The deas, the jury and the winners of EKA Design Showcase 2026
EKA Design Showcase 2026 is over for now and we have reason to be very happy – the 17 new and unique design projects that reached the audience showed how practical and truly contributing to economic and social life academic design education can be, if it is implemented in effective cooperation with companies and the public sector.
The Showcase culminated in the recognition of the best works.
The esteemed jury, consisting of Xenia Joost, Undersecretary for Creative Affairs at the Ministry of Culture, Kitty Kubo, Head of Social Services Innovation and Technology at the Ministry of Social Affairs, and Linnar Viik, entrepreneur, IT visionary and head of the Poco Pop Art Museum, awarded recognition in two categories.
SOCIALLY CHARGED DESIGN, i.e. a solution with a significant social impact, and INNOVATION-CHARGED DESIGN, i.e. an innovative approach or application.
RECOGNITION AWARDS:
“Socially Charged Design” – a collaborative project “Medicine waste collection modules for pharmacies”.
Authors of the work: Mariann Hendrikson, Mart Maide (students of the MA curriculum in Circular Design) and Maarja Mõtus.
Cooperation partners: Ministry of Social Affairs, State Agency of Medicines, Ministry of Climate, Ragn-Sells Estonia, Estonian Association of Pharmaceuticals, City of Pärnu.
“Innovation-Loaded Design” – cooperation project “Roof System KUPERA”.
Author: Karoliina Kalmo (student of the BA curriculum in Industrial Design).
Cooperation partner: Ruukki Products AS.
Design Showcase 2026 was held with the support of the EKA LOOVKÄRG+ project mini-development grant, which is co-funded by the European Union.
