Future Design Embassy at Folkwang

Alina Rogge studies Art- and Design Studies at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen. Currently she is working on her master thesis, where she deals with the design ethos of the Vignellis and its relevance for today’s society. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Anglophone Studies and Art Studies at the University of Duisburg-Essen. 

Alina worked at the museum Kunstpalast in Düsseldorf as an intern at the exhibition management department. During her internship as a project manager at the International Design Center Berlin she was involved in various projects, like Otl Aicher 100 and the German Ecodesign Award.

In June 2022 selected parts of her academic paper „Design is One. The design culture of the Vignellis“ were exhibited at the Salone Satellite in Milan.

Celina Kroder is an industrial design master's student at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen and designs various everyday objects. Celina deals particularly intensively with light in her work. In her process, she examines the influence light can have on the environment and people.

Her personal goal in design is to create a lasting emotional connection through dealing with the object and to spread awareness for certain social topics.
Her work often emerges from a philosophical perspective, through which she communicates that ethics and aesthetics share a common semantic root.

Her work on the all-round sustainable and mindful handling of everyday objects was awarded 1st prize for sustainability by the consumer advice center NRW in 2017 (Fruitwall - storage system for fruit and vegetables), nominated for the Bolia Design Award in 2021 (ring - tableware set), presented at the Salone Satellite of the Milan furniture fair in 2022 (Finestra - interactive room divider) and nominated for the German Design Award 2022. She was also awarded the Folkwang Prize for unique creative and scientific achievements in 2022.

Karen Druebert has been studying in the Master's program in Art and Design Studies at Folkwang University of the Arts since 2018. Her academic focus is on architecture and design history, taking an interdisciplinary perspective through social sciences.
In her master's thesis, she addresses the question of how designing urban living spaces let our society become more open. For her, design should always be creating rather than subjugating. If we want to live in an open and free society, design should be a reflection of this way of life.

For the project FUTURE DESIGN PERSPECTIVES - International Ambassadors she is taking care of public relations, social media and networking.

Lilli Seiler is studying in the recent master program "Design Futures" at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen, Germany. She also completed her Bachelor's degree in Industrial Design at Folkwang University in 2022.
Her work deals with the development and design of functional everyday objects. The goal is always to put the user and viewer and their requirements in the foreground and to develop concepts and products based on them and to design them aesthetically.
One of her works (LoPu) has already won the 1&20 Award, with which she was able to exhibit in Milan in 2022.
Currently she works as a tutor for the basics in the course "Productdesign" with focus on form and context, where she supports the students with her own experiences and competences.
She is also one of the "Design Future Ambassadors" to broaden her perspectives in an international context through cultural and professional exchange with design students from other countries.

Carl Vollmer is also studying in the recent master programme "Design Futures" at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen, Germany. He completed his Bachelor's degree in Industrial Design at Folkwang University in 2022. In his work he focuses on furniture, interior products and everyday objects. He tries to question processes and conditions and to achieve new levels of innovation.