Museum Angewandte Kunst, Frankfurt

Design for Democracy. What design can achieve!

Design for Democracy is conceived as a form of design driven by a sense of responsibility—one that facilitates, expands, sustains, and enriches life. It involves crafting effective, participatory solutions to the pressing problems of our time—problems that, when framed constructively, demand equally effective design responses. Here, design is understood as a process of transformation that people enact upon their environment—a tool capable of fostering peaceful, diverse, and democratic coexistence.

Well-designed, welcoming public spaces, sports facilities, and parks; tools that enable participation in public life; inclusive museums and "third places"; adaptable residential architecture; clear wayfinding systems and guidance for navigating administrative procedures; and smart mobility concepts—all these form part of the sustainable infrastructure that makes social cohesion in everyday life and a positive outlook on the future possible.

The existence and quality of such infrastructure play a decisive role in shaping educational opportunities, social mobility, integration, and the sense of whether the community exists for everyone—or not—as well as trust in the capacity for democratic action. A thoughtful product design process—prioritizing resource conservation, longevity, fair working conditions, and aesthetic quality—helps determine the future viability of our world, while the range of offerings and opportunities for co-creation shape the nature of our coexistence in the here and now.

Curators have selected 25 projects from both Germany and abroad for this exhibition—assembled for the first time at the Museum Angewandte Kunst as part of the World Design Capital Frankfurt RheinMain 2026 program. These contemporary design examples from the Frankfurt RheinMain region are linked with European projects and perspectives. A varied path through the exhibition illuminates the relationship between design and democracy, opens up new viewpoints on co-creation and the common good, and questions the impact of good design.

Curators: Anna Scheuermann, Prof. Matthias Wagner K