The German Design Club has appointed Prof. Birgit Mager as an honorary member – a distinction recognizing her long-standing work as a researcher and pioneer of service design, whose contributions have significantly shaped human-centered and systemic design approaches in Germany.
We congratulate Prof. Birgit Mager, who was appointed an honorary member of the Deutsche Design Club (German Design Club, DDC) on November 14 during the DDC AWARD 2025 “WAS IST GUT” Gala in Wiesbaden. The German Design Club is an association of leading designers from German-speaking countries dedicated to promoting and advancing excellence in design.
By honoring Prof. Mager, the DDC recognizes a true pioneer of Customer Experience. With the guiding question “How does the person experiencing this service feel?”, she developed a completely new understanding of design that consistently places the human being at its center. This perspective has had a lasting impact on the way companies, universities, and public institutions think and work.
Since 1995, Prof. Mager has established and continuously developed the Service Design program at the Köln International School of Design (KISD) at TH Köln. Her projects, publications, and international lectures have helped establish service design as a recognized and influential field within design research. Numerous research and teaching projects, international collaborations, and formats such as seminars, exhibitions, and conferences have emerged under her leadership.
Prof. Mager is also a co-founder and President of the international Service Design Network and editor of the international journal Touchpoint. Her outstanding achievements in research and teaching have been honored multiple times — including the Sir Misha Black Award (2020) and the Lifetime Achievement Award of the International Society of Service Innovation Professionals (2025).
With the honorary membership of the German Design Club, Prof. Birgit Mager receives yet another significant recognition of her dedication and lasting influence on design culture in Germany and beyond.