Downloads Tasks Primary tabs View Edit Delete Revisions Translate Children Permissions 07/13/2026 Back to overview Triple Success for Students Information and Communication Design students receive prestigious design awards

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_{©Oskar Phuong Nguyen}

Oskar Phuong Nguyen received the "Goldener Nagel", the highest distinction of the ADC Talent Award, for his bachelor's project Building My World, From the Ground Up. The project was supervised by Professor Christian Stindl and Professor Christoph Zielke.

The publication explores the influence of French loanwords in Vietnamese. Drawing on historical sources, archival material and the 350 most commonly used terms, Nguyen examines how France’s colonial history continues to shape everyday language. Combining research, editorial writing, typography and book design, the publication creates an open and engaging reading experience that highlights language as a carrier of cultural identity and historical memory.

The project demonstrates a key strength of communication design: researching complex social and historical issues, reflecting on them critically, and translating them into a distinctive visual language.

The ADC Talent Award is one of the leading competitions for emerging creative talent in the German-speaking world. The Goldener Nagel is awarded only to projects that demonstrate exceptional conceptual thinking and outstanding design quality.

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_{©Hochschule Rhein-Waal}

Following its Gold Award at the DDC Award 2025, Amal Hamed's bachelor's project Ask Who Made It! has now been selected for presentation at the WDC Campus as part of World Design Capital Frankfurt RheinMain 2026. The project was supervised by Professor Nicolas Markwald and Professor Christian Stindl.

Every two years, the World Design Organization (WDO) awards the title World Design Capital to a city or region that demonstrates how design can drive social, cultural and economic development. Under the theme Design for Democracy. Atmospheres for a Better Life, Frankfurt RheinMain 2026 brings together an international programme of exhibitions, projects and events. The WDC Campus connects universities from Germany and around the world, providing a platform for emerging designers to exchange ideas and present their work to an international audience.

Hamed's cross-media campaign explores global supply chains across a range of industries, from fashion and electronics to everyday consumer products. Through in-depth research, interactive visualisations and a clear communication concept, the project highlights the social and environmental impacts of production while encouraging audiences to make more informed consumer choices.

Following its recognition with a DDC Gold Award, the project is now being presented to an international professional audience through the WDC Campus programme. It will remain on display at the Museum Angewandte Kunst in Frankfurt am Main until 9 August 2026.

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_{©iF Design Foundation}

Mariam Hachem received an iF Design Student Award 2026 for her bachelor's project Eine Linie, die bleibt (A Line That Remains). Presented by the iF Design Foundation, the award is one of the world's most prestigious honours for emerging design talent. More than 7,000 projects from 84 countries were submitted for the 2026 edition, with only 90 selected by the international jury.

The project originated from a collaboration between Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences and the City of Kleve to develop the future visual identity for Landesgartenschau Kleve 2029. As part of a design competition led by Professor Christoph Zielke, more than twenty students created concepts for the event. Hachem's proposal was selected by the jury and now forms the basis of the official visual identity.

For her subsequent bachelor's project, Hachem further developed the design system together with Professor Nicolas Markwald and Silke Gehrmann-Becker. Today, she is working as a designer for Landesgartenschau Kleve 2029, overseeing the implementation of her own design concept. The project demonstrates how a student competition entry can evolve into a realised visual identity and highlights the successful transfer of knowledge and expertise between the university and the region.

A Degree Programme Shaped by International Exchange and Social Relevance
Together, the three award-winning projects illustrate the breadth of the Information and Communication Design degree programme. Addressing topics such as cultural identity, regional development and global responsibility, they demonstrate how communication design can investigate complex issues, analyse them critically and translate them into compelling visual concepts.

The projects also reflect the profile of both the degree programme and Rhine-Waal University. Information and Communication Design is taught entirely in English and brings together students from a wide range of countries. This international learning environment encourages diverse perspectives on contemporary issues while fostering academic research, conceptual thinking and high-quality design.

For Professor Christoph Zielke, Head of the Information and Communication Design degree programme, the recent achievements demonstrate the impact of this international study environment:

“Our students engage deeply with complex issues and develop distinctive design positions from their research. We are especially pleased that these projects are not only recognised in prestigious competitions, but also reach audiences beyond the university and create a tangible impact.”

Professor Nicolas Markwald, Professor of Communication Design at the Faculty of Communication and Environment, sees the programme's international student community as one of its greatest strengths:

“When students from different cultural backgrounds work together, they develop questions and approaches that extend far beyond national perspectives. This diversity of experience enriches both the exchange of ideas and, above all, the subjects students choose to explore. Through close collaboration with academic staff, these projects demonstrate design as a means of communication, social engagement and cultural dialogue.”

These recent successes highlight not only the quality of the award-winning projects, but also the distinctive profile of the Information and Communication Design degree programme at Rhine-Waal University. Combining an international learning environment with project-based teaching and close academic supervision, the programme enables students to develop work that gains national and international recognition while contributing to society, culture and the region.