Every year, DDW asks people from the design field to take on the role of advocate for design in general, and DDW in particular. According to Dutch Design Foundation (DDF) – the organisation behind DDW – the trio once again represents the most contemporary and urgent voices in today’s design world and that of the future. New this year is that the ambassadors also use their position as established designers and DDW ambassadors to include young design-talents in their mission.
Marjan van Aubel
Marjan van Aubel Studio is an award-winning, innovative solar design practice that translates solar energy into everyday life. They design for a positive future with a combination of sustainability, design and technology. The studio creates lasting change through solar design, whereby the power of the sun is seamlessly integrated into our environments, buildings and objects. The aim is to make solar energy more accessible for everyone.
“Marjan van Aubel Studio is a true pioneer in the field of solar design and brings this topic to the fore with striking urgency. Her work brings together innovation, sustainability, design and technology. Marjan puts the true potential of solar energy on the map by integrating it into her product design, thereby demonstrating how powerful design can be. Marjan van Aubel Studio is a leader in design and entrepreneurship that shows the need for smart collaborations. Marjan is an example for future generations: inspiring, driven and ambitious.”
Miriam van der Lubbe, Creative Head DDW
Global energy transition
Marjan van Aubel has collaborated with global brands including Cos, Timberland and Swarovski, with the goal of accelerating the global energy transition to solar power. Her studio’s most notable works are Sunne, Current Table, Power Plant and the roof of the Dutch Pavilion at the World Expo 2020 in Dubai. Marjan studied at the Royal College of Art (Design Products MA, 2012) and the Rietveld Academie DesignLAB (BA, 2009).
Formafantasma
The Italian Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin have been advocating holistic design thinking and value creation ever since founding their own studio Formafantasma in 2009. Their goal: to better understand, facilitate and transform the built and natural environments we live in. Formafantasma sees material, technical and social possibilities everywhere, and loves to open them up for discussion.
“Formafantasma creates unique work, is conceptually strong and often makes a poetic translation of vision into expressive and outspoken work. Their work is included in collections all over the world. Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin are uniquely capable of collaborating with leading brands based on their own autonomous ideas. They are drivers of talent development and are not afraid to tackle topics and issues of social urgency.”
Miriam van der Lubbe, Creative Head DDW
Broad spectrum
Formafantasma works from its studios in Milan (Italy) and Rotterdam (the Netherlands) and embraces a broad spectrum of typologies and methods, from product design to spatial design, strategic planning and design consultancy. Whether it is a commissioned design or a self-initiated project, the studio always pays the same careful attention to context, process and detail. Its portfolio is therefore characterised by thorough research results and a coherent visual language.
