The team of radostar.com had the pleasure to meet up with Marcus Fairs, editor in chief of www.dezeen.com. This was a great opportunity for both to discuss new ideas and future trends in design.

From L to R: Mireille Scheurer, Marcus Fairs, Yumy Pham, Michel Hueter, Patric Zingg

Marcus gifted his succesfull book "Green Design" to the radostar.com team. It reveals how the design world is responding to the environmental challenges of the twenty-first century... An absolute must!

 

Fred klaas pack is black and white... but we know that the world around us is a bit more complex than that!

Tell us what you think and design the new limited edition Fred Klaas using ALL VARIANTIONS OF GREYS (black and white included of course) + ONE OTHER UNIQUE COLOUR of your choice.

 

An independent jury will elect the 5 winning designs which will be produced and sold in FRED selected places in Germany and Switzerland. See the prizes the winner will receive.
This competition is open to any resident of Germany or Switzerland aged above 18 yo.

Visit http://www.pimpmyfred.com to apply and for more info, news and updates.
Check also the brand website http://www.smokefred.ch

 

On December 8th 2009, the Swiss magazine "Hochparterre" and the national TV have honored nine projects in the fields of design, architecture and landscape in a glamorous award ceremony at the Museum of Design in Zurich.
The prestigious award itself is worth a second look: Designed by Zurich's sculptor Severin Müller they are shaped as rabbits.

Köbi Gantenbein, editor-in-chief for Hochparterre: «As every year, our specialists have found the best projects based on nomination from the juries." Consisting of renowned artists themselves, the juries have met for each category independently and have thoroughly discussed the numerous projects.

Category Architecture

Golden Rabbit
In the category architecture, the school building Leutschenbach in Zurich was awarded with the Golden Rabbit for its open and generous design. Jokingly called layer cake by the students, it is built almost completely from glass. "This building by architect Christian Kerez and civil engineer Joseph Schwartz is truly one of the most extraordinary structures we have seen in years", says the jury.

(Photo: Dario Pfammatter)

Silver Rabbit
The Silver Rabbit for architecture went to the architects Kaschka Knapkiewicz and Axel Fickert for their remodeling of the residential area Stadtrain in Winterthur. In order to gain more living space, the architects enlarged the homes with extensions in the front yards. Even though the gardens became smaller, the inhabitants gain a quality invaluable in today's suburbs: privacy. The extensions serve as a protection from the neighboring buildings.

(Photo: Heinz Unger)

Bronze Rabbit
The owners of the Villa Chardonne (a pilot and a flight attendant) have always loved flying and longed to incorporate that passion into their home. The young designer from the Geneva design agency "Made in" have created a building that seems to fly over the lake of Geneva. Large windows allow a breathtaking sight over the lake and the alps. The jury was stunned with this courageous design and awarded it with the Bronze Rabbit for architecture.

(Photo: made in Sàrl, Genève)

Category Design

Golden Rabbit
The Golden Rabbit for design was awarded to a bicycle named Papalagi by Butch Gaudy. It is designed with the cyclist in mind, its frame strong and sturdy, yet very light. Made to be used, it is a bicycle for life. "We are honoring not only this particular design, but also Butch Gaudy's passion and know-how in this field", says the jury.

(Photo: Reto Andreoli)

Silver Rabbit
The watch r5.5 from Rado was honored with the Silver Rabbit for design. Designed Jasper Morrison, the watch distinguishes itself through its discrete design and simple elegance as it is the credo of the British designer, as well as Rado's. "This is a watch without pomp and circumstance – as always, Jasper Morrison has kept faithful to his 'supernormal' designs", comments the jury. After already having re-interpreted the Ceramica watch and having created an award-winning watch-packaging, the r5.5 is the third step of the collaboration between Jasper Morrison and Rado.

(Photo: Rado)

Bronze Rabbit
Sometimes something as simple as a carpet can make the whole difference. Designer Frédéric Dedelley has taken up the structure of the ceiling in the Wasserkirche in Zurich and mirrored it in his carpet design with fine white lines. This church is no longer just a place of worship, but also a peaceful haven in the middle of the busy city. The seating is no longer fixed and can be used for events or readings. Designer Dedelley says: "I wanted the church to look generous and empty." Ready to be filled with meaning. The quiet design was awarded with the Bronze Rabbit for design.

(Photo: Dominique K. Wehrli)

Category Landscape

Golden Rabbit
The Golden Rabbit for landscape was awarded to the Liebefeld-Park in Köniz near Berne. Its simplicity is striking and leaves its visitors with a lot of possibilities. It is a park created for those who use it: "If any elements were missing, they could easily be integrated in this simple design at a later time", says the jury.

(Photo: Bruno Augsburger)

Silver Rabbit
Once a silk mill, the Sidi-Areal in Winterthur is now a residential area - but it has kept its industrial origins. The landscape architects from Kuhn Truninger have included many metaphors in their design, such as the floor pattern in the courtyard reminding one of the industrial regularity in which the looms had been standing. This successful re-design was awarded with the Silver Rabbit for landscape.

(Photo: Kuhn Truninger)

Bronze Rabbit
The renovation of the old Averserstrasse in the Grisons was honored with the Bronze Rabbit. The street used to be the main road through the valley but was replaced with an urban road, forgotten and left to the elements. Now it has been restored to allow visitors to walk through the unique landscape of the valley on a unique path. The jury was impressed with the use of materials from the region and traditional constructions techniques.

(Photo: Verein Alte Averserstrasse)

Visit http://www.hochparterre.ch for more info, news and updates.

 

After evaluating all 380 competition entries, the international jury of The Great Indoors Award 2009 has selected five nominees in each of the five categories and chose a winner in each category.

The award winners were announced in Maastricht/Netherlands during the award ceremony on November 28th 2009:

Category Show & Sell - Retail
Including shops, showrooms, trade-fair stands, exhibitions etc.

Firm: Office for Metropolitan Architecture - OMA (NL) Project: Prada Transformer, Seoul 2009 Client: Prada

Category Relax & Consume - Leisure
Including hotels, bars, clubs, restaurants, spas, wellness centres etc.

Firm: Design Spirits Co., Ltd. (JP) Project: Beijing Noodle no. 9, Las Vegas 2008 Client: Beijing Noodle

 

Category Concentrate & Collaborate - Work
Including offices, studios, administration buildings, conference centres etc.

Firm: i29 Interior Architects (NL) Project: Recycled Office, Amsterdam 2009 Client: Gummo

Category Serve & Facilitate - Public
Libraries, hospitals, theatres, schools etc.

Firm:Bureau Ira Koers & Studio Roelof Mulder (NL) Project: Library for University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam 2009 Client: University of Amsterdam

Category Interior Design Firm of the Year 2009

Guise (SE) The Swedish firm Guise is one of those young firms that combine a distinctive method and a modest budget in its projects. The jury was particularly sold on the firm’s clear design methodology and quality in graphics, and sees in this underlying design concept a future scenario in which simple ingredients are effective identity carriers that also maximise functionality.

Visit www.the-great-indoors.com for more info, news and updates.

Initiators of The Great Indoors Award are FRAME magazine; Marres CCC and The Netherlands Architecture Institute/ Bureau Europa.

It is bound to be an evening of stimulating discussions and interesting encounters when prominent personalities from the worlds of design, culture, politics and business come together for the awards ceremony of this year's Design Preis Schweiz. On November 6th 2009, six creative teams and their projects were honored with a prestigious award.

The prize in the category "Market" is awarded for products and services that have been successfully introduced to the market within the last two years. This year it went to Paolo Fancelli and his team for the development of the multipurpose transporter "Aebi VT450". This functional yet comfortable vehicle was designed with the driver in mind: "I want my products to improve the quality of life for the people who use them", designer Paolo Fancelli says.

Products and services that are shortly to be introduced to the market and projects by young designers who have yet to make a name for themselves on the market are awarded in the prize category "Newcomer". Originally designed as a sales display for bags, the modular shelf system "V30 Freitag Skid" by young designer Colin Schaefli impressed the international jury with its simplicity.

In the field of textiles, the "Textile Design Award" has been split up to reward two independent projects. In the category for innovative textile solutions, Martin Leuthold and his luxurious woven fabric named "Secret Garden" have enchanted the jury. Like a breath of nothing, this ultra-light weave is coated with a choice of aluminum, copper or bronze and printed on one side with a flowery design, which gives it an almost hypnotic look when moving. The award for research and development in textiles went to Schoeller Technologies AG for their textile enhancement technology "coldblack: Sun Reflector - UV Protector". This revolutionary textile treatment technology protects against both heat and damaging ultraviolet rays. The jury sees a great potential in areas that include fashion, functional clothing and textiles for outdoors.

Young designer Thomas Schaad's project "Pacemaker" has been selected by the "Design Preis Schweiz" jury and granted with the "Rado Product Design Award". This award goes out to industrial products that are distinguished by an innovative approach to the materials or combination of materials, functionality or manufacturing technique. The "Pacemaker" is a portable, yet professionally designed DJ system no bigger than an MP3 player and can be used for mixing and playing music practically anywhere at anytime. It is a great example of an innovative blend of design, aesthetics as well as functionality.

One especially prestigious award at the Design Preis Schweiz is handed over to individual designers or design studios for their continuous services in the field of design: the "Merit". This year's winner is Albert Kriemler, a renowned fashion designer from St. Gallen whose label "Akris" is at the cutting edge of international fashion. More that just stylish, Albert Kriemler's work is also of outstanding quality. In the opinion of the jury, this made him the perfect ambassador "Swissness" in design.

For more information, visit www.designpreis.ch

Some insights about a big design event in Shanghai from Andrew Yang, the consultant for 100% Design Shanghai

I am standing on stage on the opening press conference of 100% Design Shanghai, with the sunlight beating into the circular rotunda hall on a crisp October morning, with all of the winners of the Rado Young Design Prize. Hard to believe, I think. Just five months previous, the jurors for the prize convened in the conference room of the Cappellini showroom in New York for the judging of the first annual DESIGNED IN CHINA: The Rado Young Design Prize. Some of the most well-known names in design—Guilio Cappellini, Alasdhair Willis, Yves Behar, just to name a few—generously donated a Sunday afternoon during a busy New York design week to review the work of young and emerging Chinese product designers.

Now fast forward five months and we are kicking off the second year of 100% Design Shanghai, where these winners would be announced. The grand prize winner would be awarded not only a big cash prize of 20,000RMB, but also a brand new Rado R5.5 watch, designed by Jasper Morrison. Not bad, eh?

I had only met a few of them prior to this point but seeing all of them on stage brought into reality what everyone on our team on the show and the team from Rado had been working to realize—the establishment of a major prize that would support young Chinese talent. Given all of the commotion over the meteoric economic rise of China, we all felt that there should also be some attention paid to growing the country’s design talent. The rise of China is something I have observed as a design journalist and magazine editor for the past decade, most of it working out of New York City, where I was raised. Now I am up close, observing it firsthand as a resident of Shanghai, my newly adopted home, a city that changes every day, every minute.

With all this in mind, this moment was perhaps the apex of what we have been working toward all year in the planning of 100% Design Shanghai. After fairs in London and Tokyo, Shanghai is the youngest edition of 100% Design. It serves the biggest potential market in the world, China, in an environment that could probably characterized as the least developed, design-conscience-wise. Regardless, for those who haven’t been here, I can say that what Shanghai lacks, it makes up for in sheer enthusiasm and intensity. We have been grateful to work with a great variety of brands to bring the show to life—everyone from Crystallized – Swarovski Elements, Poliform, Kohler, Roca, and Design Republic, which showed Emeco, Moooi, Magis and Neri&Hu at their booth this year. They are all market leaders in their business sectors.

It has been a challenge, to say the least, trying to convince so many world-class brands to exhibit under one roof. It has been difficult, but we at 100% Design Shanghai are patient and persistent in our multi-year effort, that everyone who has a stake in design will realize Shanghai and China is where exciting things will happen, and the market that will fuel tremendous economic growth for any design company that is invested here.

I realized this even more when I looked at the winners on stage. For each of the winners, I realized that it was not an easy path to get to this point. Out of 250 entrants, the excellent jury, which was assembled by Tobias Wong and Aric Chen, the creative directors of 100% Design Shanghai, had whittled down the designs to eight finalists. During the judging, most of the proceedings were smooth and fluid—most jurors agreed on which items were good and bad—some deliberations were made on some objects that some jurors loved, but which others didn’t. Lyndon Neri from Design Republic and Mr. Cappellini argued on behalf of a few items that were ultimately jettisoned. Jiang Li, a professor at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing, related designs that she had seen in other competitions in China, and gave the jury a perspective from which to understand the work.

Eventually, the jury had decided to award both grand prizes to designers in the student category—a collective decision that was not without some objection. They all felt that the two works—the Solarium Clock, a device that turned a small clock face into a sundial courtesy of an LED, designed by Baoyi Zhang and Lingling Hu, and the DIY Bench by Qianqian Shen, a seemingly simple bench made with arms crafted from different historic styles—were really the strongest of the group, and the merit was in the design.

However, when I think about that complex decision, it actually is quite symbolic of the annual process that we undertake when planning the show. While we are a trade show, we all realize the greater significance of 100% Design in Shanghai—which isn’t about the fair whatsoever but about something inevitable and magnanimous: the rise of China as an important market for everything, including design. The most challenging part of it is that not every company we talk to, or deal with, sees the market from our perspective. After all, we are here living and breathing Shanghai, and trying to understand how China changes all the time. But we are lucky to work with amazing partners. Our main sponsor, Crystallized – Swarovski Element, which sponsors dozens of design projects each year, and Rado, and this year, Airises, a Chinese furniture company from Jinan, China are companies who actively invest in design, and have enabled us build the show makes me grateful.

How to measure whether or not 100% Design Shanghai is successful? Financial success doesn’t not necessarily mean critical success, and vice versa. Do I look at visitor numbers, or do I look at how large our show is? I am the consultant for the show, but I have been involved in the planning of just about every detail of the Shanghai show since its inception in 2007. So we all have a huge stake in its livelihood. I gauge the show’s success as a combination of everything. What it comes down to, I think, is the difference we are making in the civic consciousness of the city. Each year, the best part of the show for me—and how I know 100% Design is making a difference—is when I peek into our conference hall, and I see the space filled with inquisitive minds, each with fresh potential and unbridled enthusiasm. Whether or not our singular projects within 100% Design fail or succeed, what’s important is that we are constantly pushing forward. And of all the things I’ve learned since coming to Shanghai, this is probably the most important lesson, and what comes to mind when I think of China in the 21st Century.

ANDREW YANG
Andrew Yang is the consultant for 100% Design Shanghai.
For more information, visit www.100percentdesign.com.cn

Check following article in the blog of 100% Design Shanghai:
"Are Chinese designers ready for the international arena?"

The Design Preis Schweiz is intended to highlight the importance of Swiss design.

Economic and cultural relevance are the features sought after.
In the light of top quality prize-winning work, the innovative effect of design as a business success factor will be reflected.
Interdisciplinary contacts will encourage dialogue between designers and companies.
Support will be provided for new visions, research projects and implementations in keeping with the market, enabling them to achieve breakthrough.

The Design Preis Schweiz both observes and makes an impression on the market, honours outstanding achievements and sees its role as that of giving uncompromising encouragement to adventurous ideas which will create new paths for the future of design.

A total of 330 projects were submitted, of which the nominators selected 36 to present to the panel of judges:
Konstantin Grcic, KGID / Martin Heller, Heller Enterprises / Ascan Mergenthaler, Herzog & de Meuron / Jasper Morrison, London / Lars Müller, Lars Müller Publishers / Eugenio Perazza, Magis / Robb Young, London / Daniel Zehntner, Eclat.

The experts will select the winners for following prize categories:

• Market
• Research
• Merit
• Textile Design Awards
• Rado Product Design Awards

The award ceremony is to take place in Langenthal on November 6, 2009. At the same time, an exhibition of the prize-winning submissions and other nominated projects will be opened in the new “depot for design” in Langenthal from November 7th to December 20th, 2009. It will then be on display on a international roadshow in 2010.

See the nominations and winners: www.designpreis.ch

Radostar.com has supported the first ever Vienna Design Week Laboratory. This demonstration laboratory took the design process from the office to the public at large. Designers from various disciplines demonstrated the artistic process of their work and put their ideas and drafts on show.

Radostar.com invited Gabriela Chicherio, product designer from Zurich, to participate. She was selected by «Neigungsgruppe Design», the organizers of the Vienna Design Week.

 

The crew:

From October 7th to 10th, they presented their «Atelier Couture» project in the VDW Laboratory. This project addresses such questions as:

Textiles normally promise comfort and warmth. But what happens if we take textiles and similar materials out of their normal context? What happens if we use them for structural purposes, for creating structures? What happens if we transfer normal processing methods to other materials?

Mushroom stickers

Textile stickers

Textile structure

THE GOLDEN EYE

Merry-go-round coat rack
Studio Wieki Somers
http://www.wiekisomers.com/

RADO YOUNG DESIGNER AWARD

Jelte van Abbema
http://www.vanabbema.net/

AUDI DESIGN AWARD

The Flying Grass Carpet
HUNK-design & ID-Eddy
http://www.flyinggrasscarpet.org/

 

 

 

 

COMUNICATION

best internet application Onder Anderen Richard Vijgen, Thomas Kopperschlaeger http://www.richardvijgen.nl/	best packaging Atelier LaDurance, promotionele Japanse Denim-verpakking Boy Bastiaens - Stormhand http://www.stormhand.com/
best interaction design Rijkswaterstaat LEF Future Center Richard Vijgen, Thomas Kopperschlaeger http://www.thomaskopperschlaeger.nl/	best integrated brand communication La Bolleur La Bolleur, Timon van der Hijden, Zowie Jannink, Steie van Vugt http://www.labolleur.com/
best motion design The Big Bank Theory Postma Graphics & Motion http://www.motiondesign.nl/	best graphic design Lees Mee-braillepostzegels René Put http://www.reneput.nl/
best corporate identity 11e Architectuur biënnale in Venetië Thonik http://www.thonik.dma.nl/venice/venice.html	best illustration Böhnhase Gijs Kast http://www.gijskast.com/

 

PRODUCT

best product mobility Nuna Buggy Inspirate BV http://www.inspirate.nl/	best product autonomous design Real Time Studio Maarten Baas http://www.maartenbaas.com/
best consumer product FlexVaas Ontwerplabel Vij5 http://www.vij5.nl/	best product fashion, jewellery & accessories Mummification Herfst Winter 2009/2010 Iris van Herpen http://www.irisvanherpen.com/
best product industrial Kitten Scanner Philips Design http://www.philips.com/	best product living Porseleinen tafelstukken Aldo Bakker http://www.aldobakker.com/

 

SPATIAL DESIGN

best private interior Parksite Doepel Strijkers Architects i.s.m. LEX-Architecten http://www.lex-architecten.nl/	best interior commercial Merry-Go-Round Bureau Ira Koers http://www.irakoers.nl/
best public exterior High Tech Campus Juurlink [+] Geluk http://www.juurlinkengeluk.com/	best interior cultural Merry-go-round coat rack Studio Wieki Somers http://www.wiekisomers.com/
best product public space Moodwall Urban Alliance, Jasper Klinkhamer (Studio Klink), Remco Wilcke (CUBE architect), Hans van Helden en Matthijs ten Berge (illuminate Outdoor Media), Matthias Oostrik http://www.urbanalliance.nl/	best autonomous spatial design Flow 5.0 Studio Roosegaarde http://www.studioroosegaarde.net/

 

BEST CLIENT AWARD

citizenM
http://www.citizenm.com/

BNO - Piet Zwart Life Time Achievement Award

Gert Dumbar
http://www.studiodumbar.com/

TOON VAN TUIJL DESIGNPRIJS

Demakersvan - hekwerk Home Sweet Home
http://www.demakersvan.com/

 

 

 

 

For more information check www.dutchdesignawards.nl

100% Design Shanghai and IHDD 2009 kicked off with points of light,
part of a major installation by CRYSTALLIZED - Swarovsky Elements
————
DESIGNED IN CHINA: The Rado Young Design Prize
announced its two Grand Prize winners
————
Notable speakers this year include Alan Chan, Tony Chi,
Bertjan Pot and Barber Osgerby, who delivered the keynote talk

Shanghai, Oct. 15-17, 2009 - This year, organized by Reed Exhibitions, 100% Design Shanghai and International Home Décor & Design (IHDD) unveiled another stunning and dramatic entrance hall, an illuminated crystal matrix. Designed by Tobias Wong and Aric Chen, the creative directors of 100% Design Shanghai and sponsored by CRYSTALLIZED™ - Swarovski Elements, the concept, Points of Light, was built upon last year’s inaugural installation, which featured an empty grid of bamboo scaffolding and served as a metaphor for the emerging potential of contemporary Chinese design. The crystal matrix was imagining the void as the Points of Light by which contemporary Chinese design is beginning to materialize.

The exhibition also staged the launch of a major program, “DESIGNED IN CHINA: The Rado Young Design Prize”. In this competition, made possible thanks to the support of Rado, two Grand Prize Winners were selected by an international panel of jury [Yves Behar; chief designer and founder, fuseproject (San Francisco) -- Giulio Cappellini; creative director, Cappellini (Milan) -- Rossana Hu; founding partner, Neri & Hu Design and Research Office and Design Republic (Shanghai) -- Jiang Li; associate professor, Schoot of Design, Central Academy of Fine Arts (Beijing) -- Lyndon Neri; founding partner, Neri & Hu Design and Research Office and Design Republic (Shanghai) -- Alasdhair Willis; CEO, Established & Sons (London) -- Shaway Yeh; editorial director (lifestyle), Modern Weekly (Shanghai)].

This year’s winners are:

	Shen Qianqian, with her piece the DIY Bench
	Bao Zhang and Hu Lingling, with their design, the Solarium Clock

Both winners are from the Student’s Category and their designs were recognized for the originality and creativity of their approach and for their choice and treatment of materials.

Internationally known designers also made their appearance at the three-day conference during the exhibition. Alan Chan kicked off the Conference program with his topic 100% Life, 100% Design. Tony Chi, whose projects in Shanghai include the Park Hyatt Shanghai and Yé Shanghai Restaurant also shared his experiences in hospitality design. Dutch DFA presented Bertjan Pot, a Dutch designer behind notable products from Moooi, Arco and Montis.

The Keynote Talk was delivered this year by the design duo of Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby, who are known for their fluent and reserved design style, and innovation with materials and technology.

Rado Young Design Prize

As partner of Lodz Design Festival the organizers chose the winner of the Rado Young Design Prize and awarded it to the upcoming designer Jakub Sobiepanek at the opening party on Thursday, Octobre 15th. He received a Ceramica Chronograph for his project "The Lace Table", a modern and unique design interpretation of a daily object.

Radostar.com at Lodz Design Festival

The design community radostar.com was introduced in Poland at the Lodz Design Festival and embraced by the polish designers and young talents. The profiles of Rado Young Design Prize winner Jakub Sobiepanek and other polish talents are a highly appreciated completion to the international platform of radostar.com.

Designer Jasper Morrison visited the Vienna Design Week 2009 on October 1st.

He attended the Rado Store Vienna with it's Tape Installation by local designers For Use/Numen. It inspired him to sign the blue chair of the Rado Store Vienna, which every partner of Vienna Design Week displays.

During this year Dutch Design Award, two important prizes will be handed over, the Audi Design Award and the Rado Young Designer Award.

Audi Design Award

The Audi Design Award is the public award of the Dutch Design Awards. The selection committee, headed by Floris van Bommel, for the Audi Design Awards selects from all entries six designs that score high in terms of innovation, emotional perception, contemporary look & feel, styling in material and use of colour, originality, sustainability, functionality, user-friendliness, ergonomics, and safety.

The public determines the winner of the Audi Design Award through online voting via www.dutchdesignawards.nl. The name of the winner will be announced during the Award Show on October 17th. Audi Netherlands has initiated and adopted this award because they recognize the role of innovative design more than any other car brand. It is fort hat reason that design has been at the base of the brand for more than one hundred years.

This year's finalists are (in random order):

• Maarten Baas with Real Time, four film clocks indicate the time by means of images: filmed persons who have taken over the function of the clockface depict the time.
• Studio Wieki Somers with Merry-go-round coat rack, cloakroom in the entrance hall of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam.
• Urban Alliance with Moodwall, LED wall connected to a movement detection system as a product to enhance social safety in the public space at shopping centre De Amsterdamse Poort.
• Firma Rieks Swarte with an animated picture story ‘L'enfant et les Sortilèges' by Maurice Ravel.
• Aldo Bakker with porcelain table ware, five pieces of porcelain tableware - water carafe, milk jug, saltshaker, bowl for olive oil, and vinegar bottle.
• Eddy Kaijser, Bart Cardinaal & Nadine Roos with The Flying Grass Carpet, a simple, moveable temporary urban park in the form of a synthetic grass rug. The urban space becomes (temporarily) an interior.

 

Rado Young Designer Award - High calibre finalists

Nominated for the originality and creativity of their approach and for their choice and treatment of materials, three candidates have been selected unanimously by a panel of experts in order to receive the Rado Young Designer Award.

In no particular order, they are:

• Mattijs van Bergen, a stylist whose approach lies at the crossroads of fashion and a form of graphic expression, and whose models’ lines and materials are structured and finely worked in full elegance.
• Atelier NL, comprising two designers who demonstrate the extent to which creative research represents an essential part of design, with objects that reveal the very essence of their craftsmanship.
• Jelte van Abbema, a creator whose reflection on the nature of time involves a working method that harnesses the computer sciences and/or biochemistry, to open up a veritable creative vision of the transient.

Envisaging the future in a new light. Because of the inherent passion which comes with youth and the ability to use this to their advantage with their talent and look to the future, one of these three finalists will receive an amount of EURO 10,000 as well as communication and marketing support from Rado. Introduced during the 2008 Dutch Design Awards, this prize enables the watch brand to reaffirm its credibility and renew its support for the creation of tomorrow’s world.

The Award Show will take place on October 17 in Eindhoven.

For further information visit www.dutchdesignawards.nl.

Specially conceived for Design Days Geneva, the “Radostar Airbags” exhibition presented in collaboration with Adrien Rovero, displayed the works of 11 young designers, who have published their work on the radostar.com platform.

Little 'extra', as mentionned by the curator: “Thanks to the presence of the designers from “Radostar Airbags”, a fresh air blew in Geneva during the official opening of Design Days”.

Design meets fashion. Within the context of a combined exhibition, Design Days enables fashion creators and dress designers to come together with architectural designers and interior decorators and show off their creations to the public and the trade.

The famous Swiss watch brand is today renewing this privileged link with the world of contemporary design. In its capacity as main partner, it is presenting the Design Days Exhibition, organized for the third consecutive year by the “edelweiss” and “Espaces Contemporains” magazines, from 17 to 20 September 2009 in the “Quartier des Bains” of Geneva.

The “Radostar Airbags” exhibition, presented in collaboration with Adrien Rovero will display the works of 11 young designers, who have published their work on the radostar.com platform. As a little ‘extra’, the laureates will be present at the inaugural evening, which is to take place on 17 September 2009. Specially conceived for Design Days Geneva, this exhibition demonstrates once again the ongoing commitment of the Brand, ready to support and promote young creative talent all over the world.

The 11 finalists and their works:

The Great Indoors invites designers, architects and clients to submit their work for The Great Indoors Award. The award holds a total of prize money of €30,000. Deadline for submission is 30 September.

Four awards will go to the most innovative designs for public and commercial spaces (€5,000 each). One will be awarded to the best interior design firm (€10,000).

Categories are:

• Show & Sell (Retail)
• Relax & Consume (Leisure)
• Concentrate & Collaborate (Work)
• Serve & Facilitate (Public)
• Interior Design Firm of the Year

All non-residental interior designs and installations realised between August 2007 and August 2009 can be submitted. An international jury of design professionals will select five nominees in all categories. Mid-October all nominees will be announced. In each category a winner is chosen who will be awarded at a festive ceremony in Maastricht on 28 November 2009.

Visit www.the-great-indoors.com to apply and for more info, news and updates.

Initiators of The Great Indoors Award are FRAME magazine; Marres CCC and The Netherlands Architecture Institute/ Bureau Europa.

New for the 2010 Annual Design Review competition:
The Rado Young Talent Design Award

Categories include:

• Consumer products
• Graphics
• Packaging
• Furniture
• Environments
• Equipment
• Interactive
• Concepts
• Student Work

The Rado Young Talent Design Award, a cash prize of $10,000, will be awarded for innovative technology and materials in student design.

All students who enter the Student Work category of the 2010 Annual Design Review will be eligible for the award and one design will be chosen for the money prize of $10,000.

The deadline for Annual Design Review submissions is December 1, 2009.
Enter online today or click here to download an entry form!

Indesign Publisher and Managing Director, Raj Nandan, talks about design

What is design? Having spent 20 years in the design industry looking at design, talking about design and publishing design magazines, this is still a tricky question to answer. What might be easier is to say what it isn’t. Walking through the Milan Furniture Fair earlier this year, which was nearly 150,000 square metres of new design, it would be easy to think that design is just the latest products by Patricia Urquiola, Karim Rashid, or Philippe Starck, or the Bouroullec brothers.

But design isn’t just about stuff. Many designers dedicate their lives to reducing waste, not creating it – by creating objects with extended lives so they don’t have to be replaced so often – or by creating objects that give an object a second life – or by making sure that they can be properly recycled afterwards.

Design also isn’t just about pretty things. Bringing out an old object in a new colourway is not design. Design is about making life better – about creating objects that make life easier to live, make things run more smoothly – or about creating things that people will cherish their whole lives and pass onto future generations.

At Indesign, we’re more interested in the people who save their money for years to buy that perfect design piece, than in those who replace their furnishings every season to fit in with this year’s trends.

Because design is not about trends, it is about quality and longevity, and about creating a life that is better in design.

RAJ NANDAN
Indesign Publisher and Managing Director - www.indesignlive.com

Where design disciplines fusion. A place where fashion designers and stylists come together with furniture and interior designers to showcase their work to the public as well as professionals.

This year only will also see the introduction of contemporary art.

One of the key features of radostar.com is the ability to give its community exposure as well as recognition by allowing them to publish and share work, not only with their peers but also with potential employers.

During Design Days 2009 Rado, the Swiss watchmaker and design pioneer, will collaborate with Espaces Contemporains, the Swiss design and architecture magazine, to stage an exhibition in Geneva. Another visionary project by Rado, a brand dedicated to looking towards the future.

10 European designers who have posted their work in the “product design” section of radostar.com will be selected by an expert panel of journalists and designers from Switzerland. They will have their work showcased during Design Days 2009 by famous designer Adrien Rovero and will also be invited to present their work on the opening night. The exhibition will take place September 17 - 20, 2009 in Geneva, Switzerland.

Be part of the event in Geneva and accept the invitation on facebook

HOW TO DEAL WITH VISIONS

A vision is more than an idea: It is the representation of a coherent scenario that goes beyond concrete individual objects. A new drinking glass is not a vision, but may well be a more economical way of handling water. Nowadays, such visions are expected of us designers. How are we to deal with visions?

First of all, it should be clear that a vision actually stems from our own fantasy. Aren’t we too strongly influenced by trends or other people’s suggestions? And be careful with visions late at night…

The next thing is to find out, whether there are good questions, to which our vision provides an answer. It makes no difference, who asked these questions, or if we still have to ask them first. What can people do with our vision in the future? Are we going to create something of general benefit through it?

Our vision may possibly appear to be incompatible with existing circumstances. This can be related to the vision or the circumstances. We are free to overcome conventions and currently strictly-defined boundaries, if we are to convince our fellow men about it.

The freedom of our ideas stops with the freedom of other people. Are we certain that our vision will have no adverse economic, social or ecological impact on other people? We are responsible for its realization.

That we initially do not understand our vision too well in reality, indicates that we are venturing into new territory. It is up to us to throw safety to the winds, dare to take a first step and look around for knowledgeable assistance locally. This may not be easy to accept, but we learn from it.

If the realization of our vision transpires to be easy, be wary: have we simply fallen in love with the first idea to come along? Are there capable people who are assessing our intentions with a critical eye? Sharing our vision with other people makes its realization simpler and more gratifying.

We create conditions for achievements, which are ahead of their time. It is in the nature of things, that such achievements are only recognized as visionary after some time. A project for the future.

The images: in the Bolzano Beach project, the students did not design a new deck chair, but a complete beach, and built it in the middle of Bolzano, in front of the University.

KUNO PREY
Faculty for Art & Design; Free University of Bozen - Bolzano