Trade fair: Object RotterdamKunsthaus Zürich: Winter TalesDe Singel: Andrea BranziGuggenheim Museum: John ChamberlainMAK: Chinese Stuff

With sustainability and energy efficiency as its topics, the "Swissbau" trade fair in Basle has impressively positioned itself as a smaller Swiss alternative to "Bau" in Munich.

On January 23 to great song and dance, and of course fireworks China welcomed in the Year of the Dragon. We can expect profound changes and plenty of luck. But only those who know the dress code.

Trade fairs thrive on good products and interesting novelties. Only then will the trade fair be attractive in the long term. At the imm in Cologne in 2012 there was quite a lot waiting to be discovered. The Italian big-hitters were back, but the eye-catching designs were to be found at other booths.

What would be more fitting than to show contemporary industrial design in former industrial buildings? Between factory halls, parking lots and graffiti the organizers of Passagen at the Cologne Furniture Fair put on a great show, with high-grade design and local oddities.

What is "Pure Village" in Hall 3.2 at imm cologne? A new trade fair format with a strange name? A self-perpetuating village? However we interpret the "village of purists", it enables the trade fair to present both young companies and brands and established labels in one place.

Something is going on in flooring, be it parquet or carpets. But in the traditional craft of carpet weaving little has changed in the techniques that have been in use for centuries now. Yet today colors, materials and patterns are also determined by designers – the reason that this year's Domotex in Hanover sought to unite artisanship and technology.

Not only the imm cologne is on track for consolidation in 2012. An increasing number of important manufacturers in the furniture trade is remembering their traditional strengths. And these are not rarely based on an ability to fuse tradition and innovation.

CHAIRity: Swapping chairsMunich: Creative businessDesign Museum: Designs of 2012Los Angeles: Design Bloggers ConferenceMMK: Andy Warhol

Going by the name of "Neue Tische", Berlin-based Mathis Burandt and Frank Skupin design furniture that is at once simple and sophisticated. The two architects do not consider items of furniture objects that stand in the space, but as physical extensions of the space itself.

Shortly before imm cologne opens its doors, the magazine A&W has elected its "Designer of the Year". A quite extraordinary designer has been chosen this year in the person of Patricia Urquiola who has changed the face of middle-class interiors to a greater extent than almost anyone else in the field.

There's no point beating about the bush – instruction manuals don't enjoy a good reputation. All the better that more and more products can be assembled using our intuition alone, iPhones no longer even come with a manual. So perhaps this is the opportune moment for a more extensive consideration of the instruction manual, a retrospective if you will. The book "Read Me!" by Jasmin Meerhoff offers a surprisingly entertaining insight into an otherwise ignored genre of the printed word.

Even bears enjoy a surprising level of popularity when it comes to advertising. At times they can be pretty fierce, but most of the time they are made as human as possible.

KIT: Authenticity in architectureUdK Berlin: Coop Himmelb(l)auIschgl: Skiing and ACF-conferenceAedes: Schmidt Hammer Lassen

Designers are continually designing and developing new chairs. So is it really necessary for architects to also try their hand at furniture design? And are the objects possibly merely miniatures of their architecture? “Von Aalto bis Zumthor: Architektenmöbel” (From Aalto to Zumthor: Furniture by architects) in the Cologne Museum of Applied Art is a show that proves this is definitely not the case.

As at the beginning of every year, imm cologne will soon be opening its doors – and this time you will again find a list of selected manufacturers at Stylepark.

It is January once again. You know what that means don't you? imm cologne, naturally in Cologne, on the River Rhine. I hope you are well prepared. If not, you might want to quickly brush up on your vocabulary.

Thomas Demand has clad the historical Metzler Hall in Frankfurt's Städel-Museum with a curtain that is no curtain but is rather a picture of one. The artwork is called "Hall" and would not have been possible without the assistance of Danish textile makers Kvadrat.

Animals in advertising – we've all seen it. But what is it that makes them so popular when it comes to lending brands and products a positive image? What characteristics do we attribute to them? Do animals move us, or are we mainly pandering to cliches? A short series outlines a few select examples.

Domotex: "Customized Living"Swissbau: Sustainable BuildingBauhaus Archive: Villa KatsuraVitra Design Museum: Green DesignDMY Berlin: Apply now!

And once again a number on the calendar has changed. Behind the 20 there is now not an 11 but a 12. We're simply not able to escape the system in all its arrogance. So this time round all we can once again do is play with the constellation of numbers. Perhaps the new year will simply be another year under the sign of Horsfield's bronze cuckoo?

Green design goes really green: Singapore-based Woha architecture office develops visionary high-rises that not only exceed the customary standards for sustainable design, but are completely conquered by nature. At airy heights and well above the clouds of urban smog, they turn residential and office complexes into paradisiacal lagoons.

BODW Business of Design Week in Hong Kong has emerged as the leading design event in the entire region. This year, the Guest of Honor was Germany, which chose key themes. Renowned German manufacturers presented their products and ideas in the Asian business metropolis. Among the numerous, internationally reputed speakers was Bjarke Ingels, who gave a convincing talk on "Hedonistic Sustainability".

Do you know the name of the concept car designed by Mario Bellini? If you do, you could be one of the winners of the Stylepark Christmas competition. Here are the correct answers and the names of the lucky winners.

Chinese cities are known to grow very rapidly. So it is all the more important that those involved talk about architecture and urban planning. One suitable platform for discussion is the Shenzhen & Hong Kong Bi-City Biennale. For the show in Shenzhen, curator Terence Riley chose the topic "Street" and asked twelve architects for façade designs.

Trends at the Heimtextil trade fair “Crazy” at Maison&Objet Productive laziness? Lecture by Ludloff + Ludloff Architects Pop-up shop at the NRW-Forum

Finding the right gift is an art in itself. Then there is the question of the wrapping. We recommend Stylepark's gift wrap designs, and not only for design accessories.

There was a time when it counted as a symbol of fertility and since the 16th century it has served as Yuletide decoration. The Christmas tree can hardly be topped in terms of symbolism – essentially it's become the Christmas logo per se. The "Oh Tannenbaum!" exhibition offers a range of radical versions.

What will your Christmas be like? Candles burning? Do you like the scent of incense? Are there Christmas angels looking down from the mantelpiece? At Christmas everyone has their own idea of how to create the right atmosphere in their home. The artist Claus Richter loves it when there are little (flashing) lights everywhere. We paid him a visit in his personal Christmas paradise.

What makes Miami a relevant location on the world design map? Is it the flair of "Miami Vice" with the summery villas, luxury yachts and all the naked skin? Definitely not, as today the Design Miami trade fair pulls the crowds with products by Jean Prouvé, presented close to buildings by Frank Gehry and Herzog & de Meuron.

New Year’s Eve in Helsinki the design capital Studio for special tasks The Ego in the iPhone Walter Gropius in neighboring Poland

Euro 60 million for a collection plus the cost of investing in a building: Why on earth is the Chinese city of Hangzhou buying an extensive Bauhaus collection and building a special museum to house it in on the Design Campus?

Christmas is a coming, and with it the gifting season. Perhaps there’s a piece of jewelry on your dream list, or a home accessory, or even a piece of furniture. Before heading for the department store simply take a look at our quiz. With a little knowledge and a bit of good luck you could simply win an item from the Stylepark database.

In Berlin's villa quarter of all places, namely in Zehlendorf, or to be more precise at Haus am Waldsee, Graft Architects are just presenting their visionary-like installations and objects. Alongside converting Hotels Q and their "Phantom" table there are many unrealized projects on view. For example, the design for a temporary art gallery in Berlin that seems to float like a cloud over Schlossplatz.