NOVA, originally developed as a Master’s thesis project in 2025 and subsequently further advanced by Marta and Matteo (now collaborators at the Institute of Design SUPSI), has been awarded the title of “Winner” at the iF Design Student Award 2026. This is one of the most important international awards dedicated to design projects developed by students and young designers, celebrating innovative concepts that address contemporary social, environmental, and design-related challenges.
The award ceremony took place on 11 June in Frankfurt as part of the World Design Capital Frankfurt RheinMain 2026, highlighting projects selected by an international jury from schools and universities around the world.
NOVA was recognised for its social and design value in the “Quality Education” category, which is linked to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The project addresses the topic of energy literacy through a cooperative and interactive experience designed to help young people engage with the complexity of the energy transition.
NOVA
Marta and Matteo’s goal is to make topics that are often perceived as complex – such as energy production and consumption, emissions, investments, and public acceptance – more accessible by transforming them into a game-based experience that fosters awareness, collaboration, and systems thinking. Through participatory dynamics and a strong educational component, NOVA encourages participants to engage with the challenges of energy sustainability in a concrete and engaging way.
“This recognition is an important confirmation of both the journey we have undertaken and the project’s potential,” say Marta and Matteo. “NOVA was created with the aim of developing a tool that helps people better understand the dynamics of the energy transition while promoting dialogue among young people, educators, and stakeholders”.
In 2025, NOVA received another significant recognition when it was selected among the winners of the BRIDGE Proof of Concept programme, an initiative promoted by Innosuisse that supports the transfer of research results into practical applications. Thanks to BRIDGE funding, Marta and Matteo are currently working on the further development of NOVA by integrating feedback gathered during the thesis phase and user testing, revisiting the project’s branding and visual identity, refining its game mechanics, and migrating development to the Godot platform to make the experience even more interactive. At the same time, they continue to engage partners, experts, stakeholders from the energy and education sectors, and young people in order to further validate and strengthen NOVA’s real-world impact.