Danish Design Award: Innovative design solutions for a better tomorrow
As global challenges increasingly require innovative solutions, design continuously evolves to drive meaningful and lasting change. The Danish Design Award highlights how design can shape the future, from advancing technology to reimagining business models and building sustainable communities. By honouring projects that merge the Danish design tradition with fresh, inventive approaches, the award celebrates design’s power to create positive impact for both people and the planet.
“The Danish Design Award 2024 celebrates design as a powerful force shaping our daily lives, businesses, and society. By addressing relevant challenges and creating meaningful solutions, this year’s nominees exemplify how design can drive positive change and foster a more sustainable world with a high quality of life.”
Innovative design solutions for a better tomorrow
Design is rapidly progressing, shaped by critical environmental and societal challenges. As the focus on human and planetary well-being intensifies, design is increasingly acknowledged as a powerful tool for solving global issues such as sustainability and social equity. The Danish Design Award spotlights solutions that merge creativity with real-world impact. It celebrates experimentation with new materials, rethinking production methods, prioritisation of circular design principles, social inclusion and accessibility. By pushing the boundaries of what design can accomplish, the Award showcases how Danish design continues to address the complexities of today's world.
The Danish Design Award is led by DDC – Danish Design Center and Design denmark. They have developed five values as parameters in the judging process, placing design in a broader context by recognising the deeper purpose behind each project. Through these values – Do no harm, Pursue beauty, Lead the way, Prove your impact, and Solve problems worth solving – the Award aims to ask critical questions about the design itself: Does it come with the right intentions? The values encourage a thoughtful approach, reminding us that design is not just about solving problems today but about the pursuit of a sustainable and meaningful future that benefits both people and the planet. This is what the 25 shortlisted finalists showcase this year.
For instance, Luja Female and Male introduce a catheter with micro-hole technology that enhances comfort and reduces the risk of infections, improving both user experience and healthcare outcomes. Leap offers a plant-based leather alternative made from apple waste, providing an eco-friendly solution for the fashion industry. The Web Sustainability Index 1.0 shows that design is much more than physical products – it’s a tool that helps companies and users measure and reduce the carbon footprint of websites by analysing energy use and offering recommendations to promote a more sustainable internet, while MARYS and Living Places Copenhagen work with future-oriented concepts in architecture, rethinking community spaces, wellbeing, and sustainable living.
From healthcare and responsible fashion to digital innovation and environmental solutions, the nominees showcase the value of design across industries, underscoring Danish design’s commitment to addressing today’s local and global challenges with creativity and purpose.
“The Danish design tradition goes beyond function and form; it’s about crafting something with a timeless quality that remains meaningful. Rooted in simplicity, aesthetics, and purpose, this approach is what makes Danish design relevant throughout generations”.
Pushing boundaries while preserving the Danish design DNA
Danish design is recognised for its harmonious integration of form and function, blending timeless appeal with innovative solutions. As global demands for sustainability and adaptability grows, Danish design has risen to the challenge. A creative and innovative approach has been key to this transformation, driving forward-thinking ideas that push boundaries while honouring the core values and heritage of the Danish design DNA.
Over the years, the Danish Design Award has celebrated numerous innovative solutions that embody the core values of Danish design while innovating for the future:
🟠 The Danish design company VOLA won the Danish Design Award in both 1969 and 1995. VOLA’s iconic faucet, designed by Arne Jacobsen, reflects a vision of functionality and simplicity, blending tradition with creative innovation. Designed for repair rather than replacement by providing spare parts for every model produced, VOLA ensures durability while reducing environmental impact.
🟠 The Swan Kindergarten, designed by Danish architecture firm Lendager, won in 2022 and exemplifies sustainable design. Using upcycled materials reduces waste and environmental impact and transforms waste into building resources. Lendager’s work reflects a forward-thinking approach that pushes boundaries for circular economy within architecture.
🟠 Another Danish Design Award winner is Lapee, a female urinal, that redefines public sanitation at outdoor events. Designed with simplicity, functionality and a compact ergonomic form using recycled materials, it addresses the need for safe, hygienic facilities for women, making it a game-changer in inclusive industrial design.
These past winners exemplify the impact and progress of Danish design, highlighting the creativity and innovation that continue to inspire and remain relevant locally and globally. The Danish Design Award and this year’s 25 shortlisted solutions demonstrate how design pushes boundaries and shapes the future by balancing the Danish Design DNA with future-looking innovation.
Read more in the cases below or discover more about the 25 shortlisted here
The Danish Design Award is a collaboration between DDC – Danish Design Center and Design denmark. Creative Denmark is branding partner 2024.
