Why the iF Design Award Was Born in Hanover: The Origins of One of the World's Largest Design Awards

Every spring, the northern German city of Hanover transforms into a hub where industrialists and designers from around the world gather. From this city, home to one of the world's largest industrial trade fairs, "Hannover Messe," a design award was born in 1953. This was the predecessor of the "iF Design Award." Today, with approximately 11,000 entries from 66 countries worldwide each year, the international design award's origins are rooted in the urgent industrial challenges Germany faced after World War II.

From Rubble to Export Industry: Post-War Germany and the Imperative of Design

1953 was just eight years after the end of World War II. Germany had regained its independence from occupation, and industrial reconstruction was an urgent priority. In Hanover, a trade fair ground selected by the British occupation forces in 1947 as a center for industrial recovery served as the focal point for post-war German economic activity.
The issues were "quality" and "design." Since the 19th century, German products had been plagued by an image of "poor quality." As mentioned in another article, "Made in Germany" once functioned as a warning label. Even during the post-war recovery, the understanding spread throughout the industry that for German products to be competitive in the global market, they needed not only technology but also "aesthetics" and "usability."
This movement was spearheaded by Philipp Rosenthal, the CEO of the porcelain manufacturer Rosenthal. Believed to have a strong conviction in the integration of culture and industry, he approached the Federation of German Industries (BDI) and Hannover Messe GmbH to organize a "Special Exhibition of Well-Designed Industrial Products (Sonderschau formgerechter Industrieerzeugnisse)" within the Hannover Messe venue in 1953. This is considered the origin of the iF Award.

"Die gute Industrieform" – The Idea of Good Industrial Form

Following the success of the special exhibition, "Die gute Industrieform e.V. (Association for Good Industrial Form)" was established in the same year. The term "gute" (good) in its name is said to have encompassed not only beauty but also functional correctness and honesty towards the user. This idea is directly connected to the "form follows function" principle pursued by Bauhaus and the Ulm School of Design.
From 1954 onwards, annual judging officially began, establishing it as an award for selecting outstanding industrial products. From the outset, judging was conducted by independent experts, and this commitment to independent judgment from companies formed the basis of the award's credibility.
In the 1980s, the organization's self-perception shifted to that of a "forum (place for dialogue)," and in 1990, its name was changed to "Industrie Forum Design Hannover." The abbreviation of this name is "iF." Later, in 2001, it was organized as a GmbH (limited liability company), and in 2018, the non-profit "iF Design Foundation" took over its operation as the sole shareholder. Although its name and organizational structure have changed, the spirit of 1953 – a place connecting industry and design – is said to remain unchanged.

Resonance with Hannover Messe – Proof of Marketable Design

It is no coincidence that the iF Award was born in Hanover. Hannover Messe is a "B2B (business-to-business)" trade fair focusing on industrial machinery, electrical engineering, and information technology. The attendees are not consumers, but buyers, engineers, and business leaders.
The birth of a design award in such a setting fundamentally defines the character of the iF Award. It's not about "design as art" evaluated in a museum, but about evaluating "design as an industrial product" that is chosen in the market, actually reaches people's hands, and is used. "Good design succeeds in the market" – this idea is a product of the era when post-war Germany sought to regain export competitiveness, and for that reason, it has continued to hold persuasive power linked to business.
This point creates a subtle difference from the "Red Dot Award," based in Essen. The Red Dot Award, which held its first competition in 1955, is said to emphasize aesthetic perfection and product quality, and is often seen as having a stronger appeal to the design community. In contrast, the iF Award has traditionally been considered to have evaluation criteria more oriented towards industry and business. However, both awards now have diverse judging criteria, making it difficult to discuss simple superiority, inferiority, or specialization. Just as the "Big Three Design Awards" — the iF Award, Red Dot Award, and America's IDEA Award — have become established, it should be seen that the three awards function complementarily while maintaining their respective uniqueness.

A Deep Connection with Japan – Becoming the Largest Award-Winning Country in Asia

The iF Award and Japan have a deep and long history. Since the period of rapid economic growth, Japanese manufacturing, like Germany's, has faced the challenge of balancing "quality" and "design." Companies such as Sony, Panasonic, Toyota, and Yamaha have positioned the iF Award as an important benchmark, accumulating international award achievements.
In 2019, Sony's entertainment robot "aibo" won the iF Gold Award, creating a buzz in Japan. In the 2024 (70th) judging, out of 75 Gold awards selected worldwide, Japanese companies are said to have won 13 Gold awards. Japan consistently ranks high in the list of submitting and winning countries, and East Asia, alongside companies from Korea, Taiwan, and China, remains a crucial stage for the iF Award.
The background to the iF Award's strong awareness of Japan from the German industrial sector lies in the rapid progress of Japanese products in the 1970s and 1980s. It could be said that a shared set of values in "monozukuri" – functional beauty, attention to detail, and durability – put German and Japanese products on the same playing field, sharing a common yardstick for evaluation.

Beyond Products – How the Modern iF Award Reflects the Transformation of Design

When it was established, the iF Award literally judged the design of "industrial products." However, current judging spans nine disciplines—product, packaging, branding, communication, service & system, UI, UX, architecture, and interior design—across 93 categories.
In an era where "intangible designs" such as smartphone app interfaces, patient experience design for medical services, and urban transportation guidance systems are evaluated, the iF Award has expanded its scope while retaining its origins as an industrial award. For the 2025 judging, approximately 11,000 entries from 66 countries are expected, with 2,211 awards given.
The continued existence of this award, born at the Hanover trade fair grounds, may be because the question posed in 1953 – "Good design contributes to both industry and society" – remains valid, albeit in changed forms. The German design philosophy of "integrating function and beauty" continues to serve as a core principle of design thinking, even in an era of increasing digitalization and service orientation.

Photo: Leonitre, CC BY-SA 4.0. Monochromatic.