Photo: Studio DRIFT

Studio DRIFT (Lonneke Gordijn & Ralph Nauta)
Founded in 2006, Studio DRIFT strives for timeless design combined with knowledge, intuition, nature, science fiction, fantasy and interaction. In their work, designers Ralph Nauta and Lonneke Gordijn (both graduates of Design Academy Eindhoven in 2005) seek for a balance between our communication age and the organic, nature. Ralph and Lonneke respond to the digital revolution by creating projects that evoke the feeling of floating, gliding, lightness, and a state of weightlessness. In their designs, they try to capture the material/immaterial sensations that they miss in their daily lives. Selection committee: At an earlier stage, Studio DRIFT has already created designs in which technology and design are combined successfully. They are consistent and show their own style in all projects. The technology and science in their designs are made accessible - because the designs are original and beautiful to watch.

www.designdrift.nl

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Photo: Mike Roelofs

Rocco Verdult
Rocco graduated from the Design Academy in the direction of Man & Living. During his studies, he worked for project designer Patricio Lix Klett in Buenos Aires and for Studio Muller & Van Tol in Amsterdam. His designs focus on social design - he creates temporary meeting places in public space by means of materials that he gathers within a few days. In this way, he creates in a short time situations where people come together. In 2009, he won both the Social Design Talent Award and the Brains Award 2009, a public award. He is much in demand for international projects. In 2009, he founded Studio Rocco Verdult in Eindhoven, which stands for interiors, exteriors and related products focused on the gathering of people within a specific context. Selection committee: Rocco is socially engaged, and knows how to stir up interest in people and to get things done. What he makes is a unique type of design: he creates relationships and solidarity. His commitment is sincere, his approach original, and because of this, his ideas always have the desired effect.

www.roccoverdult.nl

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Photo: Michel Zoeter

Iris van Herpen
Iris van Herpen is a fashion designer; she loves making non-wearable clothing. She has unique ideas that cannot be compared with other fashion designers; the uniqueness of her creations reaches as far as Japan, where her fame may even be greater than in her own country. She studied Fahion Design at the ARTEZ Art Academy in Arnhem and in 2009, she was with her MUMMIFICATION AUTUMN WINTER 2009/2010 already the winner of a Dutch Design Award in the category best product fashion, jewellery, accessories. Selection committee: She has an eye for detail, uses original materials and her designs demonstrate authenticity. The many hours of handiwork spent on these designs radiate passion for her profession. Iris combines fashion with art and with her unconventional designs she shows courage and guts. Apart from that: what she makes is also simply 'beautiful'.

www.irisvanherpen.com

For the third consecutive year the Rado Young Designer Award will be given to an upcoming dutch design talent at the Dutch Design Awards 2010. On July 1st, the DDA jury including last year's winner Jelte van Abbema, chose the three nominees: Iris van Herpen, Rocco Verdult, Studio DRIFT. The final winner will be awarded on October 23rd 2010 at the Muziekgebouw Fritz Philips in Eindhoven.

The Dutch Design Awards put designers in the spotlight and create greater awareness among the public. This adds to the top position that Dutch design has gained in recent years. Once again the selection committee assessed the level of the submitted works as very high. Certain themes have been detected as for spatial design, the designers tend to make their mark on the identity in public space even stronger, or within product design, designers developed a major focus on services and systems, which causes products to become 'services' as well. Also the sustainability of the product and the application of sustainable materials remain topical issues. In the field of communication, 'social design' prevails. The user interaction is not only expressed in digital media, but also increasingly often in graphic design and visual identities.

The Rado Young Designer Award aims to support the inherent passion of especially young designers and their ability to use this to their advantage with their talent and to look to the future, by rewarding the winner with an amount of 10.000 Euro, as well as international media support.

The finalists of this 8th edition of DDA have been selected from more than 700 projects by a committee comprised of experts in the design field. The international jury led Frans Timmermans is comprised of Sam Hecht, Ruedi Baur, Marcus Fairs, Ravi Naidoo, James Woodhuyzen, Will Erens, Rajesh Kejriwal, Timo de Rijk, Hans van der Markt and Vincent van Baar.

This international jury was joined by Jelte van Abbema, last year's winner of the Rado Young Designer Award, to nominate the candidates for the current Rado Award. Check out his report on radostar.com.

The three nominees were chosen for their creativity and visionary design:
- Iris van Herpen, fashion designer
- Rocco Verdult
- Ralph Nauta, Lonneke Gordijn (Studio DRIFT)

The winner of the Rado Young Designer Award will be awarded on Saturday, October 23, 2010 at the Muziekgebouw Frits Philips in Eindhoven.

The designs of all finalists and winners will subsequently be exhibited in the Brainport Greenhouse on the Stadhuisplein in Eindhoven during the Dutch Design Week.

www.dutchdesignawards.nl