From an independent position, designers are able to question the ingrained logic of industrial production processes, reconsidering material use and waste flows. Sometimes, their questions are uncomfortable and confrontational; often, they lead to provocative and innovative counter-proposals; and almost always, they generate a greater awareness of the consequences of our actions.  

The ten years of the New Material Award have yielded 117 proposals for sustainable material innovation. The New Material Award’s mission of putting material design on the map, shining a spotlight on designers, and broadening the conversation about an innovative and sustainable design field, seems to have been accomplished in the space of a decade. The 2018 edition was the last with exhibitions at Dutch Design Week, Salone di Mobile (2019) and Vitra’s Schaudepot (2019-20).

The DOEN Foundation, Fonds Kwadraat and Het Nieuwe Instituut subsequently endeavoured to highlight the rich harvest of 10 years of material innovation in research, a publication and a podcast. The publication will be launched on 7 December, along with the final episode of the podcast. In addition, the first and last winners – Chris Kabel and Klarenbeek & Dros – will discuss the changes in their field of work in the intervening period, and various stakeholders will look back and ahead.