In recent years, the discussion on design industry has attained a high level of public attention in the world. The design industry has grown to be more than just an image factor; it is now perceived as an economic branch of its own standing, a permanently established growth industry. The design industry is part of a knowledge and content-oriented society and play a ground-breaking role in Germany’s way towards a knowledge-based economy.
The comparison of the new design indexes compiled by Designium with the situation in 2005 shows that Germany has taken the first place. Each of the three times, when these rankings have been made Germany has scored 6.1. In 2002 and 2005, Germany was third, but now the same score has lifted Germany to the top. The design competitiveness ranking above has seven indexes instead of five. The selected indexes measure the elements of competitiveness on a broader scale: the status of production processes, the effects of product design, marketing and after sales services on international competitiveness of export companies and their placement in the value chain.
Design has a long tradition in Germany. In 1907 the ‘Deutscher Werkbund’ was founded with the purpose of promoting the “refinement of working life through the combined influence of art, industry and the craft trades”. The ‘Bauhaus’, founded by Walter Gropius in 1919 and which existed until 1933, became world famous. The same is true of the ‘Ulm College of Design’, which was founded in 1953 by Inge Aicher-Scholl, Otl Aicher and Max Bill. While it initially followed in the footsteps of the Bauhaus, it soon pursued concepts of its own and set internationally acknowledged standards for design during the 15 years of its existence and strongly influenced many prominent designers.
For many years, the name Braun was closely linked, especially abroad, with the concept of German design, which combines functionality with complexity and technology. Braun design was largely defined by Dieter Rams.
The German Design Council was founded in 1953 by decision of the German Bundestag, to meet the growing needs of industry on design. Today, the world"s leading center for communication and knowledge interacts with other institutions worldwide. With competitions, exhibitions, conferences, consulting, research and publications, it opens new horizons for representatives of business and design disciplines. The German Design Council advises and supplies information in matters of design to trade and industry, cultural institutions as well as to the public. One of the focuses of its activities is presenting German design outside Germany. On behalf of the Federal Minister of Economics and Labor it awards the ‘Federal Prize for Product Design’ and on alternate years the ‘Federal Prize for Design Promotion’.
In addition to the German Design Council, there are a range of other design institutions in Germany. Among the most important are the ‘International Design Center’ (IDZ) in Berlin, the ‘designcenter’ in Stuttgart, and the Essen-based ‘Design Zentrum Nordrhein-Westfalen’.