The submitted products are evaluated according to the highest standards. The adjudication process follows a canon of strict criteria, which is constantly adapted to the latest findings in formal, technical, manufacturing, societal, industrial and ecological requirements. These criteria provide a guiding framework, which is filled in individually by each juror.

Degree of innovation

Is the product new in itself or does it supplement an existing product with a new, desirable quality?

Functionality

Does the product fulfil all requirements of handling, usability, safety, and maintenance, and does the manual explain its use in a comprehensible way?

Ergonomics

Is the product adapted appropriately to the physical and, if necessary, psychic conditions of the user?

Self-explanatory quality

What does the product convey about its purpose and use without knowing the manual? How distinct are product semantics and product graphics?

Formal quality

How logical is the constructive structure and the congruity of the formal composition? How is the form related to the function?

Ecological compatibility

Are materials, material costs, manufacturing technology and energy consumption in an appropriate proportion to the product utility? To what extent have disposal problems and recycling issues been considered?

Durability

Have the product’s material, formal, and non-material value been designed for a long life-span?

Symbolic and emotional content

What does the product offer the user beyond its immediate practical purpose in terms of sensual quality, possibilities of a playful use or emotional attachment?

Product periphery

How is the product as part of a system integrated into the system environment? How have packaging and disposal issues been solved?