Frank Georg Zebner

Prof. Frank Georg Zebner is a Professor of Industrial Design at the University of Art and Design Offenbach (HfG), serving as Dean of the School of Design from 2010–2016 and re-elected in 2019. He leads the Design Institute of Technology (DIT), a research platform collaborating with firms like Audi, Porsche, and Siemens. With a career spanning industry and academia, he has held roles at Siemens, frogdesign, and IDEO, focusing on interaction design, transportation systems, and corporate identity.

Education: Studied design in Munich, Schwäbisch Gmünd, and Offenbach, graduating with distinction in 1989. Notable early work includes the FCS Future Communication Interface, which won the 1989 World Design Expo Grand Prix.

Research interests center on industrial design innovation, mobility design, and strategic design methodologies. His work bridges technological and human-centric approaches, evident in projects like the Siemens AG pavilion at Expo ’92 and the Intercity Express 3.0 train design.

Awards include the 1989 Grand Prix and recognition through jury roles in major design competitions (Red Dot, IF Design Award). He chairs the nonprofit 'design inclusion' and promotes urban design initiatives like Designpark Offenbach.

Advising and grants: Supervised student projects such as the DaDaBox open-source initiative and collaborated on Hessen’s innovation programs. His studio in Munich consults for brands like bulthaup and BMW.