Natalie Steger and Annika Götz
1. Congratulations on winning the NY Product Design Awards! Can you introduce yourself and share about what inspired you to pursue design as a career?
We’re Annika and Natalie, the founders of BADESOFA. BADESOFA was founded in Cologne, Germany. We’re both also moms of three. Our daily life is fast, loud, and demanding. BADESOFA was born directly out of that reality.
We didn’t set out to “design a product” - we set out to solve a very personal problem: how to truly relax in a bathtub that isn’t designed for comfort. That’s where the idea came from - bringing the feeling of a sofa into the bath.
2. What does being recognized in the NY Product Design Awards mean to you?
This award is strong validation that design and real-life functionality belong together. We’re not creating decorative products - we’re building solutions that people actually use. Being recognized for that is incredibly meaningful.
3. How has this achievement impacted your career, team, or agency, and what opportunities has it brought so far?
It’s a momentum driver. Internally, it reinforces our high standards. Externally, it elevates our positioning - suddenly you’re in conversations with bigger partners, better opportunities, and a more global audience.
4. What role does experimentation play in your creative process? Can you share an example?
Experimentation is part of our DNA - because our benchmark is real life, not theory. We tested materials extensively until we found the right balance: soft enough to feel luxurious, but durable, quick-drying, and easy to maintain. As working moms, we don’t have time for high-maintenance products and neither do our customers.
5. What's the most unusual source of inspiration you've ever drawn from for a project?
Motherhood.
It’s not a typical design reference, but it’s incredibly honest. When you’re constantly balancing time, energy, and needs, you develop a very sharp instinct for what truly matters - and what doesn’t.
6. What’s one thing you wish more people understood about the design process?
Design is not about aesthetics, it’s about decisions.
Every detail reflects a choice between usability, durability, and emotional impact. Good design disappears into the user’s life. Bad design creates friction.
7. How do you navigate the balance between meeting client expectations and staying true to your ideas?
We don’t see it as a conflict; we see it as alignment. We stay very clear on the core user needs: comfort, simplicity, and real relaxation. Once that’s defined, decisions become objective, not subjective.
8. What were the challenges you faced while working on your award-winning design, and how did you overcome them?
The biggest challenge was combining three things that rarely coexist: comfort, hygiene, and longevity. A bath cushion can’t just feel good. It has to perform under constant exposure to water. Getting that balance right required multiple iterations and a lot of discipline.
9. How do you recharge your creativity when you hit a creative block?
We don’t force creativity. When things stall, we step away into family life, movement, or completely different environments. That reset is usually more effective than pushing through.
10. What personal values or experiences do you infuse into your designs?
Efficiency and energy. Our products are designed to give energy back, not take it away. That mindset comes directly from our lives as founders and mothers.
11. What is an advice that you would you give to aspiring designers aiming for success?
Stop focusing only on how things look—focus on how they work in real life. The designers who win are the ones who understand behavior, not just visuals.
12. If you could collaborate with any designer, past or present, who would it be and why?
We see strong potential in a collaboration with goop due to the clear alignment around self-care, wellbeing, and longevity. Both brands focus on creating meaningful rituals that enhance everyday life.
Gwyneth Paltrow also embodies a modern, conscious lifestyle as a successful entrepreneur and mother, which strongly resonates with our audience. A collaboration would feel authentic, connecting two brands that stand for intentional living and long-term wellbeing.
13. What's one question you wish people would ask you about your work, and what's your answer?
What really matters to me is how our work impacts people’s everyday lives. It’s not just about creating products, but about helping people build small rituals of self-care that genuinely improve their wellbeing. When something we’ve created becomes part of someone’s daily routine and adds a bit more calm, comfort, or balance- that’s what makes the work meaningful.
