Niels Schrader

Niels Schrader is a concept-driven information designer with a fascination for numbers and data. He is the founder of the Amsterdam-based design studio Mind Design, member of the Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI) and, together with Ramon Amaro and Sheena Calvert, co-founder of the Queer Computing Consortium (QCC). He graduated with a degree in communication design from the University of Applied Sciences in Düsseldorf and completed his academic studies with the master’s programme in design at the Sandberg Institute in Amsterdam. In addition to his design practice, Niels Schrader has lectured at various academies and universities in and outside of Europe. Together with Roosje Klap, he is head of the graphic design department and Non-Linear Narrative master programme at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague.

Red Dot: What big app developments are you expecting to see in the next few years?
Niels Schrader: One of the most significant developments will probably be the introduction of the 5G standard. It will expand mobile data transfer capacities and so provide the basis for new types of smartphone apps. In addition, the embedding of artificial intelligence and machine learning is likely to increase.

What makes your work as a jury member special?
One of the most appealing aspects of jury work is, of course, to witness what inspires a new generation of designers; to see how young people deal with important social issues and integrate that into their design work. In that sense, the Red Dot: Junior Prize is, to my mind, the most important award of the competition.