BA: Fundamentals of Industrial Design, Basic Design, MA: Area of Study: Form and Kontext
How is the perception of our human environment changing, and where do our design value systems come from? Marion Digel conveys the fundamentals of design as a „topography“ of design means and their phenomena, an experimental setup for design experiments. Basic design tools and methods, as well as aspects of the design process, are the subject matter for the theoretical and practical discussions in her foundational seminars.
In the area of study "Form and Context", students explore product environments and their contexts of use from both functional and asthetic perspectives. Aspects such as interculturality and changing social conditions play a key role here – they are examined in terms of their impact on aesthetic sensibilities and usage requirements and transformed into products through design. Students learn to develop strong design concepts, refine details and create production-ready prototypes. These projects are often carried out in collaboration with industrial and cultural institutions, with a consistent focus on experimental, research-based, and educational approaches.
CV
Since 2006 Professor at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen
2025 Founding of FUTURESQUE – a platform for female graduates* in design
2022 Founding of FUTURE DESIGN EMBASSIES
2013-2019 Dean of the Design Department at the FUdK
2012-2013 Acting Dean of the Design Department
2007-2012 Head of the Industrial Design Department
2006 Appointment as Professor to Folkwang University of the Arts
Since 2006 Self-employed in furniture, product, and corporate design
Until 2006 Owner of the design firm designmariondigel
1987-1992 Lead designer at Sichert GmbH, a manufacturer of office and contract furnishings
Since 1986 Member of the Association of German Industrial Designers
1980-1987 Studied industrial Design at the Berlin University of the Arts, graduating with DIPLOM
1978-1980 Studied liberal arts at the University of Connecticut, USA, majoring in graphic design with Prof. Paul Zelanski (a student of Josef Albers).
Third-Party Funded Projects
Project FUTURE DESIGN PERSPECTIVES - INTERNATIONAL STUDENT AMBASSADORS: In this project, Marion Digel and students investigated whether – and in what ways – the values of 20th-century modernism empower young designers today to meet the challenges of the 21st century. The website https://design-embassies.folkwang-uni.de serves as an open-source archive documenting workshops, events, and project outcomes.
Collaborative and International Projects
Prof. Marion Digel has initiated and supervised numerous international projects in industrial design.
These include collaborative projects with universities in the USA, including the Vignelli Institute for Design Studies at RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology) in New York and the PRATT INSTITUTE in Brooklyn, NY, among others.
She was part of the IDI (Industrial Design Institute), a a collaboration with Zhaoqing University in southern China, focused on developing platforms for intercultural exchange.
Since 2007, Marion Digel has represented the department at the CUMULUS Conference, an international association of design universities, and at IDEM, the International Design Experimental Meeting (IDEM).
She is currently launching the FUTURESQUE graduate platform, an initiative designed to support and connect women graduates in (product) design. Alongside a website and social media presence, the platform will offer empowerment workshops and symposia aimed at supporting pathways into self-employment.
Publications:
2023 Web: FUTURE DESIGN PERSPECTIVES - INTERNATIONAL STUDENT AMBASSADORS ; https://design-embassies.folkwang-uni.de
Print
2026 Marion Digel: HANDBOOK Fundamentals of Three-Dimensional Design, Salenstein; Niggli Verlag, ein Imprint der Braun Publishing AG, 2026; ISBN: 978-3-7212-1064-4 (English/German)
2023 FOKUS TÜRDRÜCKER- Ein Kooperationsprojekt mit der Firma FSB in Brakel (Co-Autor Cornelius Richter)
2022 THE VIGNELLI DIALOGUE 02 – Translucida, Folkwang Universität der Künste, 2022 ; ISBN 978-3000-763380
2021 THE VIGNELLI DIALOGUE , Vignelli Center for Design Studies, Folkwang Universität der Künste, 2021; ISBN 979-8-21-197107-3
2019 COLOUR ENERGY- Ein Kooperationsprojekt mit der BASF Coatings GmBH (Marion Digel / Sebastian Goldschmidtböing / Kristina Raderschad / Mark Gutjahr)
2019 SEARCHING FOR HETEROTOPIA – ANDERE RÄUME GESTALTEN , Hrsg. Marion Digel, Sebastian Goldschmidtböing, Sibylle Peters, ADOCS Verlag; ISBN: 978-3-943253-2-4
2018 FARBE / OBJEKT - Ein Studienprojekt (Co-Autor Sebastian Goldschmidtböing)
2018 DIE LETZTEN 25 % - ein Studienprojekt (Co-Autor Dustin Jessen)
2017 TRANSDISZIPLINÄRE GESTALTUNG, Essays der Folkwang Universität der Künste, PASSAGEN Verlag 2017; ISBN 987-3-7092-0259-3
2016 INFINERGY- Ein Kooperationsprojekt mit der BASF Designfabrik (Co-Autor Dustin Jessen)
2012 DIALOGUE OF ART AND DESIGN IN EDUCATION, Cumulus, Helsinki 2012
2009 ID-2009, Jahrbuch Industrial Design, Folkwang Universität der Künste 2009; ISBN 978-3-937787-24
2008 ID-2008, Jahrbuch Industrial Design, Folkwang Universität der Künste 2008; ISBN 978-3-9812754-0-7-4
2002 PAPERMADE - Wohnen mit Papier und Karton, Mosaik Verlag 2002; ISBN 3-576-11631-1
