Produktdesign (Product Design) Graduate Named »Newcomer of the Year« at the 2026 German Design Awards
Marie Kurstjens has won the 2026 German Design Award in the »Newcomer of the Year« category. The award is accompanied with 15,000 euros in prize money. The jury commended her understanding of design as a collaborative process for solving social and humanitarian challenges. She received the award for her Bachelor's thesis »COOK/ABILITY« at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar and her Master's thesis »Designing Dignity« at the Universität der Künste Berlin.
Her Bachelor's thesis »COOK/ABILITY« examines how to help people with severe motor impairments to cook independently. The project is aimed at individuals with quadriplegia, meaning all four of their limbs are paralysed. Those who cannot hold or wield a kitchen knife or spoon safely often need assistance when it comes to preparing meals. Everyday kitchen tasks are a challenge for those affected.
»COOK/ABILITY« aims to alleviate this problem through a holistic approach that combines products, services, and digital applications. The heart of the project is a fully customisable handle that can be adapted to various physical conditions and can be combined with an extensive product range of kitchen tools. The team worked closely together with the target group and other experts throughout the entire process. This meant that users actively co-designed the system, and their experience and feedback were directly incorporated into the product’s development. This is a departure from the typical principle: Usually it’s the individual who adapts to the product, but in this case, it’s the other way around.
The handle system is supplemented by a digital service that simplifies access to customized assistive devices. Users select an appropriate package using an app and receive an impression kit at home. They then send the impression kit back and it is digitally captured and used as the basis for the custom-fit shape of the handle. The result is a custom-made assistive device that is delivered directly to the user together with the requested kitchen tools.
The app also serves as a service communication tool and offers users support with customising the handle, choosing tools, and making adjustments. »COOK/ABILITY« understands design as a collaborative process that enables concrete participation in everyday life.
»The 2026 German Design Award for Newcomer of the Year means a lot to me«, says Marie Kurstjens. »It has made social design more visible and creates more space for topics such as participation and designing with people rather than for people. I hope that this award will bring attention to social design and bring communities, institutions, and decision-makers together so that more projects can be developed to specifically help and empower people in their everyday lives.«
In addition to »COOK/ABILITY«, Marie Kurstjens’ Master's thesis »Designing Dignity«, which addresses menstrual justice, was also honoured at the Awards. Further information on both works can be found on the German Design Awards webpage in an interview with Marie Kurstjens: www.german-design-award.com/news/detail/marie-kurstjens
We wish to congratulate Marie Kurstjens on this outstanding award and share in celebrating her exceptional success!
The Bachelor's thesis was supervised by Gerrit Babtist, Professorship of Design and Management, and former artistic staff member Almut Nowack.
About the German Design Awards
The German Design Awards are presented annually by the German Design Council. The Awards are one of the most renowned international awards for outstanding design. It honours innovative contributions that combine design, functionality, as well as social and economic relevance. The Newcomer of the Year category recognises up and coming talent who are setting trends in the design community with their projects. The competition provides winners with an important platform for gaining visibility in the international design scene.