Smart and simple but moving

Life-changing circumstances lead to a new design vision: high-quality and durable designs, as well as intelligent features, dominate. The ICONIC AWARDS: Innovative Interior, presented by the German Design Council, are considered the trend barometer for the furnishing industry and developments in interior design. This year's winners' products show how designers are responding to new needs.

Reliability, quality, flexibility and simplicity - the design focus in 2022 is particularly on products that fulfill a new demand for the utility value of appliances, furniture and interior design:

In recent years, many lifestyles have shifted to digital offerings such as video conferencing, online delivery services or streaming services. Industrial and product design as well as furnishings are also getting progressively smart. Through the use of sensors or remote control via apps, electronic services, internet-based programs and real-time control via cloud computing, social distancing measures can be adhered to and infection risks minimized. Touchless controls and active cleaning of the environment around us promote hygiene and well-being - more than that, they are becoming a basic requirement for social interaction.

Where social uncertainties prevail, homes now fulfill their function of reliability. This also changes the way objects are designed: Instead of poppy colors, playful looks and lavish materials, designers choose a reduction to the essentials through a clear design language and cool, muted colors. Rather than exuberant gestures, a sense of understatement is the order of the day; instead of a postmodern ‘anything goes’, there is a return to the design values of classic modernism: a back to Bauhaus.

At the same time, the demands for mobility and thus flexibility have increased in recent years. The world of work is dominated by new structures such as remote work and home offices, which have brought about a change in adaptability. What used to be an avant-garde of digital nomads has now established itself as a lifestyle in large parts of the population. In the home office, the dining table becomes the work table during the day, and the living room becomes the children's room. This trend, fed by several developments in recent years, means that design objects are also taking on a more hybrid character: Functions are combined, stationary becomes transportable, assembly and disassembly is faster and easier. The design of the objects becomes more universal and thus adapts to different contexts.

In addition, material innovation is a key driver of design: it can overcome familiar boundaries, provoke the emergence of new forms and objects, minimize carbon emissions, and thus can contribute to mitigating the climate crisis. In this way, new material developments and technical components provide previously unheard-of design solutions: They serve a reduction in resource consumption, flexible expandability or simplified repair. The reduction of carbon emissions and separation by type for subsequent recyclability are decisive criteria for environmentally compatible design. Thus, the designs clearly address the increased need for more individuality and sustainability.

To see more winners, visit the ICONIC AWARDS 2022: Innovative Interior website. Discover the interior design trends here.

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