. The award ceremony will take place on 13 November 2026 in Frankfurt am Main as part of the Policy Days, in the special context of Hessen’s 80th anniversary and World Design Capital 2026.