Event News
-
29/11/2013 -
50 free registrations
Red Dot boosts the career: 50 free registrations to the design award
Every year of the competition, Red Dot assigns 50 free registrations to young designers. The so-called “Red Dot Young Professionals Application Day“ is very popular with up-and-coming talents. It enables young professionals to compete with renowned designers from all over the world in the Red Dot Award: Product Design. The participation phase is already in full swing and on 11 December 2013, career-starters have 24 hours to apply for one out of 50 free registrations.The “Red Dot Young Professionals Application Day” was born out of the idea to support product designers, who have been offering their services only for a short period of time, with a participation at the worldwide renowned Red Dot Award: Product Design. It aims at providing creative young professionals a successful start into the world of design and to facilitate new talents’ access to the industry.
First-time employees can compete with established and renowned product designers and international manufacturers, because: Young people often have notable innovative ideas and produce outstanding design achievements.The Red Dot Award strengthens the trust of potential clients and enables the laureates to already communicate their successes within their first working years.
In 2013, hundreds of creative minds from 30 countries grabbed their chance and applied for the 50 free registrations within 24 hours. Nine of them convinced the jury with the design quality of their products. Bernhard Elsaesser, the second young professional in the history of the Red Dot to win the highest award in the competition, received the Red Dot: Best of the Best for the vase “The attitude of the definite – the square”.Besides the free participation, the up-and–coming designers are, in case of a distinction, supported with extensive measures: The use of the winner label for the awarded product, its presentation in the Red Dot Design Museum and in the online exhibition are the privileges. Furthermore, the laureates will be introduced in the Red Dot Design Yearbook, the standard work for contemporary design.
This year, the Young Professionals Application Day will take place on 11 December 2013: Designers who have obtained their academic qualifications within the past five years, have 24 hours to apply via the Red Dot website for one of the free registrations. The participants of the promotion will be drawn randomly.
At a glance:
Young Professionals Application Day
11 December 2013
24 hours – starting at midnight in the respective time zone
50 free registrations for the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2014
Eligible to participate: Graduates of design or architecture courses who have obtained their academic qualifications within the past five years
Further information and registration at www.red-dot.org/pdRed Dot Award: Product Design 2014
Dates (until and including):
Early Bird 6 December 2013
Regular 28 January 2014
Latecomers 5 February 2014
Jury session: February 2014
Awards ceremony: 7 July 2014
Special exhibition of the award-winning products: 8 July – 3 August 2014
See the photogallery
-
26/10/2013 -
Concept 2013
The world’s best designs of the year were honoured at the Red Dot Design Museum Singapore earlier this evening with winning designers who flew from across the globe, some as far as Russia, Brazil, and Iran to receive the award during the celebrations.
This year’s Red Dot Award: Design Concept 2013 received ideas and prototypes from all over the world, including product companies and design studios – a record 4,394 entries from 57 countries. Since its birth in 2005, the award has become an outlet for design teams and designers to showcase their latest research without customer constraint. With new categories increased to twenty four spanning across a broad spectrum from public space, lifestyle to industrial needs, concept categories are deliberately wide to ensure limitless imagination, redefining new innovations and explanations.
“The sheer number of entries demonstrate the amount of attention brought towards design concepts, that societies are spending more attention on product innovations” commented Professor Lu Xiaobo, Red Dot Jury 2013, “with more design entries exploring new possibilities, pushing the frontiers of innovations, new concepts and ideas for the next generation”.
202 concepts were awarded the “Red Dot” this year, with 49 being honoured “Red Dot: Best of the Best” for its exceptional design excellence. 39 concepts were also credited with an “Honourable Mention”. Prof. Dr. Peter Zec, initiator and CEO of Red Dot, and Mr. Ken Koo, President of Red Dot, Asia, gave out the awards.
From the 49 “Red Dot: Best of the Best” laureates, the jury nominated 3 for the “Red Dot: Luminary” – the highest distinction given at the “Red Dot Award: Design Concept”, which honours the best concept of the competition. The three nominees were “KAMA” (A multifunctional excavator that can automatically change its tool head to undertake different types of work efficiently) by Luxun Academy of Fine Arts, China, “Lenify” (A collapsible emergency stretcher that was designed to eliminate the chance of secondary injuries from the lifting of patients up and onto the stretcher) by Taiwanese designer Lin Ta-Chin Danny, and “Nest – Rehoming Spent Laying Hens” (A contemporary kit-set hen house and supporting care system designed to encourage those living in populated areas within New Zealand to keep ex-commercial (or ‘spent’) layer hens as domestic pets.) by Massey University, New Zealand.
This year’s Red Dot: Luminary took a serious look at how one’s habitat can change the way of living for us and future generations, addressing sustainability and life in its most pragmatic way. “Nest – Rehoming Spent Laying Hens” emerged as the top design, winning the votes from the jury. Raj Nandan, Red Dot Jury 2013, affirms “It’s a great example of redesigning a life cycle, which most people tend to think that once a life cycle is set, it can’t be changed or redesigned.”
The “Red Dot: Luminary” was then presented to the School of Design, College of Creative Arts, Massey University, celebrating at its high point at the awarding ceremony. Prof. Dr. Zec and Mr. Koo then concluded the ceremony with the unveiling of this year’s yearbook, a condensation of the competition and “collection of imagination and innovation”. Special exhibition of the winning concepts were also unveiled both physically at the Red Dot Design Museum Singapore and online at the Red Dot Award: Design Concept website. The yearbook and exhibitions are traditions of the Red Dot Design Awards, providing designers with a reference to the best in design.
For the ceremony, Pico Art International, the official event manager, transformed the design museum’s main gallery into a runway stage for presenting the winners to the audience.
Lavish Dine, official caterer for the awarding ceremony, served up Wagyu beef, chicken and mushroom sliders immediately after the unveiling of the ceremony.
Adding to the celebrations, Bombay Sapphire, the official spirit and cocktail for the awards, served the classic Bombay Sapphire & Tonic together with the Red Dot Cocktail which has
been traditionally served during Red Dot celebrations. The Red Dot Cocktail – created and recommended by design expert Professor Dr. Peter Zec, were served to winners of the Red Dot Design Award, as the world’s top designers conversed and mingled with honorary guests from industry, politics and members of the press into the early hours.Red Dot Cocktail
Take 4cl gin (Bombay Sapphire 47%), 4cl cranberry juice and 1cl Cointreau. Stir over lots of ice in a mixing glass and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Finally, add a cocktail cherry and the ‘in’ drink of the design scene is ready!Facts and figures of the Red Dot Award: Design Concept 2013
Entries: 4,394
Nations: 57
Red Dot Awards: 202
Red Dot: Best of the Best Awards: 49
Honourable Mention 39See the online exhibition, click here
See the photogallery
-
19/12/2013 -
Concept Design
Higher, better, faster, stronger innovations Red Dot Award: Design Concept 2014 set to begin with full speed ahead.
Design is a test of endurance. Will designers be able to last till the end? The race for the Red Dot Award: Design Concept 2014 is set to begin on 1 January 2014 – in search of the best ideas, prototypes and concepts for the year, with all possible energy and enthusiasm.
During the Red Dot Award: Design Concept 2013, companies, design studios, universities and designers alike from 57 countries submitted 4,394 entries of their best innovative ideas – demonstrating the international significance of the competition.
President of Red Dot Asia, Mr. Ken Koo: “The Red Dot Award: Design Concept is analogous to competitive sports; the excitement stems only from a better race, a better time, and uncovering a better athlete. A more exciting race and a more exciting award are both the result of greater challenges where more and more of the best in the field participate and compete to win.”
The race for Red Dot Award: Design Concept 2014 is set at full speed ahead with shorter timelines for submissions. The result will be an earlier announcement of the year’s best design concepts for their outstanding design quality and excellence on the 26 September 2014.
The Early bird submission period will last shorter with only 29 days, from 1 January 2014 to 29 January 2014 while the final late submission deadline will end earlier this time, on 21 May 2014. Information on the Red Dot Award: Design Concept 2014 will be available at www.red-dot.sg from 2 December 2013 onwards.
With the shorter race set to begin, designers, manufacturers, studios and universities from all over the world are once again invited to submit their design concepts and prototypes for the competition.
Find out more about the shorter submission period for the Red Dot Award: Design Concept 2014. (http://www.red-dot.sg/en/participate/dates/).
What are the presentation requirements for the Red Dot Award: Design Concept? Find out here (http://www.red-dot.sg/en/info/are-you-ready/).
Red Dot Award: Design Concept 2014
Early bird submission period: 1 January 2014 – 29 January 2014
Standard submission period: 30 January 2014 – 2 April 2014
Late submission period: 3 April 2014 – 21 May 2014
Awarding ceremony: 26 September 2014
Further information: www.red-dot.sg
Special exhibition: From 27 September 2014 at the Red Dot Design Museum SingaporeOnline exhibition: From 27 September 2014 at www.red-dot.sg/online-exhibition
See the photogallery
-
28/02/2014 -
Design Concept 2014
With the end of early submissions, the Red Dot Award: Design Concept 2014 enters standard submission period with all possible energy and enthusiasm.
The Red Dot Award: Design Concept is one of the largest professional design concept competitions in the world. With an international jury consisting of experts from diverse
fields, the award serves as a fair, recognised, and indisputable benchmark for creativity and design excellence in the industry.
With 4,394 entries submitted from 57 countries in the year 2013, the award has grown to be of international significance for companies, design studios, universities and designers alike.
Calling on design teams, designers, inventors, students, teachers, research institutes, design departments, architects, engineers, any one with a great design idea to take notice.
Standard submission period of the Red Dot Award: Design Concept 2014 will end on the 2nd April.
Leverage on the Red Dot to provide an indication on the marketability of future products today.Red Dot Award: Design Concept 2014
Standard submission period: 30 January 2014 – 2 April 2014
Late submission period: 3 April 2014 – 21 May 2014
Awarding ceremony: 26 September 2014
Further information: www.red-dot.sg
Special exhibition: From 27 September 2014 at the
Red Dot Design Museum Singapore
Online exhibition: From 27 September 2014 at www.red-dot.sg/online-exhibition
See the photogallery
-
28/03/2014 -
Design for societal challenges
“Design for societal challenges”: PROUD Forum in the Red Dot Design Museum Essen
On Thursday, 8 May 2014, the Red Dot Design Museum Essen is organising the PROUD Forum “Design for societal challenges”. Experts from around the world will give insights in new design tools and methods and assess their potential in terms of their productive and social value. During the morning, lectures by renowned keynote speakers introduce current approaches, developments and opportunities in English. In the afternoon, various workshops offer the opportunity to discuss single aspects in more depth. Anyone interested can register as a participant until 2 May 2014 at www.red-dot.de/proudforum. The cost sharing is 30 euros (students: 15 euros) and includes drinks, snacks and lunch.
Nowadays societies are faced with political and economic changes that effect a fundamental transformation of their social structures. Globalisation on the one hand combined with the desire for individualisation on the other, the reimagining of the public sphere with the help of social networks, but also the loss of optimism about progress are just some of the developments that have altered our social structures and behaviours.
As a hybrid discipline, design walks a tightrope between economic success and social responsibility, between creativity and continuity, between technical innovation and human conservatism. How does design react to this social change? What methods and tools does it use in an effort to respond to – or even influence – this realignment of social and economic realities? How can design values be conveyed in a society where the word “design” is applied to almost everything? These and other questions will be discussed during the PROUD Forum “Design for societal challenges” on 8 May 2014 in the Red Dot Design Museum Essen.
Keynote Speaker
During the morning, renowned keynote speakers open the forum with interesting lectures: Among them is Professor Dr Mugendi K. M’Rithaa, Icsid President-Elect and Professor of Industrial Design at the South African Cape Peninsula University of Technology, who will talk about ”World Design Capital 2014: co-creation and innovation for societal change in Cape Town”. Insights into the changing role of designers will be granted by Prof. Ad van Berlo. The Part-time Professor of Entrepreneurial Design of Intelligent Systems at Eindhoven University of Technology and Founder of VanBerlo will focus on the development of the designers’ mission – from giving form to facilitating innovation processes. Moreover, Krister Torssell, CEO of Veryday from Sweden, and Professor Dr Peter Zec, founder and CEO of Red Dot, will give lectures during the PROUD Forum.
Workshop “What is the role of education in design museums?”
During the afternoon session, the participants of the PROUD Forum can choose one of three workshops in order to discuss one special aspect of innovative solutions for societal challenges more intensively. The workshop “What is the role of education in design museums?” will deal with the potential of design museums to offer design education programmes to pedagogic institutions since the basic principles of form giving are not yet incorporated in curriculums for primary and secondary schools in the European Union. Among others, Jukka Savolainen, Director of the Designmuseo in Helsinki (Finland), Prof. Dr. June H. Park, Professor of Design Education at the University of Vechta (Germany) and Sarah Campbell, Head of Schools, Families and Young People at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, will participate in the workshop and share their experiences and expertise with the participants.
Workshop “What is the future of design innovation centers?”
In parallel, another workshop will concentrate on the question “What is the future of design innovation centers?” After explaining the different design innovation hubs within PROUD, a practical test case, named Buda::lab (Fablab Kortrijk) will be illustrated. The future of design innovation centers within Europe will be discussed in the course of a lively debate, among others with guests, such as Rodolfo Baïz, Architect and Fab Lab Manager from Luxembourg, and Joe Lockwood, Deputy Director of the Institute of Design Innovation at The Glasgow School of Art. Which innovation centers are sustainable? How will they look like in the future? And which services will they have to offer?
Workshop “What is the effect of co-design?”
The third workshop of the afternoon session raises the question “What is the effect of co-design?” Since co-design is becoming a common approach to involving people into the design process, in the course of the PROUD project, principles of co-design have been identified and are being developed. Looking to numerous examples, the participants of the workshop will reflect on the complexity, criteria, and impact of co-design. Bas Raijmakers, Design Researcher, Reader at Design Academy Eindhoven and Creative Director at STBY London and Amsterdam, as well as Dr. Leon Cruickshank, Director of Knowledge Exchange – The Creative Exchange and Reader in Design at Lancaster University, will contribute to this workshop.
The forum “Design for societal challenges” is part of the EU project PROUD (People Researchers Organisations Using Design for innovation and co-creation).
About PROUD:
PROUD (People Researchers Organisations Using Design for co-creation and innovation) is a European project with the objective to make Europe a better place by co-designing for all and by all. PROUD brings designers together with public organisations, businesses and user communities to experience the added value of design thinking and design, while working on innovative solutions for today’s real world problems. PROUD helps and supports designers to have the right facilities, knowledge and expertise to play this key role in innovating, improving and consolidating Europe.
See the photogallery
-
08/04/2014 -
Design Team of the Year 2014
45-year success story honoured – Veryday is Red Dot: Design Team of the Year 2014
Veryday is the first Swedish company in the history of the Red Dot Award: Product Design to win the Red Dot: Design Team of the Year. It was announced today at a press conference in Milan that the product designers, who until 2012 went under the name of Ergonomidesign, are being awarded the sought-after title of honour in recognition of years of constant top design achievements. Professor Dr Peter Zec, founder and president of Red Dot, personally congratulated Krister Torssell, CEO of Veryday, at the world’s largest furniture trade fair “Salone Internazionale del Mobile”, otherwise known as “Milan Design Week”. “In 2014, the highest honorary title of the Red Dot Award goes to a design studio more than worthy, and whose incredible product solutions you all know. I am happy to announce that Veryday is the new Red Dot: Design Team of the Year”, said Professor Dr Peter Zec.
The title of honour of Red Dot: Design Team of the Year is not one that can be applied for. The exclusive award is granted every year by Red Dot for continuous unparalleled design performance. Since 1988 already, the award has been used to select a design team that has earned a reputation with excellent product design through its work over several years. Winners in past years include well-known companies such as Porsche, Apple, Lenovo, adidas, Grohe, Pininfarina and Hilti – and now Veryday from Stockholm, which started its path to success back in 1969.
Kristen Torssell, CEO of Veryday, is conscious of the significance of the title of honour: “Although we have received over 220 design awards throughout the years, this title is by far the highest distinction in the design world. Winning this award means that we have succeeded in consistently creating innovative, functional and inspiring design solutions for our clients, based on deep insights into what people really need, feel and desire.” According to Torssell, the key to success lies in a combination of an unparalleled knowledge about the users as well as a great interest in and almost extreme perfection for design. This approach is reflected in one of Veryday’s design milestones: EzyStove was awarded a Red Dot: Best of the Best in 2012. The stove combines sustainability, safety and durability with low costs. It can be used in dry regions to cook on a safe flame using very little wood.
Veryday has also created designs and innovations for high-profile brands such as BabyBjörn, 3M, Spotify, Electrolux, Gillette, Husqvarna, IKEA, Nokia and RollsRoyce. Numerous products from the creative company have won the Red Dot Award: Product Design in recent years. Once again this year, several designs from Veryday have won awards, including the “Carevo” shower trolley by the manufacturer ArjoHuntleigh.
The official ceremony for awarding the “Stylus” challenge cup, the most sought-after trophy amongst designers in the Red Dot Award: Product Design, will be the absolute high point of the Red Dot Gala on 7 July 2014 in Essen’s Aalto-Theater. Veryday will receive the award on the stage of the glamorous opera house in front of more than 1,200 guests from design, business and politics.
See the photogallery
-
31/03/2014 -
Design Team of the Year: Red Dot founder Prof. Dr Peter Zec reveals honorary title in Milan
Red Dot: Design Team of the Year: Red Dot founder Prof. Dr Peter Zec reveals honorary title in Milan
For the second time in a row, the Red Dot: Design Team of the Year will be announced in Milan: In the course of the largest international design fair, Salone Internazionale del Mobile, the Red Dot Award is going to uncover the name of its biggest champion for 2014. Red Dot founder and president Professor Dr Peter Zec is going to congratulate the company on 8 April 2014 in the course of a press conference.
Since 1988, the title, to which no design studio or company can apply, honours a corporate strategy “by which innovative quality products
sustainably influence the business success”, as Prof. Dr Zec explains. “In 2014, I can guarantee a surprise which, however, will lead you to a company more than worthy, and whose products you all know”.In 2013, the honorary title was announced at Milan’s Hotel Bulgari in front of numerous journalists. In a cheerful reception, Peter Zec handed the certificate to Yao Yingjia, Vice President and Head of Design and User Experience at Lenovo. Lenovo’s team entered the stage of the Red Dot Gala in July 2013, in Essen/Germany, inspiring 1,200 design fans in the audience with the spirit of the first Red Dot: Design Team of the Year ever from China.
Red Dot selects one design team every year that shapes markets around the world through consistently innovative design achievements. The list of winners in recent years includes such renowned companies as Adidas, Apple, BMW, Bose, Frogdesign, Sony, Grohe, Pininfarina and Porsche.
On 8 April 2014, when the bearer of this year`s title of honour will be announced in Milan`s famous Brera district, Professor Dr Peter Zec and other prominent members of the design society are going to congratulate the new design team for their outstanding achievements. The event will take place inside the exhibition “Swedish Design Goes Milan – In Real Life”, a collaboration between Svensk Form, Business Sweden and VisitSweden.
After the announcement, an exciting time for the new Red Dot: Design Team of the Year begins. It has to prepare its stage show for the Red Dot Gala in the Aalto-Theater Essen on 7 July 2014 as well as its special exhibition in the Red Dot Design Museum Essen. Within the world`s largest exhibition of contemporary design, the design team traditionally presents itself and its outstanding products in an exclusive setting. The Milan Design Week and the Red Dot Design Museum Essen will again prove the perfect places to celebrate one of the most reputable titles in the world of design.
See the photogallery
-
13/05/2014 -
Final call for Concept submissions
With just hours left for submission to this year’s Red Dot Award: Design Concept 2014, the highly anticipated adjudication phase in the competition comes next. This year, 20 jury members, all of whom are of high repute in the design scene, hail from Germany, South Korea, Taiwan, China, Denmark, Singapore, USA, Hong Kong, Australia, Japan, United Kingdom, Belgium and Finland.
In an evaluation process which lasts several days, thousands of designs will be examined within the competition’s 29 categories. The design experts provide their own cultural context tempered with their own experiences to provide fair and balanced judgement. As a result, the decisions taken, reflect the global standards in the industry.
Asked on what jurors are looking for in a Red Dot winning work, Prof. Ken Nah said, “I am looking for something new in design concepts that have the greatest potential in creating value in the near future, or, within 3-5 years.” Other than simplicity and clarity in designs, good communications skill is key. As he puts, “Nothing is complete unless you put in final shape.”
Gordon Bruce, principal of Gordon Bruce Design LLC, with 40 years of experience as a design consultant, cautioned designers against the ‘dumbed-down approach’, “People can be easily tricked into believing that a pretty looking object is high quality design. This approach tends to seduce the eyes but not the mind.”
Juror Nils Toft shares the same vision, “Good design is a simple and strong idea coming to life! A strong idea without a design is merely a good intention. Design is not a Christmas tree, the more ornaments you put on, the more you hide the idea of a tree.”
The ‘soft’ values in design hold significant value to juror Prof. Jure Miklavc. The importance of incorporating users‘ needs, he believes, is the true power of design. “They can be quiet or in your face loud, specific or most common for everybody, but most important is that they are every time focused on the user and they can change his behaviour and thinking.”
Cho Young Kil, chairman of Korea Design Firms Association, echoes the same sentiments. “Design innovation is an act of discovery of undiscovered consumers’ ordinary needs by collecting numerous consumer stories to find their mind-touching solutions with designers’ keen eyes. “ He added, “Do it differently by discovering the true insight that will improve our lifestyle with their rich and emotionally beautiful story.”
Red Dot Award: Design Concept has grown to be the largest and most recognised professional design competition for design concept and prototypes worldwide. In 2013 alone, companies, design studios, universities and designers alike from 57 countries submitted 4,394 entries of their best innovative ideas -demonstrating the international significance of the competition. With 29 categories for imagination and creativity to run free, concepts and prototypes sent in could be anything from public space, fashion to culinary or more.
As what juror Gordon Bruce said, “You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make him drink. Red Dot is a body of water from which anyone can drink. If you drink, there is a better chance of surviving and attaining your goals.”
See the photogallery
-
27/06/2014 -
Gala
On 7 July 2014 the wait will finally be over: The red carpet will be rolled out and international design experts, manufacturers and the media will come to Essen/Germany to celebrate the best product designs of the year at the Red Dot Gala. The glamorous awards ceremony traditionally takes place in the Aalto-Theater and culminates in the legendary Designers’ Night party in the Red Dot Design Museum.
An audience of 1,200 people will share in the excitement when the laureates of the Red Dot: Best of the Best will receive their trophies on stage. The event programme provides an additional entertainment factor: Under the guidance of Belgian ballet director Ben Van Cauwenbergh, the Aalto Ballett Theater Essen will present scenes from “Giselle”. The reinterpretation by choreographer David Dawson narrates timelessly and universally a tale about love and betrayal, justice and mercy. Internationally successful pianist and composer Hans Lüdemann is one of the German jazz elite and will take his audience on a musical journey of discovery.
The awards ceremony will be presented by none other than Professor Dr Peter Zec – traditionally in a radiant white suit. The founder and CEO of Red Dot will also welcome on stage guests of honour including Stefan Eckstein, President of the Association of German Industrial Designers (VDID), and tangerine founder Martin Darbyshire, who will hand over the Red Dot Trophy as jury members for this year’s competition. Mugendi K. M’Rithaa, Professor at Cape Peninsula University of Technology and future president of the global design organisation Icsid, will hold a speech in honour of the Swedish design company Veryday, which will receive the “Radius” challenge cup for its Red Dot: Design Team of the Year 2014 award from Yao Yingjia, chief designer at Lenovo.
Veryday is the first Swedish company in the history of the Red Dot Award: Product Design to receive the sought-after honorary title. The product designers, known until 2012 under the name Ergonomidesign, have received the award because of the consistently high design achievements over many years. The Red Dot: Design Team of the Year title of honour is not one that can be applied for. The exclusive award has been awarded since 1988 for continuous design achievement at the highest level.
After the Red Dot Gala, the Designers’ Night will take place in the Red Dot Design Museum. That is where designers and entrepreneurs as well as all those who want to party, dance or network into the early hours will convene – DJ Chrissi D! will provide the necessary party atmosphere.
The vernissage of the special exhibition “Design on Stage – Winners Red Dot Award: Product Design 2014” will present all award-winning products. This year 4,815 products from all over the world were submitted and only 72 of them achieved the highest distinction, the “Red Dot: Best of the Best”.
See the photogallery
-
14/02/2014 -
jury for 2014 has been announced
Renowned, international, independent: the Red Dot jury for 2014 has been announced!
Bit by bit, several thousands of products entered in the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2014 are arriving at the judging hall in the Ruhr region/Germany. Whether they come in a small package or a large container, the designs from vastly different areas of life are currently being prepared for their big moment. Design experts from all over the world will discuss each entry in a professional atmosphere during the jury session and assess its design quality. Only very few products are awarded the sought-after Red Dot or the even more seldom distinction “Red Dot: Best of the Best”.
This year, the decisions will be taken by the largest jury in the history of the Red Dot Award, with more than 40 internationally acclaimed design experts contributing their experience and design expertise over a three-day period to announce the laureates. Broken down into 23 competition categories, the products will be assessed in a detailed evaluation process where the experts use different criteria to reach their conclusion. These include among others the level of innovation, functionality and ecological compatibility. Other important criteria include formal quality, ergonomics and durability.
The jury – the heart of the Red Dot Award: Product Design – combines know-how from all over the world, comprising recognised, international design figureheads whose background allows them to assess consciously the special cultural aspects of design. Among other countries, the members come from Mexico, Italy, China, Sweden, Malaysia, Japan, the Netherlands, Turkey, Finland, Slovenia, the USA, Belgium and Germany.
The composition of the jury changes every year. This year, it includes tried-and-tested Red Dot jury members like the famous shoe designer Datuk‘ Professor Jimmy Choo and Hideshi Hamaguchi, the inventor of the USB drive. They will also be joined by Professor Stefan Diez, an authority on interior design, and architectural expert Professor Ben van Berkel, who will use their specialist knowledge to rate the best products. New additions to this year’s Red Dot jury include architect Vera Schmitz and jewellery designer Günter Wermekes, both of whom will enrich the panel with their expertise.
One special feature of the Red Dot Award: Product Design is that no designers employed in a manufacturing company are ever allowed to be on the judging panel. Professor Dr. Peter Zec, initiator and CEO of Red Dot explains: “The independence of politics and industry is one of the secrets of the success of the Red Dot Award. A designer who is charged with evaluating other companies – which are bound to be his or her competitors – on behalf of a certain brand can never be completely unbiased. This is why the Red Dot jury is made up solely of freelance designers and architects, design professors and expert journalists.”
The names of the award winners will be announced officially on 7 July 2014 at the Red Dot Gala, which has become a real tradition. More than 1,200 guests from all over the world are expected to converge in the Aalto-Theater, Essen’s glamorous opera house, who together will celebrate the highlight of this year’s Red Dot Award: Product Design and its laureates. Afterwards, the partygoers will as always move on to the unique Designers’ Night in the impressive Red Dot Design Museum at the World Heritage Site of the Zeche Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex.
New products and projects can be registered for the Red Dot Award: Product Design only up until and including 5 February 2014. Information on taking part is available at www.red-dot.de/pd.
The jury for the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2014
Manuel Alvarez Fuentes (Mexico)
Prof. Martin Beeh (Germany)
Dr. Luisa Bocchietto (Italy)
Gordon Bruce (USA)
Tony K. M. Chang (Taiwan)
Vivian Wai-kwan Cheng (China)
Datuk’ Prof. Jimmy Choo (Malaysia)
Mårten Claesson (Sweden)
Vincent Créance (France)
Martin Darbyshire (United Kingdom)
Prof. Stefan Diez (Germany)
Stefan Eckstein (Germany)
Robin Edman (Sweden)
Hans Ehrich (Sweden)
Prof. Lutz Fügener (Germany)
Hideshi Hamaguchi (Japan)
Prof. Renke He (China)
Tapani Hyvönen (Finland)
Defne Koz (Turkey)
Jakob Lange (Denmark)
Kristiina Lassus (Finland)
Prof. Xiaobo Lu (China)
Wolfgang K. Meyer-Hayoz (Switzerland)
Prof. Jure Miklavc (Slovenia)
Prof. Ron Nabarro (Israel)
Prof. Dr. Ken Nah (Korea)
Raj Nandan (Australia)
Prof. Dr. Yuri Nazarov (Russia)
Simon Ong (Singapore)
Max Ottenwälder (Germany)
André Ribeiro (France)
Gerard Sanmartí (Spain)
Vera Schmitz (Germany)
Dirk Schumann (Germany)
Belinda Stening (Australia)
Aleks Tatic (Germany)
Nils Toft (Denmark)
Prof. Ben van Berkel (Netherlands)
Prof. Danny Venlet (Belgium)
Günter Wermekes (Germany)
Cheng Chung Yao (Taiwan)
See the photogallery
-
05/08/2014 -
New Collection at the Red Dot Design Museum Singapore
Along with function, aesthetic and form, an intuitive product with its symbolic and emotional content differentiates a great design from a good design. These combined qualities are exactly what the newly crowned Red Dot Award: Product Design 2014 winning works have manifested in their innovative and cutting-edge products.
The Red Dot Design Museum Singapore unveils a collection of this year’s Red Dot Award: Product Design winning products whose designs have been conferred the Red Dot Awards by the international panel of distinguished judges.
Featuring only excellent designs recognized with the Red Dot seal of quality, the Red Dot Design Museum Singapore is the first and largest contemporary design museum that showcases the annual winning products and innovations of the prestigious Red Dot Award: Product Design 2014 to its audiences in Asia.
This new exhibition in Red Dot Design Museum Singapore presents a vast array of award-winning products featuring brands like Apple, Niessing Manufaktur GmbH & Co. KG, S&D Starking Limited, Breville, Konstar Industries Limited, Logitech, Jazz Hipster Corporation, Wacom Co. Ltd., vosla GmbH, Titan Company Limited, Ubike Co., Ltd., Lässig GmbH, Silhouette International and more.
Some key highlights include the ‘NI LED Parasol’ by Excellent Limited, Hong Kong, a multifunctional parasol where visitors can discover its unique illumination properties by trying out the pre-installed hidden disco mode in the parasol. Another interesting product on display is Indio da Costa A.U.D.T ‘Rabbit Air GS2.0’ which enhances the conventional air purification experience by providing almost silent operation, coupled with a power efficient smart interface and a childproof feature for a holistic approach to human wellness. Interactive product displays in a digital flipbook format specially created for this exhibition from Schüco International KG, Germany featuring the Schüco LightSkin’ , ‘Aluminum Sliding System 77PD’, ‘Schüco’s Door Control System’, ‘Schüco AvanTec Simply Smart” takes visitors from the big picture to its micro details for each product.
“Schueco’s four innovations on display are united by a singular commitment: to combine technology, nature and the human element to create products that meet the demands of an evolving, complex market. For example, Schueco’s Door Control System is a state-of-the-art door management system that can be designed for high-end residential properties. Beautifully built into the door profile, it also features a range of security and communication functions, such as RFID and fingerprint technology – the perfect balance of both function and form,” said Andreas Geyer, Managing Director for Schueco Southeast Asia.
Bringing the latest quality designs in its highest form, function and aesthetic, the new collection of the latest Product Design Exhibition is available for viewing at the Red Dot Design Museum Singapore from the 4th August 2014.
The collection of Red Dot Award: Product Design 2014 will also available for public viewing on the 8th August 2014 where monthly attraction MAAD [Market of Artists And Designers] will be taking place.
Admission is free from 5pm onwards.
See the photogallery
-
16/01/2015 -
Red Dot Design entry times
The Red Dot Award: Product Design 2015 is in full swing: Designers, brands and manufacturers from all continents are submitting thousands of entries right now. In February, an international jury of independent design experts is going to evaluate every product – without online pre-judging, but directly and only on the object. The best achievements are awarded with the sought-after “Red Dot” quality seal.
The jury for 2015 consists of more than 40 design specialists. Some of the decision criteria are degree of innovation, formal quality, functionality and ecological aspects. The team comprises of experienced Red Dot jurors such as Hideshi Hamaguchi, inventor of the USB flash drive, Tangerine founder Martin Darbyshire, IT design consultant Gordon Bruce and also newly acquired experts like Wen-long Chen, CEO of the Taiwan Design Center.
Global brands and star designers, but also medium-sized companies and young professionals are encouraged to enter. Laureates use the Red Dot label in their communications to set themselves apart in the industry and on the market. The winning products are presented in the Red Dot Design Museums and Red Dot Design Yearbooks, on various online portals, magazines, and TV programmes.
In 2015, the competition offers for the first time more than 30 categories for submitting industrially manufactured innovations – among them are the new categories “materials and surfaces”, “watches” and “musical instruments”. The winning designs and the people behind are honoured at a festive awards ceremony in Essen, Germany, hometown of the Red Dot and of the Red Dot Design Museum, which is the worldwide largest exhibition of contemporary design. Here, 60 years ago, in 1955, the first contest and exhibition of contemporary product benchmarks had been held. The Red Dot Gala on 29 June 2015 will, of course, be hosted by Red Dot founder and CEO Professor Dr. Peter Zec.
Red Dot Award: Product Design 2015
Participation periods:
Regular: until 27 January 2015
Latecomers: 28 January – 11 February 2015
Red Dot Gala: 29 June 2015
See the photogallery -
15/10/2013 -
Red Dot Gala and Designers Night in Berlin
18 October 2013 is the date to remember this autumn, as that’s when the top names in the design industry will meet to celebrate the winners of this year’s Red Dot Award: Communication Design in the creative metropolis of Berlin. The winners will receive their sought-after trophies on stage in the Konzerthaus in Berlin at the official ceremony as part of the Red Dot Gala. This is where it will be announced which of the 72 Red Dot: Best of the Best winners will be awarded the top prize in the competition – the Red Dot: Grand Prix. The excitement will last until the very last moment, particularly for newcomers and young professionals who have entered the competition, when Prof. Dr. Peter Zec, the initiator and CEO of Red Dot, announces the winner of the Red Dot: Junior Prize and its prize money of EUR 10,000 in the presence of more than 1,200 international guests.
The award ceremony also marks a special highlight for the Hamburg-based agency Mutabor. Not only is Mutabor celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, it will also be awarded the title of honour that is Red Dot: Agency of the Year on the evening in recognition of its outstanding and continuous creative achievements. The percussion duo Double Drums will provide the musical backdrop to the evening, with musicians Alexander Glöggler and Philipp Jungk creating a refined and humorous fusion of music, film and show to make for an unforgettable performance.
Afterwards, the celebrations will continue at the Designers’ Night in the Umspannwerk Alexanderplatz, where the winners, jury members and design fans will party together into the early hours, marking the high point of this year’s competition. None other than Chrissi D! will get the crowd dancing on the evening. The star DJ, originally from the Ruhr region and now living in Berlin, also provided the sounds and the party atmosphere for the celebrations at the Red Dot Award: Product Design event in Essen. The Designers’ Night also marks the opening of the winners’ exhibition. The works of the winners of the Red Dot Award: Communication Design 2013 will be on display there until 20 October.
Dates and facts:
Red Dot Gala
18 October 2013
Entry: 7.30 pm
Konzerthaus Berlin
Gendarmenmarkt
10117 Berlin/GermanyDesigners’ Night & vernissage for the winners’ exhibition “Design on Stage”
18 October 2013, from 10 pm
Umspannwerk Alexanderplatz
Voltairestr. 5
10179 Berlin/Germany
Exhibition: 19 and 20 October 2013Special exhibition „Best Communication Design – Red Dot Winners Selection 2013“
Museum for Communication Berlin
Leipziger Straße 16
10117 Berlin/Germany
Exhibition runs from: 1 November 2013 to 5 January 2014
See the photogallery
-
26/11/2014 -
Red Dot offers 60 free registrations
For one entire year, hundreds of young designers wait for one special day in the Red Dot Award: Product Design, which could provide the essential impetus to their professional future: Every year, the Young Professionals Application Day offers 50 free registrations for up-and-coming talents in one of the most renowned design competitions in the world. On the occasion of its 60th anniversary, Red Dot has increased this number to 60: Young designers can apply for the free registrations on 10 December 2014.
With the help of a qualified expert jury, the Red Dot Award: Product Design has been determining the best product designs of the year since 1955. The participants are designers and manufacturers from all around the world who hope for a distinction with the sought-after Red Dot seal of quality. The label is seen as an outstanding marketing tool and an accolade in the design scene. 4,815 products from all over the globe were submitted in the competition in 2014.
To give new talents – alongside established names in the field of design – the opportunity for an international comparison of their products, Red Dot founded the Young Professionals Application Day. Throughout that day,
graduates of design or architecture courses who have obtained their academic qualifications within the past five years have 24 hours to apply for the free registrations.With the support of Red Dot, younger industrial designers have the chance to prove their work and skills and to place themselves on the same platform as stars and big brands in the field. In addition to the free registration for the competition, the up-and-coming talents will be provided with comprehensive measures if they win an award. These Winners’ Privileges include the use of the Red Dot label for the award.
Register now, click here
See the photogallery -
26/03/2014 -
Red Dot product design winners
The expert jury has chosen – the winners of the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2014 have been announced
– 4,815 entries from 53 countries
– 72 Red Dot: Best of the Best winners
– 40 international experts made up the largest-ever Red Dot jury
They tested, assessed, criticised and discussed. After a jury session spanning three long days, the team of experts had reached a consensus: the best products of 2014 have been chosen. A record number of designers and companies from all over the world took part in this year’s competition by submitting their innovations for the renowned design award that is the Red Dot. With 4,815 entries, the Red Dot Award: Product Design received the highest-ever number of entries and at the same time added some new countries to the list of participants.
In order to ensure a professional appraisal of the quantity and diversity of products in this year’s competition, the international Red Dot jury was increased in size once again to number 40 design professionals from 25 countries. There were 72 winners of the highest award in the competition, the Red Dot: Best of the Best. This award is seen as the ultimate accolade in the world of design, and only 1.5% of all entries won it in 2014.
Broken down into categories such as gardens, bathrooms and spas, consumer electronics, vehicles and urban design, the products had to prove their worth in several different areas: Some of the features the jury took into account during judging included functionality, level of innovation, formal quality and ecological compatibility. In 2014, the panel of experts awarded the Red Dot for excellent product design to 1,120 products and the Honourable Mention for especially refined detail solutions to 123 products. Thus 27.3% of all entries won an award, while 3,500 entries were unsuccessful.
Prof. Dr. Peter Zec, the initiator and CEO of the Red Dot Award, explains why the competition is constantly rising in significance at an international level: “The Red Dot Award: Product Design gives design professionals from all over the world a chance to measure themselves against each other. Year after year, this results in a higher level of design and also motivates the participants to enter their best products in the competition.” In addition, the Red Dot label is an excellent marketing instrument for the award winners. The competition’s own tools alone ensure a large reach, for example by including the laureates in the Red Dot Design Yearbook, in the Red Dot App and in the exhibitions of the Red Dot Design Museums.
The glamorous awards ceremony for the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2014 will take place on Monday, 7 July 2014. The laureates of the Red Dot: Best of the Best, which is the highest award in the competition, will be honoured during the gala in Essen’s Aalto-Theater. Afterwards, the guests and the prize winners will celebrate together in the Red Dot Design Museum at the legendary Designers’ Night.
Facts and figures of the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2014
Entries 4,815
“Red Dot: Best of the Best“ awards granted 72
“Red Dot“ awards granted 1,120
“Honourable Mention“ awards granted 123
Red Dot Gala: 7 July 2014 at 6 p.m. in the Aalto-Theater in Essen/Germany
Special exhibition: 8 July – 3 August 2014 in the Red Dot Design Museum Essen, Germany
The jury of the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2014
Manuel Alvarez Fuentes (Mexico)
Prof. Martin Beeh (Germany)
Dr. Luisa Bocchietto (Italy)
Gordon Bruce (USA)
Tony K. M. Chang (Taiwan)
Vivian Wai-kwan Cheng (China)
Datuk’ Prof. Jimmy Choo (Malaysia)
Vincent Créance (France)
Martin Darbyshire (Great Britain)
Prof. Stefan Diez (Germany)
Stefan Eckstein (Germany)
Robin Edman (Sweden)
Hans Ehrich (Sweden)
Prof. Lutz Fügener (Germany)
Hideshi Hamaguchi (Japan)
Prof. Renke He (China)
Tapani Hyvönen (Finland)
Defne Koz (Turkey)
Jakob Lange (Denmark)
Kristiina Lassus (Finland)
Prof. Xiaobo Lu (China)
Wolfgang K. Meyer-Hayoz (Switzerland)
Prof. Jure Miklavc (Slovenia)
Prof. Ron Nabarro (Israel)
Prof. Dr. Ken Nah (Korea)
Raj Nandan (Australia)
Jan Němeček (Czech Republic)
Prof. Dr. Yuri Nazarov (Russia)
Simon Ong (Singapore)
André Ribeiro (France)
Gerard Sanmartí (Spain)
Vera Schmitz (Germany)
Dirk Schumann (Germany)
Belinda Stening (Australia)
Aleks Tatic (Germany)
Nils Toft (Denmark)
Prof. Ben van Berkel (Netherlands)
Prof. Danny Venlet (Belgium)
Günter Wermekes (Germany)
Cheng Chung Yao (Taiwan)
The assessment criteria of the jury
· Degree of innovation
· Functionality
· Formal quality
· Ergonomics
· Durability
· Symbolic and emotional content
· Product periphery
· Self-explanatory quality
· Ecological compatibility
See the photogallery
-
24/09/2013 -
Success by design in China’s metropolis Xiamen
“For the most talented people and creative ideas”:
Red Dot presents business success by design in China’s metropolis XiamenDesign is not only the physical appearance of shapely products, but also the key factor for business success. In November 2013, Red Dot once more encourages manufacturing companies to focus on good design when creating their products in order to improve their competitiveness: As the internationally renowned indicator for outstanding design quality, Red Dot will soon label one of the biggest design and business festivities in the Far East.
From 8 until 12 November 2013, for the second time in a row, the Red Dot organisation will hold the “Xiamen International Business of Design Week – Red Dot in China”. After last year`s successful debut, Xiamen will once again be home to the status quo of best Chinese and international design. The huge South-Chinese port city is a booming region that benefits from its position at the Taiwan Strait: From a geographic point of view, Taiwan as well as Japan and South Korea are even closer to Xiamen than Beijing. This is one reason why the metropolis has a big trade volume and traditionally wide-spread economic impact.
In 2012, Red Dot`s exhibition of award-winning products at the Xiamen International Business of Design Week attracted thousands of qualified visitors. This year, Red Dot presents an inspiring Best Practice show with more than 120 awarded products by 92 companies. Furthermore, there will be assigned booths where Red Dot winners will introduce their design studios and achievements to the visitors.
Professional insights into the world of design are given by internationally renowned experts at the Red Dot Design Forum: In their lectures, Prof. Dr. Peter Zec (initiator and CEO of Red Dot), Hideshi Hamaguchi (Director of Strategy at Ziba Design), Martin Darbyshire (Owner & Managing Director of tangerine) and Prof. Axel Thallemer (Chair of Industrial Design / Head of scionic research at Art University Linz), to name but a few, will point out the connection between economy and design. Last year, more than 500 company representatives, designers and students came to see the presentations. These figures provide impressive proof of the high level of interest in the topic of “Business Success by Design”, the overarching motto of the event.
At the “2013 Xiamen International Business of Design Week”, Red Dot expands its contribution and includes a new component: An option for the visitors to the Red Dot Design Forum will be provided to attend seminars, where they can explore the findings from the presentations in more depth. This model forms the basis for the new Red Dot Academy with a programme that is geared to designers and design managers, but also to entrepreneurs and marketing experts who wish to get further training in the field of design. Red Dot CEO Prof. Dr. Peter Zec on the concept of the new academy: “In our globalised world, the competition is not primarilly for innovation and products, but for the most talented people and creative ideas. In view of Red Dot`s experience and its pursuit of quality, this model by the new academy provides an interesting possibility to become certified as a Red Dot Academy fellow.”
Liu Keqing, Mayor of Xiamen Municipal People`s Government, welcomes the cooperation with Red Dot and looks forward to an inspiring event: “By freeing up the mind and bringing in global pioneering trends, this business design week will promote exchanges and cooperation between the creative and designing industries in Xiamen and its counterparts around the world, and maximise the role of creative design in building corporate innovative capacity and brand value of manufacturing companies.”
In a press conference on 25 September 2013 at the Xiamen Culture and Art Center, Prof. Dr. Peter Zec and the representative official from Xiamen Municipal Government will present further details of the “Xiamen International Business of Design Week – Red Dot in China”.
See the photogallery
-
22/06/2014 -
The jury is ready!
The jury for the Red Dot Award: Communication Design 2014 has been chosen. A total of 24 design experts from all over the world will assess the works of the participants in this year’s competition. Like every year, the competition for creatives will be on the look-out for the best projects from the fields of Advertising, Online, Game Design and more: Designers, advertisers, marketing managers and up-and-coming new talents have a total of 16 categories to choose from for their entries.
Game One presenter Daniel Budiman is joining the jury for the first time. The gaming fanatic from Flensburg not only holds the record for the longest-produced and longest-running programme on German music television, he has also received a Grimme Award for the website www.gameone.de. Daniel Budiman lives for computer and video games and has devoted his work to the aim of conveying the fascination of the medium of gaming to a larger audience: “By taking part as a jury member for the Red Dot Design Award for the first time, I want to contribute to a transfer of knowledge and in a best case scenario create real interest amongst those who are new to computer and video games. I would really love to demonstrate the fascination and diversity behind the creation of virtual worlds, stories and experiences to a much broader audience in a way that only the medium of video games and the discipline of game design can achieve. I am absolutely delighted to have the chance to take an active part as a jury member in my capacity as an expert for the discipline of game design and am hoping to have great discussions with experts from all other disciplines.”
For the first time, this year’s jury will also feature a jury member from South Africa. Branding expert Thebe Ikalafeng will enrich the jury session with his knowledge of brand building and reputation management. He is one of Africa’s leading branding architects, consultants and authors. As a brand architect he has over the years managed the development of leading African brands from the fields of corporate, consumer, politics and industry. “It is important for Africa to take part in global initiatives such as the Red Dot, if not to showcase Africa’s creative point of view, certainly to ensure that what is communicated about Africa reflects African insight and involvement. Design plays an important role in helping articulate, communicate and share the African perspective and identity. A Red Dot recognition for an African idea will affirm what is now clearly evident, that Africa is rising and competitive globally,” says Ikalafeng in regard to his contribution as a jury member.
Prof. Dr. Peter Zec, initiator and CEO of Red Dot, is delighted to be able to welcome new members to the jury each year, alongside familiar faces: “It makes me incredibly proud that many of the distinguished jury members have been members for years and look forward each year anew to the jury session, which counts for the most exciting days in the whole competition year. Together with the input provided by the new jury members each year, we arrive at significant and qualified judgements for the design industry. This makes winning a Red Dot a guarantee of visibility at an international level.”
For the third time the laureates will be honoured in the creative metropolis of Berlin. All Red Dot: Best of the Best and Red Dot: Grand Prix winners will receive their awards on stage in the Konzerthaus in Berlin on 24 October, in what is sure to be a celebratory atmosphere. Afterwards the international creative scene will party together into the early hours in the e-werk in Berlin at the Designers’ Night, which is simultaneously the vernissage for the “Design on Stage” winners’ exhibition, to celebrate the highlight of the Red Dot Award: Communication Design 2014. You still have a chance to register until 27 June 2014.
The Red Dot jury in 2014:
Ali Bati, Turkey
Alain Leclerc von Bonin, Switzerland
Bettina Schulz, Germany
Chris Lee, Singapore
Clemens Hochreiter, Germany
Daniel Budimann, Germany
Frank Swolfs, Netherlands
Gustavo Greco, Brazil
Holger Windfuhr, Germany
Jack Renwick, Scotland
Jean Jaques Schaffner, Switzerland
Kelley Cheng, Singapore
Knut Hartmann, Germany
Niels Schrader, Germany
Nuno Gusmao, Portugal
Oliver Kartak, Austria
Peter Philippe Weiß, Switzerland
Prof. Dr. Linda Breitlauch, Germany
Prof. Laurent Lacour, Germany
Prof. Michel de Boer, Netherlands
Rainer Hirt, Germany
Renne Angelvuo, Finland
Riccardo Capuzzo, Italy
Thebe Ikalafeng, South AfricaDates and deadlines:
Registration still possible until 27 June at www.red-dot.de/cd.
Jury Session: July 2014Red Dot Gala, Designers’ Night and “Design on Stage”
24 October 2014 in BerlinFurther information available at www.red-dot.de/cd
See the photogallery
-
02/02/2014 -
The trend barometer
The trend barometer for design-strong brands: Final spurt in the Red Dot Award 2014
Great authority in the search of the latest top performances in international product design: Being an independent competition, the Red Dot Award selects the best drafts from different industries for almost 60 years now. In 2014, a total of 23 product categories are available for registration – among others from the fields of living rooms and bedrooms, babies and children, watches and jewellery, office, vehicles and consumer electronics, to name but a few. All those who want to go hunting for the Red Dot quality seal, need to hurry up: Only until 5 February 2014, companies and designers can enter their current products and projects in the competition. The final spurt is in full swing!
More and more manufacturers and designers from around the globe realise that the design is the essential criterion for the buying decision and additionally much more than only a beautiful appearance. In an ideal situation, they design products which convince today’s challenging and quality-conscious consumers with aspects such as functionality, ergonomics and durability. But for companies, it is not enough to be internally sure about the existing design quality. Competing with others and putting one’s own achievements to the test: Only in this way, one can receive a qualified evaluation of one’s own know-how and can develop further.
Prof. Dr. Peter Zec, initiator and CEO of Red Dot, knows that the international top brands are fully aware of this: “The big brands identify the Red Dot Award more and more as an achievement barometer for their own power of innovation. With good cause, companies such as Lenovo, Walter Knoll, BMW or Apple participate in our competition annually and face the international comparison: They trust the well-founded decision of theRed Dot jury, which provides them ideally with a highly respected quality seal, but also with new inspiration for improving and developing further their products.” Moreover, the award serves the participants as a cross-sectoral comparison. There is a huge competition in many industries – like in the communications sector with its sheer unimaginable multiplicity of smartphones tablets or notebooks. In order to assert oneself in the long term, manufacturers and designers have to distinguish themselves in a positive way from the competition and generate unique selling points.
Especially in highly competitive markets with a high saturation level, the certificate “Red Dot” is considered to be a quality argument and provides consumers with useful orientation. But also in other, less technical branches, such as the leisure and sports sector or the furniture industry, good design is increasingly important for companies in order to stand out from the mass.
Who will impress with top performances and which industry will develop further? The design and its evaluation will decide! The laureates of the Red DotAward: Product Design 2014 will gain the respect of the international design scene as well as the highest degree of attention for outstanding design quality: On 7 July 2014, Red Dot will officially honour the best achievements during the traditional awards ceremony in Essen’s opera house. Afterwards, all products will be presented in the four-week winner exhibition “Design on Stage” in the Red Dot Design Museum Essen on the UNESCO World Heritage Site Zollverein, before they become part of the permanent exhibition from August on.
Red Dot Award: Product Design 2014:
Registration only until and including 5 February 2014
Jury session: February 2014
Awards ceremony: 7 July 2014
Special exhibition of the award-winning products: 8 July – 3 August 2014
Further information and registration: www.red-dot.de/pd
See the photogallery
-
26/01/2015 -
Italian Red Dot jurors
The international design scale: Red Dot jurors from Italy in search of product benchmarks
The Red Dot Award: Product Design 2015 is in full swing: Designers, brands and manufacturers from all continents are submitting thousands of entries right now. In February, an international jury of independent design experts is going to evaluate every product – without online pre-judging, but directly and only on the object. The best achievements are awarded with the sought-after “Red Dot” quality seal.
The team comprises of 40 independent experts such as Hideshi Hamaguchi (Japan), inventor of the USB flash drive or Tangerine founder Martin Darbyshire (UK). Once again, Dr. Luisa Bocchietto, architect and designer, and longstanding president of ADI – Associazione per il Disegno Industriale, will join the jury team. Aleksandar Tatic, founder of Tatic Designstudio in Milan, Italy, will also be a Red Dot juror again in 2015.
Global brands and star designers, but also medium-sized companies and young professionals are encouraged to enter. Laureates use the Red Dot label in their communications to set themselves apart in the industry and on the market. The winning products are presented in the Red Dot Design Museums and Red Dot Design Yearbooks, on various online portals, magazines, and TV programmes.
In 2015, the competition offers for the first time more than 30 categories for submitting industrially manufactured innovations – among them are classical product groups like furniture and “Lighting & lamps”, but also the new categories “materials and surfaces”, “watches” and “musical instruments”. The winning designs and the people behind are honoured at a festive awards ceremony in Essen, Germany, hometown of the Red Dot and of the Red Dot Design Museum, which is the worldwide largest exhibition of contemporary design. Here, 60 years ago, in 1955, the first contest and exhibition of contemporary product benchmarks had been held. The Red Dot Gala on 29 June 2015 will be hosted by Red Dot founder and CEO Professor Dr. Peter Zec.
See the photogallery
Essen,
Germany
