From Ecology to Infrastructure
Different Scales. Different Contexts. One Shared Mindset for the Next Generation
Spotlighting the award-winning Next Gen projects at the Red Dot Award: Design Concept by designers below the age of 30, these projects reflect the diversity of ideas, formats, and approaches explored by emerging designers. What if emerging designers approached challenges at vastly different scales and in diverse contexts, yet with one shared forward-looking mindset? Different scales. Different contexts. One shared mindset for the next generation.
Spunch - A Minimalist Paper Crimper And Punch
Spunch redefines office stationery through a minimalist, dual-function tool that combines precise crimping and clean punching in one safe, staple-free device. Designed by Amit Kumar and Aatman Shah (with faculty advisor Prof. Purba Joshi at IDC, IIT Bombay) in India, this Next Gen Project is a Red Dot winner in the Office Supplies and Stationery category. The project combines a unique pivot mechanism for smooth performance with a flat form that doubles as a paperweight, promoting simplicity, safety, and everyday practicality.
The Audion
The Audion sees the smartphone as an AI-controlled companion that reduces digital distractions and counteracts procrastination. Designed by Nipun Saxena (India) and Thomas Nelson-Smith (Italy), this Next Gen project is a Red Dot: Best of the Best winner in the Smart Phones, Tablets and Wearable Technology category, and is also a nominee for the Red Dot: Peter Zec Prize 2025. The project combines context-aware conversational AI with a compact, screen-free design to foster intentional technology use, clarity, focus, and a more balanced relationship with digital devices.
By starting the video, you agree that data, e.g. your IP address, will be sent to Vimeo. vimeo.com/privacy
The Fruit of My Woman
The Fruit of My Woman takes title sequence design to the next level by using photorealistic images that visualise a woman’s emotional transformation into a plant. Created by Xinyue Gu at SCAD Savannah College of Art and Design in the United States, this Next Gen project is a Red Dot winner in the Visual Communications category. By combining striking imagery, the project explores themes such as emotional erosion and loss of identity and serves as a powerful narrative tool for film and media.
By starting the video, you agree that data, e.g. your IP address, will be sent to Vimeo. vimeo.com/privacy
Project XYLO
Project XYLO opens up new avenues for music production with portable, playful MIDI devices that significantly lower the barriers to entry for composing. Designed by Kevin Yang in Austria, this concept is a Red Dot winner in the Musical Instruments and Sound Technology category. It combines harmonic and rhythmic consonance with the nostalgia of cassette tapes, enabling intuitive beatmaking on the go, the exchange of individual sounds and tracks, and collaborative, playful musical experiences.
Porsche 619 Electric Motorcycle
The Porsche 619 electric motorcycle reinterprets mobility on two wheels and features a minimalist, consistently race track-oriented design that is influenced by Porsche's motorsport DNA. Designed by Peiheng Zhang in the United States, this concept is a Red Dot winner in the Cars and Motorcycles category. Twin in-wheel motors provide instant torque, while additively manufactured alloy wheels offer optimised strength and precise handling. A 20 kWh battery enables a range of 150 miles and combines emission-free performance with a dynamic, adrenaline-fuelled driving experience.
Inspiring the Next Wave
These Next Gen concepts reveal the breadth of imagination emerging designers are bringing to the table, spanning vastly different scales, contexts, and disciplines. They show how young creators are reinterpreting familiar categories with originality, purpose, and fresh vision. How might your next concept shape the future of design?
Ideas that shape the future: Red Dot Award: Design Concept 2026
The Red Dot Award: Design Concept is aimed at visionary designers who develop answers to tomorrow’s challenges with bold ideas and forward-looking concepts. Submissions at regular registration period are possible until 18 March 2026, with the late registration period running until 29 April 2026. Now is the right time to submit innovative concepts, highlight new perspectives and actively participate in shaping the world of tomorrow.
