Ten European designers, five international teams and four days of exchange at designforum Wien during Vienna Design Week
Vienna, 27 September 2026. After four intensive days during Vienna Design Week, designaustria announces the winning projects of the Next Gen Design Residence Vienna 2026. The residency brought together ten international creatives, all winners of the Next Gen Design Open Call. To encourage cross-cultural exchange, they worked in five international pairs. The award ceremony took place on Sunday, 27 September, at designforum Wien in MuseumsQuartier Wien.
The winners
1st Prize (€1,000): Abril Poblet Baringo and Sara Bologna
2nd Prize (€600): Natalia Valverde Garrido and Emily Klein
3rd Prize (€400): Jana Valdé Cusachs and Kelly Azevedo Galvão
The teams were evaluated on innovation, relevance and presentation skills. The jury consisted of Barbara Gollackner, Evija Kraukle (BEDA), Tamara König (designaustria) and Eugenia Marti (Barcelona Design Week).
Winners: Sara Bologna (left) and Abril Poblet (right) together with the Next Gen Design Project Team.
The assignment: revealing value in what already exists
The group work was set by designer and mentor Barbara Gollackner. It was inspired by her project Rest in Beauty, which works with material leftovers from regional craft sectors in Austria, such as wood, glass and stone workshops.
The guiding question was how design can reveal value in what already exists. Instead of designing something completely new, the residents were asked to identify existing resources in Vienna, whether materials, infrastructures, communities or systems, and to transform them into a more resilient future use.
After the group presentations, Barbara Gollackner gave personal feedback to every designer, which made the process as valuable as the result.
Mentors
Alongside the programme of talks, workshops, studio visits and guided tours, the residents were mentored by four experienced professionals:
Barbara Gollackner, designer, on sustainability design and working with material leftovers
Reanne Leuning, Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (WKO), on internationalisation opportunities for creatives
Lotte Kristoferitsch, social design researcher, on her work and projects for EOOS next
Juan Umbert Rosselló, Barcelona, on gastronomy innovation for global and regional brands
Collaboration over competition
The atmosphere throughout the residency was friendly and cooperative rather than competitive. The residents became friends and, iperhaps, potential future business partners. Jury members, mentors and all involved designers exchanged contacts, adding to the growing Next Gen Design network.We extend our warmest congratulations to all participants for their exceptional research and creative output.
About the Next Gen Design Residencies
Next Gen Design Residencies take place at every participating design festival: Mikser Festival, Barcelona Design Week, What Design Can Do / Dutch Design Week, designaustria duringVienna Design Week and Skopje Design Week. Each festival awards €2,000 in prizes, for a total annual prize fund of €10,000 dedicated to supporting emerging European creative talent.