From March 28 to 30, 2023, 88 international, independent design experts met to determine the winners of the iF Design Award 2023 as part of the iF Final Jury.

According to event organizers, there were heated discussions, testing, evaluations, and finally a decision on the awards. A total of 2,104 participants from 47 countries can look forward to this valuable award. The iF DESIGN AWARD 2023 Gold – the highest recognition – was presented 75 times to the best works – across all disciplines.

Among these honorees was German bathroom manufacturer Duravit has received special recognition from both 2023 iF Design Awards and the Red Dot Product Design Awards across multiple collections. The two programs are among the world’s most prestigious product and design excellence accolades. Top honors were extended to: 

Zencha by Sebastian Herkner
A Homage to Mindfulness & Craftsmanship 
Inspired by traditional Japanese rituals and craftsmanship, the Zencha bathroom collection by Sebastian Herkner has been honored with the Red Dot Design Award as well as the iF Design Award for its outstanding design and meticulous craftsmanship. Defined by its organic shapes, authentic materials, and contemporary finishes, Zencha transforms the bathroom into a tranquil space for rest. The versatile collection includes sinks, deep soaking bathtubs, smart mirrors, and furnishings.

Duravit No. 1
A complete bathroom collection
Expressing that life does not end at the bathroom door, the Duravit No. 1 collection offers an exciting upgrade for the everyday bathroom experience with its “Be My No. 1” campaign. Promoting the idea that first-time homeowners deserve everyday luxury, the market-rate series brings Duravit’s premium bathroom ceramics, toilets, and furniture to new customers. A winner of the iF Design Award for a creative product campaign, Duravit No. 1 is honored for its authentic, fun, and clever messaging.

Entrants from around the world
From a total of almost 11,000 submissions from 56 nations, the best 50 percent had qualified for this physical/digital iF Final Jury in Berlin during the first round of judging in January (iF Online Preselection). The Arena, a listed industrial architecture site from the golden twenties directly on the Spree, provided the perfect setting.

Products and projects in nine different disciplines took part in the iF Design Award 2023: Product, Communication, Packaging and Service Design, Architecture and Interior Architecture, User Experience (UX), User Interface (UI), and Professional Concepts. The jurors, who came to Berlin from 20 nations at iF's invitation, worked with great care and neutrality in their judging based on the clearly defined evaluation criteria of the idea, form, function, differentiation, and impact. Uwe Cremering, CEO iF International Forum Design GmbH about the Final Jury.

"Every year the Final Jury is the most exciting and intense part of the iF Design Award – for us at iF Design, but also for our jurors from all over the world. It is such an inspiring, creative experience to see this enormous diversity and quality of designs from all parts of the world. Sustainability aspects are becoming more and more important for customers, our jurors, and also for our participants. Thus, for the first time, two additional sustainability experts were involved. The jurors had the opportunity to call on the expertise of two dedicated sustainability experts in the decision-making process if required. We will continue on this path in the coming years and increasingly include information on sustainability."

The iF Final Jury is the core of the iF Design Award. These three days, during which the international design experts decide on the winners, demonstrate the value and also the uniqueness of the award. The expertise of the iF Jury makes the award credible and internationally recognized, too.

The iF Product Design Award was introduced in 1954 and is annually conferred by the iF International Forum Design. The award, which spans multiple disciplines, has more than 5,500 entries from around 59 nations every year.