VDID Newcomer Award 2025: Success for Three Produktdesign (Product Design) Final Projects
Huge success for Produktdesign (Product Design) at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar: Three final projects from the Faculty of Art and Design made it onto the prestigious VDID Newcomer Awards’ shortlist and one of the projects was awarded one of the top three prizes. Felix Stockhausen was honoured for his »Velocity« mobility concept, which redefines getting on and off trains with a bicycle.
Felix Stockhausen’s »Velocity« proposes a solution for future S-Bahn transportation: a bicycle compartment outfitted with a system that allows bicycles to be loaded and unloaded simultaneously - even during short stops. »I designed an optimised bicycle compartment that makes efficient loading and unloading possible, even during short stops, thanks to separate entrances and exits«, explains the product designer. »A designed floor area, clear routing, and a dedicated guidance system ensure smooth operation, especially during rush hours.« »The design centres around a functional wall with soft, conical-shaped supports that meet the dynamic requirements of a suburban rail system both in a functional and an aesthetic sense. It allows for flexible, nearly stair-less parking, prevents the bicycles from blocking one another, and offers secure support.«
The concept illustrates how bicycles can be seamlessly integrated into public transport systems. Stockhausen received the VDID Newcomer Award 2025 for his design after having been recognised with the Mia Seeger Preis 2024.
Contact:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/felix_stockhausen
Pascal Stappen – »Avito«
Pascal Stappen, Produktdesign (Product Design) graduate, also made it onto the shortlist with his »Avito« Bachelor's final project. »Avito« is a modular bird station designed for day care centres and primary schools. It acts as a feeding, drinking, and cleaning station and invites children to actively experience the bird world.
The project sensitises young people to the consequences of climate change, including changes in the food supply and the loss of habitats. The station is accompanied by an educational book and interactive planner.
With this interdisciplinary approach, which takes into consideration the needs of children and birds, Stappen adopts an interspecies design based on observations, interviews, and tests. He has already received the iF Design Student Award 2025 in the Quality Education category for this idea.
Contact:
E-mail: pascalstappen[at]gmail.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/pascal.stappen
Linus Enzmann und Julian Linden – »Neue Form: Rinde«
Linus Enzmann and Julian Linden explore the potential of tree bark as a sustainable material with their project »Neue Form: Rinde« (New Shape: Bark). Together for the Max-Planck-Institut für Kolloid- und Grenzflächenforschung, they compress bark without binders using a hot pressing process and then machine it precisely with CNC technology. Computed tomography scans analyse the material structure and enable targeted improvements. Their goal? To identify bark as a valuable raw material in product design and highlight its aesthetic and functional qualities. A piece of seating furniture is a visual example and demonstrates stability, modularity, and design versatility. The interdisciplinary exchange between design and science results in an innovative, sustainable material that reveals new potential for previously underused leftover materials and contributes to the circular economy. Enzmann and Linden impressed the jury with their approach, making it onto the shortlist for the VDID Newcomer Award 2025.
Contact:
Julian Linden: www.instagram.com/julianlinden
Linus Enzmann: www.instagram.com/linusenz
»Labor für Elementares«: www.instagram.com/labor_fuer_elementares
About the Award:
The VDID Newcomer Award recognises outstanding final theses and student projects in product design and industrial design. It provides a platform for young designers to present their ideas to a broad audience. This year, 10 projects were shortlisted from over 120 submissions. Further information: www. vdid. de
The »Velocity« Bachelor's thesis was supervised by Andreas Mühlenberend, Professor of Industrial Design at the Faculty of Art and Design, and by practical, industry partner Dr. Andreas Karguth, engineer and robotics specialist at GentleRobotics. »Avito« was supervised by Gerrit Babtist, Professor of Design and Management, and Almut Nowack. Linus Enzmann and Julian Linden were supervised by Dr. Thomas Pearce, Junior Professor of Emerging Technologies and Design, Dr. Michael Braun, and Dr. Charlett Wenig. The project was a collaboration with the Max-Planck-Institute of Colloid and Interfaces and was supported by Jordan GmbH.