With the Success Factor Design exhibition, the Design Center Baden-Württemberg is presenting young and successful product design to the public at Rondellplatz in Karlsruhe for the first time. Last year, the stricter pandemic-related restrictions in place at the time meant it was only possible to “visit” the exhibition online in the form of a virtual 360-degree tour.

The Success Factor Design exhibition showcases numerous examples of successful, innovative and forward-looking design with a high degree of utility and is organised into three thematic areas:

In the first, the Design Center Baden-Württemberg presents itself and its activities. “Design plays a crucial role in the purchase decision. But genuinely good design has to offer much more than an attractive outer shell. Flawless functionality, self-explanatory handling, eco-friendly materials and a high degree of innovation are essential too,” explains Christiane Nicolaus, director of the Design Center Baden-Württemberg. And that’s the starting point for the support provided by the Design Center. It shows companies how they can use design expertise successfully and presents this approach and its efficacy by using renowned manufacturers as examples. Design-oriented companies are given the opportunity to present themselves to a broad public in the context of exhibitions, congresses, lecture programmes and interviews. And by bringing industry together with design agencies, the Design Center promotes the design sector as well.

The second section of the exhibition deals with award-winning design: since 1991, the Design Center has been calling for entries for the Baden-Württemberg International Design Award FOCUS OPEN. Every year, it invites manufacturers and designers from all over the world to enter their latest innovations for the sought-after accolade. The award-winning works from the FOCUS OPEN 2021 competition are now on show at Karlsruhe Administrative Region’s Rondellplatz location. Renowned companies show how they use their innovativeness to set themselves apart from competitors and utilise professional design to strengthen their brands long term. All the manufacturers presented in this exhibition systematically incorporate design into their business and product development processes – either by means of an in-house design team or in the form of sometimes decades-long partnerships with external design firms.

For detailed information about the winners of the Focus Open 2021 competition, click on the icons below:



The anniversary show 30 Years of the Baden-Württemberg International Design Award completes the exhibition. Over three decades, the Baden-Württemberg International Design Award has established itself as a constant in the state’s economy and has been held under the succinct Focus Open label for many years now. The Design Center Baden-Württemberg celebrated this anniversary with a retrospective exhibition – click here for more information. A selection of exhibits from the comprehensive presentation is on show in Karlsruhe. Award-winning original products from every year of the competition have been brought together so that visitors to Success Factor Design in Karlsruhe can enjoy an exclusive selection from 30 years of design award history.