To bring important issues into society

Prof. Adrian Nießler has officially taken office as the new President of the Hochschule für Gestaltung (HfG) Offenbach. The appointment certificate was presented to him yesterday in Wiesbaden by Hesse’s Minister of Science, Timon Gremmels.

Nießler brings extensive experience in art, design, education, and creative practice to his new role. He has been a Professor of Communication Design at HfG Offenbach since 2020 and served as Dean of the Faculty of Art since 2024. In July 2026, he was elected President by the university’s extended Senate.

“I am very grateful for the trust placed in me by the extended Senate and the university community. I look forward to shaping the future of HfG together with our students, teachers, and staff,” says Nießler.

For Nießler, leading an art and design university today means engaging with a world shaped by war, social and economic crises, and rapid technological change. At the same time, he sees these challenges as an opportunity to rethink the role of art and design in society.

“Art universities are places where all of these developments are negotiated,” Nießler explains. “Art and design have the power to bring important issues into society and thus make a significant contribution to strengthening democracy.”

A central aspect of his vision is the interplay between practical craftsmanship, research, and academic reflection across the different fields of art and design. In times of profound social and technological transformation, he believes that art universities can serve as models for developing new ways of working and learning.

Timon Gremmels, Hessian Minister for Science and Research, the Arts and Culture, and Adrian Nießler, the new HfG President. © HMWK

From HfG Student to President

Born in Göttingen in 1978, Adrian Nießler lives and works in Frankfurt am Main. His connection to HfG Offenbach goes back to his own studies at the university. In 2006, he founded the design studio Pixelgarten together with Catrin Altenbrandt. Working at the intersection of communication and interaction, the studio develops exhibitions, digital and analogue media, and visual identities for NGOs, companies, and institutions. Its work focuses on making complex subjects accessible and tangible through design.

In 2020, Nießler and Altenbrandt were appointed to professorships in Communication Design at HfG Offenbach. Six years later, Nießler now returns to the university’s leadership in a new role: as its President. His appointment marks the beginning of a new chapter for HfG Offenbach — one that places art and design at the center of conversations about technological change, social transformation, and the future of education.

As Nießler takes office, his focus is clear: to work together with the entire HfG community to explore how an art university can respond creatively and critically to the challenges of the present while developing new perspectives for the future.