20 February 2026  The Austrian Staatspreis Design is one of the country's most important awards for design. In 2026, the prize will be presented for the 51st time. It is awarded every two years and covers a wide field of design disciplines. The categories include Consumer Goods, Capital Goods, Interior and Product Design, Spaces & Environment, and Design Concepts from Educational Institutions. This week, Design Austria published the shortlist for the Staatspreis Design 2026. From a total of 176 submissions, the international jury selected 31 projects for the shortlist. The selection reflects current social, technological, and cultural questions – and shows how broad the role of design has become today. From everyday products to social designAmong the shortlisted consumer goods is SafeTap, a water tap developed by the Viennese design studio EOOS. The project focuses on safe handwashing in regions with limited infrastructure. It is designed to be robust, easy to use, and affordable, addressing a basic global health need through thoughtful product design.Also in the consumer goods category is a children's eyewear model by rolf. eyewear. The glasses are lightweight, durable, and adapted to children's everyday movement, showing how design can combine comfort, sustainability, and aesthetics even in small-scale products. Design for industry, research, and mobilityIn the Capital Goods category, the project LIFETAQ – TISSURA stands out. It is a fully automated system for producing human tissue models, such as skin. These models can replace animal testing in research and are used in laboratories for medical and pharmaceutical development. The system allows standardized testing and supports more ethical and precise scientific work.Another shortlisted project is the new generation of ticket machines for ÖBB. Field tests started in 2024, and the nationwide rollout is planned to be completed by autumn 2026. The machines are more compact, easier to maintain, and designed to be accessible for all users, including people with disabilities. Education, concepts, and spatial designThe shortlist also includes experimental and educational projects. In the category Design Concepts – Educational Institutions, the project Closed Loop Footwear by a student from FH Joanneum presents a modular shoe concept for the circular economy. The shoes are designed for easy repair, disassembly, and recycling, using sustainable materials and decentralized production methods.The diversity of design approaches is especially visible in the Spaces & Environment category. One example is the exhibition "FRIEDEN TUN. Über Gerechtigkeit, Demokratie und Geschlecht.", developed together with craftspeople and the team of the Frauenmuseum Hittisau. The exhibition understands peace as an active, daily process and invites visitors to reflect on justice, democracy, and gender through spatial and interactive design. A difficult choice for the juryOverall, the shortlist shows a very diverse design landscape: from medical technology and public infrastructure to exhibitions, educational concepts, and everyday products. It makes clear that design today goes far beyond form and function. It shapes systems, behaviors, and social processes.The jury will announce the winners on 16 April 2026. After the award ceremony, all awarded projects will be presented in an exhibition at the designforum Wien from 17 April for around two months, before touring further venues in Austria's federal states. Given the quality and variety of the shortlisted works, choosing the winners will not be an easy task. Image: Official visual for the Staatspreis Design 2026, using an exhibition view from 2024 that shows awarded design projects presented at designforum Wien. |