A preview of the results of artists/designers-in-residence Yuri Nakai and Masatoshi Noguchi.

On Wednesday, 18 June, the artists and designers participating in the SBYD Artist/Designer-in-Residence programme provided insights into their work at the SBYD kiosk in the foyer of the Folkwang University of the Arts at the UNESCO World Heritage Site Zollverein and offered a preview of their presentations at the Gutes Klima Festival at the end of June 2025.

At the beginning of their stay, we had the opportunity to ask the artists/designers-in-residence two questions:

Yuri, how can design promote sustainability?

»In design, recognizing the present as existing between the past and the future leads to sustainability.«

Which works inspire you?

»My inspiration comes from immersing myself in different environments and contexts, and encountering various information through projects, connecting with worlds that once seemed distant.«


Masatoshi, how can design promote sustainability?

Sustainability still requires individual effort and ethical commitment, but design can democratize it with beauty. Ideally, this would lead to everyone naturally embracing sustainable practices and valuing human resources.

Which works inspire you?

Courageous people and works inspire me.

How can I, as a designer, establish a sustainable business? What are the pathways to responsible production? And where can I find suitable funding opportunities for my idea?
Young designers are invited to take part in a three-day programme at Folkwang University in Essen, featuring workshops and insights from businesses operating at the intersection of design and sustainability. 

Participation is free of charge. Registration required via email: sbyd@folkwang-uni.de

The event will be held in German.

WEDNESDAY, 08/10/2025, 14:00 – 18:00
-> Learning from Others
Anne-Sophie Müller (Trash Galore)
Sven Urselmann (Urselmann Interior)

Short talks from emerging businesses working at the intersection of design and sustainability. Learn how sustainable business goals are translated into practice and how design and production processes can be shaped within a sustainable context. What successes and challenges arise when founding a business with a focus on sustainability? What conflicts emerge between ecological responsibility and economic success? How does a sustainable approach influence business management?
Afterwards: informal networking, snacks and drinks.

THURSDAY, 09/10/2025, 09:30 – 18:00
-> Workshop 1: Funding Opportunities – Where and How to Access Financial Support
Nick Esser (Start Art Week)
-> Workshop 2: Sustainable Production – Who Makes My Product and from What?
Agnes Wagter (Seads)

Workshop 1 provides an overview of funding opportunities for realising a business idea. Which programmes, foundations or institutions support ventures at the intersection of design and sustainability? How can I identify suitable offers? How do I write compelling funding applications?

Workshop 2 explores sustainable production methods. Which materials are suitable for my product? How can I find eco-friendly manufacturing processes and reliable partners? Together, we’ll develop approaches to implementing resource-efficient production within your project.

Friday, 10/10/2025, 09:30 – 18:00
-> Deepening Workshops 1 + 2
-> Talks: Sustainable Business Models x Narratives
 (Wuppertal Institut / Vita Zimmermann, Christoph Tochtrop)

The morning will build on the previous day’s workshop work, allowing you to deepen your own focus areas.

The afternoon will be dedicated to sustainable business models and the narratives we use to communicate them. How can we, as designers, make new ways of doing business both visible and imaginable?

This event is organised in cooperation with Start Art Week Düsseldorf.

On 27 November 2024, we held our first event as part of the SBYD Entrepreneurship Initiative. Over drinks and snacks, two young companies shared their experiences of starting their own businesses.

Studio Tegel is a design studio and carpentry workshop focusing on circular construction – reusing materials and designing modular, demountable furniture. Open Funk tackles the issue of electronic waste, having developed re:Mix, an open-source blender compatible with standard screw-top jars.

In two keynote talks, the companies explored how they integrate design and sustainability, the conflicts and challenges that arise, and their strategies for navigating the complexities of starting and running a business. The evening provided valuable insights for aspiring designers aiming to develop their own sustainable ventures.

A big thank you to Lisa Templiner and Thorsten Klein of Studio Tegel, as well as Paul Anca and Ken Rostand of Open Funk, for their inspiring contributions, and to the students for their lively participation!

During the second edition of Talks at the Kiosk as part of the SPACES FOR TOMORROW exhibition at Dutch Design Week, the project re:source by SBYD resident Robert Schnüll was presented.

The prototypical objects created during the residency in the field of “Sustainability and Technology” – electric coffee grinders – were made entirely from repurposed electrical components, also known as e-waste. In a conversation with Professor of Industrial Design Kristina Andersen, the discussion, inspired by the project re:source, revolved around experimental design practices. The focus was particularly on the question of how the reuse of technical components influences design practices.

How does the exclusive use of recycled electronic parts affect the design of prototypes and aesthetic concepts?



We had the opportunity to ask Robert Schnüll two questions before the event:


How can design promote sustainability?

»In German, there is a remarkable term in the creative fields called ‘der Entwurf’. ’Der Entwurf’ refers to the process of envisioning and materialising potential futures in the present. Through ‘der Entwurf’, climate-just futures can be explored, made tangible, and experienced, allowing us to collaboratively shape a path toward that state. By bringing abstract ideas into the realm of design, it creats a space for dialogue and collective engagement, where sustainability isn‘t just imagined but actively constructed and refined. In this way, design promotes sustainability by turning speculative futures into concrete, actionable visions.«

Which works inspire you?

»Diving into the complexity of digital, physical, and social systems, understanding their holistic functionality, and projecting those gained insights onto the others in reverse; opening up new perspectives on systems assumed to be already known.«

During the third edition of Talks at the Kiosk as part of the SPACES FOR TOMORROW exhibition at Dutch Design Week, the project Habitat by SBYD residents Studio Lapatsch | Unger was presented.

Created during the residency in the field of “bio-based materials,” the work is an object made from biochar and natural pine resin. In conversation with designer Pei-Ying Lin, the discussion explored experimental design practices.

How can objects be designed based on bio-based materials that are not solely created by and for humans but emerge and exist through the interplay of diverse entities?




We had the opportunity to ask Studio Lapatsch | Unger two questions before the event:


How can design promote sustainability?

»Design plays a role in the ecological crisis due to the disconnect between consumption and environmental impact. To change this, designers must collaborate, empathize with societal and environmental needs, and use new tools that address the current crisis.«

Which works inspire you?

»What inspires us most are the different contexts in which our projects come to life. We take great pleasure in exploring, analysing and understanding in depth the contexts we come into contact with.«

During the first edition of Talks at the Kiosk as part of the exhibition SPACES FOR TOMORROW at Dutch Design Week, the work Metallophytes: Echoes Of Extraction by SBYD resident Lilli Malou Weinhold was presented.

This project, developed during the residency in the field of “bio-based materials,” is a ceramic archive that visualizes the invisible heavy metal contamination of German soils through plant ash glazes. The plant ash was derived from metallophytes—plants with extraordinary tolerance to soil toxicity.

In a discussion with design researcher Lynn Harles, the conversation, inspired by Metallophytes: Echoes Of Extraction, explored archival work by designers and transdisciplinary approaches in design. How can design help make knowledge visible and tangible?


We had the opportunity to ask Lilli Malou Weinhold two questions before the event:


How can design promote sustainability?

»Promoting sustainability in design isn’t just about creating new things; it’s also about considering which projects are needed to spark dialogue. Interdisciplinary design approaches are a great way to connect people with new ideas and innovations.«

Which works inspire you?

»Two works I find particularly inspiring are „OTT / Another Paradigmatic ceramic“ by Yoon Seok-Hyeon, which beautifully revives old traditions while promoting sustainability, and Jenna Kaës creations, which demonstrate how design and craftsmanship can evoke deep emotional responses.«