Meet the ED Awards25 Jury: Nassos Kappa (Greece)

With 20 years of experience in digital product and brand design, Nassos Kappa is a Design Director and UX Consultant dedicated to crafting meaningful and sustainable solutions through simple and beautiful design.
As the founder of Bitniks Design Ensemble, he collaborates with creative minds worldwide to shape brands, products, and services that drive positive impact. Beyond his studio work, Nassos is a writer, speaker, guest lecturer, and editor at Greece’s +DESIGN magazine, actively contributing to the design community.
As a jury member at the European Design Awards, he brings his expertise and passion for thoughtful, strategic, and human-centered design to celebrate Europe’s most inspiring creative work.

Q: What makes the European Design Awards special to you?

A: What makes the European Design Awards extraordinary? It’s where something magical happens – an institution that doesn’t just showcase great design but weaves together every corner of Europe’s creative spirit. Year after year, I’ve seen designers from snowy Nordic studios to sunlit Mediterranean workshops come together here, united by work that dazzles the eye and speaks to the heart. That’s the real power of these awards – they honour creations that aren’t just beautiful but matter deeply to how we live, connect, and imagine our shared future.

Q: What excites you most about European design today?

A: What excites me most is seeing European designers master the alchemy of purpose and beauty. Today’s work doesn’t just celebrate aesthetics—it starts by listening deeply to human needs, then answers with creativity that harmonizes sustainability, artistry, and strategic thinking. I’m energized by how studios now forge bridges between disciplines: a branding project might draw from behavioral science to reduce food waste, while a digital interface could employ AI to make urban mobility more inclusive. 

This fusion of art, science, and commerce creates solutions that are as functional as they are visually arresting. I’ve seen firsthand how tools like VR prototyping and blockchain for sustainability tracking are expanding design’s impact. Europe’s designers aren’t just keeping pace with change—they’re redefining what’s possible when ethics and imagination share the same blueprint.

Q: Is there a particular trend or approach in design that you think represents the future of creativity in Europe?A: The future of European creativity is being reshaped by sustainable co-creation—a trend that merges environmental responsibility with interdisciplinary collaboration. This approach transcends traditional design boundaries, uniting artists, engineers, scientists, and policymakers to address complex challenges like climate resilience and digital ethics. Key drivers of this trend are: the New European Bauhaus Movement, an initiative which, inspired by the EU’s Green Deal, reimagines design as a fusion of sustainability, inclusivity, and aesthetics; the new AI-Enhanced Problem-Solving approach, where designers are leveraging AI not just for efficiency, but for ethical innovation; the 2025 EU Design Regulation updates that now protect dynamic digital designs (animations, GUIs) alongside physical products, enabling seamless integration of tech into everyday objects; and Sensorial Sustainability, a shift toward multi-sensory experiences. 

This trend reflects Europe’s unique strength: blending historical design wisdom with cutting-edge tools to create solutions that are beautiful, functional, and regenerative.

Q: What advice would you give to designers aspiring to stand out in a competition like the European Design Awards?

A: For designers aspiring to stand out in a competition like the European Design Awards, my advice is to focus on sustainability and strategic thinking. Keep in mind the following three things: Design with Purpose, Think Beyond Aesthetics, and Be Authentic.