The Albany Gazette - iF DESIGN AWARD NIGHT 2026 Brings Global Design Community Together

BERLIN, DE / ACCESS Newswire / May 5, 2026 / On 27 April 2026, over 2,000 guests from 42 nations gathered at the sold-out Friedrichstadt-Palast in Berlin to celebrate the winners of the iF DESIGN AWARD 2026 - one of the world's most prestigious design awards. This year, more than 10,000 entries from 68 countries were submitted across 93 design categories. A diverse, independent jury of 131 international experts evaluated all entries in a two-step jury process to determine the year's outstanding design achievements. A highlight of the evening was the presentation of the coveted iF DESIGN AWARD 2026 Gold trophies by iF Design CEO Uwe Cremering, who personally congratulated all 74 Gold Winners on one Europe's largest heater stages.

Patricia Urquiola receives the iF Design Lifetime Achievement Award 2026

The internationally influential Spanish-born designer and architect Patricia Urquiola has been honored with the iF Design Lifetime Achievement Award 2026. As one of the most significant female designers worldwide, she has shaped the international design landscape for decades - with works ranging from iconic furniture designs to globally acclaimed interior projects. Her creations for leading global brands regularly set new standards in aesthetics and innovation. With her distinctive approach, which combines sensuality, material exploration, and technological advancement, she is regarded as one of the most respected designers of our time.

Statement from iF Design CEO Uwe Cremering

In his remarks, iF Design CEO Uwe Cremering emphasized the significance of the competition in a rapidly evolving global environment: "Despite challenging global conditions, we can report an exceptionally successful year with more than 10,000 submissions from around 4,850 participants representing 68 countries. The strong demand we are seeing in the United States, Japan, Brazil, the Republic of Korea and many European markets confirm both the relevance of our work and the trust the international design community places in iF Design."

He continued: "At the same time, we are witnessing a rapid evolution in the role of design worldwide. Design increasingly shapes how we build the future - how we take responsibility, use resources wisely, and ensure that new technologies, including AI, serve people rather than replace them. AI does not replace design. Without design, AI reduces to verage; with strong design, it becomes a strategic asset."

Disciplines of the iF DESIGN AWARD 2026:

Product, Packaging, Branding & Communications, Architecture, Interior Architecture, Service, Systems & Process Design, User Experience (UX), User Interface (UI), and Professional Concepts.

>> View all iF DESIGN AWARD 2026-winning designs

Third iF Design Trend Conference - Sold Out Again

The 3rd iF Design Trend Conference took place the day after the iF DESIGN AWARD NIGHT at AXICA near the Brandenburg Gate - once again sold out well in advance. Around 500 guests experienced an outstanding program addressing forward-looking themes in global design. Speakers included:

• Branko Lukic (Cognitive Architecture, San José/California): The value of human imperfection in the age of AI

• Borja Martinez Pérez (LO SIENTO, Barcelona/Spain): The relevance of analog creativity in a digital world

• Mouna Andraos & Melissa Mongiat (Daily tous les jours, Montreal/Canada): Redefining public space and human interaction for the 21st century

• Robert Hodgin (Rare Volume, Brooklyn/New York): The role of creativity in an era of increasing automation

iF Design Trend Report 2026 Released

During the Trend Conference, the new iF Design Trend Report 2026 was released and is available for free download until 7 July 2026. Now in its fifth edition, the 300-page report connects cross-disciplinary design trends with the most important technological and societal developments of our time.

The report is structured around four key trend and countertrend pairs, exploring their influence on future design:

1. Age of Average - Recoupling Design

2. Comfort Culture - Skillization

3. Next Nature - Human Augmentation

4. Unfolding Cities - Urban Villages

The Trend Report includes international expert interviews, analytical insights, challenges and strategic recommendations for companies, as well as best-practice examples from award-winning products, projects, and services.

iF DESIGN ACADEMY successfully launched

Another major milestone: The iF DESIGN ACADEMY, launched in September 2025, has successfully completed its first year. Around ten program cycles have already taken place, all with excellent results and overwhelmingly positive feedback from participants. The Academy addresses the growing need for high-level education in Design Leadership and is establishing itself as a new global learning platform for designers in an increasingly complex world.

Upcoming courses include AI Strategy for Design Leaders (1-week sprint starts 18 June, Tey Bannerman), Design Leadership for Strategic Transformation (in-person starts 10 September, in cooperation with the University of St. Gallen), and others. Learn more at ifdesign-academy.com

About iF International Forum Design GmbH (iF Design)

iF Design is one of the world's leading independent design institutions. Since 1954, we have organized the globally prestigious iF DESIGN AWARD. Every year, we receive more than 10,000 submissions across over 90 design categories from more than 70 countries. iF International Forum Design GmbH (iF Design) is headquartered in Hannover, Germany, with offices in Japan, China, Taiwan, Republic of South Korea, Brazil, Turkey, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, and the United States. We are committed to excellence, objectivity, transparency and impact in design. With our iF DESIGN STUDENT AWARD we support the talent of the future, and with our iF SOCIAL IMPACT PRIZE we support responsible development across the globe. Our iF DESIGN ACADEMY prepares design leaders for the future, while our various publications explore design as it's happening in the world right now. The sole shareholder of iF Design is the nonprofit iF Design Foundation, also headquartered in Germany.

ifdesign.com

Press Contact:

Annegret Wulf-Pippig
Head of Global Communications
iF International Forum Design GmbH
Bahnhofstrasse 8 / DE-30159 Hannover
T: +49.511.54224-218
ifdesign.com

SOURCE: iF Design

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

(D.Lewis--TAG)