Sustainably made geometric hanging chair gives you a peaceful zen zone within your home or office

“A levitating sphere, a focus capsule, a refuge for the senses” are just a few of the things Ivo Andric prefers to call his design rather than simply a ‘hanging chair’. After all, the Iko doesn’t look or feel like your traditional chair. Designed like a nest of a weaverbird, this little hanging cocoon provides a neat enclosed space for you to lounge in, allowing you to take a reclusive break right within your home. The chair is shaped like an icosahedron (hence the name Iko), creating a geometric dynamism that complements most home decor, and comes with plush cushions and felt-lined acoustic-panel walls to give you comfort and quiet whenever you want!

Designer: Ivo Andric

Iko is made using a few well-curated materials. Its outer frame is crafted from wooden elements that are machine-made and surface-treated by hand, with metal rod internal cores. The rods provide rigidity, the wood gives Iko its classy appeal, and finally, the negative tringular spaces are filled with wool-covered acoustic panels that absorb sound. Even the upholstery on the inside is made from wool, and is filled with grain husk. Finally, the Iko is ready to be hung vertically using the hemp ropes it comes with. Almost every aspect of the Iko (barring the metal) is designed with natural materials, making Iko a wonderfully sustainable and fun piece of furniture to have in your home or office!

Iko is a Silver winner of the A’ Design Award for the year 2022.

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Heirloom Thermos combines Chinese cultural heritage and advanced insulation technology

Heirloom Thermos Details

Not many people realize this, but thermos technology isn’t really simple. Sure, you can just easily buy stainless steel water bottles from stores, but not all are made the same.

Talking about thermos is always about the outside form. It’s also mainly about insulation because it keeps liquid hot or cold inside. But, of course, it helps that Chinese technology is becoming more advanced now, so we’re not surprised about what the Heirloom Thermos can promise and deliver.

Designer: Shenzhen Yiyuan Technology Co., Ltd.

Colors of Heirloom Thermos

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The Heirloom Thermos is more advanced compared to other standard vacuum thermoses. It comes with Chinese aesthetics and boasts more advanced specs. The pure titanium liner is 0.15mm, which is about as thin as an A4 paper. In addition, the titanium material appears more durable as it can preserve freshness and even prevent odors.

Heirloom Thermos Production

Concept Heirloom Thermos

Bringing a water bottle or thermos is sustainable as it reduces the use of plastic bottles. It helps eliminate plastic globally, so it’s an easy and good start to becoming more environment-friendly. In China, drinking warm liquid is a thing, so a thermos or insulated bottle is a need.

The Heirloom Thermos is a thermos flash that marries innovation, design, and Chinese-style handwork. This comes with oriental aesthetics and yet is still ideal to use for modern everyday life. At first glance, it looks like any ordinary thermos, but this one is improved in many ways. It boasts an innovative stopper with an integrated thermometer. The latter allows you to check the inside temperature to ensure the liquid is always warm and perfect for drinking. The cover of the thermos comes with a magnetic suction, so it’s easy to close or open. It also works as a cup to always be ready to drink wherever you are.

Heirloom Thermos Parts

Heirloom Thermos Features

Red Heirloom Thermos

The Heirloom Thermos received an Honorable Mention at last year’s DIA. It has showcased the beauty of innovation and heritage together. Finally, you have this important object that allows you to carry traditions and, at the same time, has improved technology.

Just reading about the description of the Heirloom Thermos, you’d think the technology is complicated because of the mention of having 78 parts. However, a version also shows off China’s cultural heritage—the porcelain woven bamboo weaving. This folk handicraft is used as a cover for the heirloom pot, following the shape of the thermos. It actually looks like a cheongsam with its simple yet elegant form.

Heirloom Thermos Innovation

Heirloom Thermos

Heirloom Thermos Colors

If you have any concept or design you want to share, you may want to submit it as an entry to the DIA 2022. Click here to enroll for the 2022 Design Intelligence Awards FOR FREE! Who knows, your design will be the next to be recognized and then given funding. Even if you don’t win an award, being admitted to be noticed by the Design Intelligence Awards is already an achievement.

Heirloom Thermos Award

Red Heirloom Thermos

Heirloom Thermos Mint Green

Heirloom Thermos Release

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Tdot Braille Keyboard is compact, lightweight, and convenient to use

The Design Intelligence Awards (DIA 2022) is happening soon, and we cannot wait to learn about new and innovative designs to grace the consumer market. Of course, not all designs will probably make it big, but every design has potential because every project that becomes a finalist is intelligently designed.

Last year, the Tdot Braille Keyboard was introduced as a special keyboard for the visually impaired. While the available braille keyboards are ready, they can be very expensive. Most of them are also heavy and not that convenient to use. The T-Dot enters the game by offering a lightweight experience at an affordable price.

Designer: KunYoong IBC

Click here to enroll for the 2022 Design Intelligence Awards FOR FREE!

Tdot Braille Keyboard Features

Tdot Braille Keyboard IF Design Award

Thanks to the modified Perkins-type structure, the T-Dot Braille Keyboard weighs only 59g and comes with a comfortable grip. The structure now is T-fold which allows the device to be smaller. In addition, it comes with one jog wheel and 12 input keys, resulting in enhanced navigation. Users are expected to type with more convenience now and added speed.

Like most Braille keyboards, this one offers convenience and portability. You don’t have to bring a heavy accessory as the T-Dot is very compact. It is one revolutionary design that the visually impaired will love.

Tdot Braille Keyboard

T-Dot isn’t just compact as it also looks trendy with all the different colors available. Moreover, with its size, you can easily wear one around your neck to bring it everywhere with you. It was also recognized at the Design Intelligence Awards and is now available in the market.

Tdot Braille Keyboard Demo

Tdot Braille Keyboard Colors DIA

Ease of use is offered because it automatically switches to a letter as soon as you type Braille on the keyboard. This lets you type characters right on your computer, smartphone, or tablet with the T-Dot keyboard. It works over Bluetooth connectivity so the connection is pretty reliable. You can also use “voice” to enter screen contents or input braille. Other notable features include Braille input, reverse braille translation, track point, and screen-control function. The device is compatible with Mac, iOS, MS, and Android.

Tdot Braille Keyboards

Tdot Braille Keyboard How it Works

You can purchase the Folding Type Braille Input Bluetooth Keyboard for Blind (Tdot) in different key regions like Asia, the Americas, Europe, and the Middle East and online HERE. And if you have similar ideas and designs, you may want to present them at the DIA 2022. Click here to enroll for the 2022 Design Intelligence Awards FOR FREE!

Tdot Braille Keyboard Colors

Tripod Folding Bluetooth Braille Input

Folding Type Braille Input Bluetooth Keyboard for Blind(Tdot)

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This unconventional seating device challenges the notion of what a chair should look like

Close your eyes and think of a chair. Chances are you thought of something with four legs and a backrest, made from wood or plastic. Or perhaps your mind thought of something less unconventional but just as common – a chair with a five-spoked base with caster wheels – the kind found in offices. THe Haragana Lounge Chair was made as an antithesis to those archetypes. Its metal outline, to any astute observer, resembles an armchair, however, the Haragana doesn’t have any cushions or upholstery. Instead, its seating area is split into 6 cork discs spread across the base and the backrest, made from bent steel tubing. Visually, the Haragana aims at challenging the stereotype of a chair by being radically different, but functionally, it still is comfortable to sit on, with the cork discs providing just the right amount of softness and support. All in all, the chair also fulfills yet another purpose – that of evoking a sense of curiosity, and always inviting you to try and sit on it!

Designer: Tobias Kappeler

The chair’s unusual design actually works in its favor because it’s hard to ignore. Unlike most seating devices with a base and a backrest, Haragana comes with 6 oddly shaped and angled panels made of cork. Look at them and the mind instantly begins struggling with two simultaneous thoughts – “this chair doesn’t look comfortable” and “I need to sit on it to find out”. That’s precisely how the chair hooks you in, invites you to interact with it, and probably question your preconceived notions of what a chair should look and feel like.

I have no doubt that the Haragana is an oddly satisfying piece of furniture to park your derriere on. It’s quirky and vibrant – two aspects that make it eye-catching and also the kind of chair you’d want to share on social media (that’s a pretty big part of design now, I hear). Moreover, it’s also low-set, and allows people to sit for longer without having their legs dangling like they would on normal chairs or high barstools.

The Haragana Lounge Chair is a Bronze Winner of the A’ Design Award for the year 2022.

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Theia handheld guidance device ready for the visually impaired

The 2022 Design Intelligence Awards season is here. This means we’ll hear about new, interesting, and intelligent designs that we know someday will prove very useful.

A couple of weeks ago, we mentioned the DIA Award as a program where creatives and designers are free to submit their work and hopefully get funding. As China’s premier awards program, it aims to discover good design ideas and develop them. It’s all about entrepreneurship and innovation as plans can turn into actual, working products that will grace the consumer market.

Designer: Anthony Camu

Click here to enroll for the 2022 Design Intelligence Awards FOR FREE!

CONCEPT Theia Guidance Systems Design DIA 2021

With a total prize fund of $750,000 USD (¥5 million RMB), the DIA 2022 aims to discover new talents and designers. The judging process includes looking at the products if they follow the Principles of Design which refer to a technicality, aesthetics, functionality, sustainability, and user experience. The next layer is the Direction of Design which pertains to a product’s contribution to the future, humanity, and the industry. Finally, Impact of Design refers to a concept’s industrial development and social influence.

Hundreds of designers have submitted their entries through the years, and we have seen quite a few notable designs. In 2020, industrial designer Anthony Camu introduced Theia. It’s a concealable and portable handheld device that can guide people through different environments. It’s like having an electronic service dog sans the risk of allergies and the responsibility of owning a pet.

Theia Guidance Systems Prototype

Theia Guidance Systems Design DIA 2021

As an Industrial Design and Technology student, Anthony Camu worked on something that could replicate what a guide dog could do. He developed this “autonomous guidance device for the visually impaired” for his final year project. The description alone tells us it is one very useful device.

‘Theia’ is a handheld device inspired by VR gaming consoles. Camu’s project was recognized at last year’s Design Intelligence Awards. It received an Honorable Mention as it made an impression with its many benefits. The product is also described as a handheld situational awareness and guidance device ideal for the visually impaired. Its advantages include sensor fusion, accurate navigation, big data, gyroscopic feedback, and machine learning. All these and more help a user’s walking pace improve by over 200%.

Theia Guidance Systems Details

Theia Guidance Systems A

With very little user input, Theia acts like an autonomous device that benefits the user. It can be programmed with routes to different destinations and even avoid accidents. It works by simply saying: “Hey Theia, take me to _______.” Theia will then take you to a saved destination.

Theia can do a lot as an IoT device. The internet of things feature allows the device to process data in real-time. It can tell you the traffic density and weather. It can assist a person when he needs to step on elevators, shops, entrances, and even pedestrian crossings. Even those busy intersections are not so scary anymore to cross with Theia.

Theia Guidance System

Theia is like having a digital cane, but this one can pull you. It tells you what you need to know and makes you aware of your surroundings. The device is designed with a remote sensing method that uses cameras and light. It is powered by built-in processors and uses a control moment gyroscope (CMG) technology. The latter is the same tech used in space vehicles and satellites.

Theia Guidance Systems Design

If you have ideas similar to Theia, you can submit them to the Design Intelligence Awards. You can receive funding to see your concept or prototype finally go into production. Click here to enroll for the 2022 Design Intelligence Awards FOR FREE!

Theia Guidance Systems Prototype Renders

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Ori Seri bio textile material is almost ready for a sustainable economy

The Ori Seri is tangible proof that innovation can help Mother Earth. Of course, sustainable fashion must be the goal of many brands and companies, but we acknowledge it’s not an easy feat.

Ori Seri is made from algae and silk protein. It’s a biodegradable textile that combines different materials to reduce waste. The designer knew science and technology would yield achievable solutions. Unfortunately, there aren’t many ideas yet in the fashion industry, but we’ve been learning about sustainability.

Designer: Scarlett Yang

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Ori Seri Scarlett Yang Design DIA AWARD 2021

We still have a long way to go before sustainable fashion becomes a standard, but we are grateful for efforts like this Ori Seri. Scarlett Yang is a creative technologist and materials designer who has always been interested in material tactility and virtual realities. Her idea focused on developing innovative ways that may benefit fashion, technology, and design. Her background in digital fabrication labs, bio laboratories, and even couture ateliers helped this project intending to minimize waste.

Ori Seri is a bio-textile that can be used for fashion. It is a glass-like garment made from silk cocoon biowaste- sericin and algae extract. The former is the waste produced in textile manufacturing. Yang’s efforts resulted in a unique material that can grow and change shape depending on the humidity and temperature. Moreover, it’s a bio-material which means it is biodegradable in water.

The design of the textile model is created using 3D technologies. Fashion can be fully circular someday if more products are made focusing on sustainability. The bio-textile Ori Seri can no longer be reused, but it will still have what they call “virtual existence.” It’s given a digital life, so it becomes more “accessible.”

The design process and methodology appear complicated, but it aims to work with nature. It incorporates bio-design as well as digital fabrication. These are then applied with traditional fashion craftsmanship that we hope can make it to the consumer market.

Ori Seri Scarlett Yang Design

Different award-giving bodies have recognized the project that resulted in an innovative material called the Ori Seri. It won the LVMH Maison/0 Green Trail and The Mills Sustainability Prize in 2020. It was also named a SHOWstudio Class of 2020 winner and the grand prize winner at the YouFab Global Creative Award 2021. It was even shortlisted for the Lexus Design Award. In addition, at last year’s Design Intelligence Award, it was given an Honorable Mention.

Yang’s bio-material has big potential on the runway and in the real world when used in everyday clothes. There are plenty of interesting ideas and projects like this that must be recognized and given a chance. Feel free to share if you have anything related. You will never know what your idea can do for the world. Click here to enroll for the 2022 Design Intelligence Awards FOR FREE!

Ori Seri Scarlett Yang Design Images copy

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This stunning beach cabin has a partial transparent design to offer the most beautiful panoramic view

Part cabin part conservatory, the Beach Cabin on the Baltic Sea by Peter Kuczia offers the most stunning panoramic views of the beach. This small gastronomy facility located in north Poland near Gdansk boasts of a simple form that fits naturally into the beach environment but stands out thanks to its bold design. The cabin comes in two parts – an enclosed space on the side, and a vast, open living/dining area that provides shelter along with an abundance of natural light. This dining area is further split into two, with one half made in the traditional style of a cabin, while the other half is constructed entirely out of glass. This glass facade gives onlookers an absolutely sublime view of the ocean, the shoreline, and even the sky above!

Designer: Peter Kuczia

The building stands on stilts so as not to touch the terrain directly… which means it literally floats above the sand. Tell me that isn’t the most dreamy piece of architecture you’ve ever seen!

The Beach Cabin is a Gold Winner of the A’ Design Award for the year 2022.

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Our top 10 winning designs from the 2022 A’ Design Award and Competition

It’s celebration time – well, aside from Star Wars Day and Cinco de Mayo, it’s also that time of the year that the A’ Design Award and Competition reveal their yearly winners! Spanning literally a hundred categories, the A’ Design Awards look at creating a holistic list of the best designs internationally, across all disciplines. Held annually, the A’ Design Award and Competition is like the Yellow Pages of good design, and you can be a part of it too by participating!

The A’ Design Award and Competition is much more than just your average awards program. It actively seeks good design, markets it, and brings value to the project as well as the designer in the form of a wide range of value-added services like a dedicated PR Campaign, an online exhibition, and even a platform to sell your design on… and these perks aren’t just limited to the design, they extend to the designers and creators too. Your participation entitles you to a proof-of-creation document, inclusion in A’ Design’s Business Network, and the Design Fee Calculator service that lets you accurately price your design services for future clients, allowing you to set up your design practice.

Judged by a grand jury of 227 elite designers and educators, here are a select few of A’ Design Award and Competition 2021’s winners. We’ve hand-picked some of our favorites from this year’s list of winners spanning categories such as Product Design, Social Design, Tech, Furniture, Medical, and Transportation Design. Scroll down below to have a look at what’s making the waves this year in the design circuit! And don’t forget to register below to participate in the competition for 2022-23 to make sure your work as well as you get the recognition you deserve!

Grab an Early-bird Registration for A’ Design Awards 2022-23 by clicking here!

Beach Cabin on the Baltic Sea by Peter Kuczia

Part cabin part conservatory, the Beach Cabin on the Baltic Sea offers the most stunning panoramic views of the beach. This small gastronomy facility located in north Poland near Gdansk boasts of a simple form that fits naturally into the beach environment. The cabin comes in two parts – an enclosed space, and a vast, open living/dining area that provides shelter along with an abundance of natural light. The glass facade gives onlookers an absolutely sublime view of the ocean, the shoreline, and even the sky above! The building stands on stilts so as not to touch the terrain directly… which means it literally floats above the sand. Tell me that isn’t the most dreamy piece of architecture you’ve ever seen!

Haragana Lounge Chair by Tobias Kappeler

The Haragana is a lounge chair made from bent steel tubes and cork disks for seating. Its metal outline, to any astute observer, resembles an armchair, however, the Haragana doesn’t have any cushions or upholstery. Instead, its seating area is split into 6 discs spread across the base and the backrest. Visually, the Haragana aims at challenging the stereotype of a chair by being radically different, but functionally, it still is comfortable to sit on, with the cork discs providing just the right amount of softness and support. All in all, the chair also fulfills yet another purpose – that of evoking a sense of curiosity, and always inviting you to try and sit on it!

Polychromatic Mobile Phone by Tecno Camon 19 Pro Design Team

Using patterns and light to define how unique your phone looks, the Polychromatic Mobile Phone comes with a rather Mondrian-inspired grid of pearlescent swatches that change colors based on whether it’s exposed to UV light or not. At first glance, the Polychromatic phone instantly reminds one of Google’s Project Ara… however as Google quietly killed that endeavor citing complex issues, the team at Tecno Camon took its grid pattern to the next level. Combining that with inspiration from French painter Edouard Manet, who brought light into painting and is credited with creating the Impressionist art movement, Tecno Camon created the Polychromatic Mobile Phone’s design – a striking grid-based rear design that’s also UV light-responsive, changing colors/tints when exposed to ultraviolet light.

GS-X One Food Delivery Robot by Shanghai Gaussian Automation Tech Dev.

Waiters have two hands… the GS-X has four! Well, equipped with four drawers, the GS-X is an intelligent service robot that can deliver food to tables with efficiency and accuracy… and a smile! With dual positioning cameras placed at the top and the bottom, GS-X can quickly perceive the environment and plan paths for contactless delivery. Pandemic got you paranoid? Well, GS-X can also perform temperature measurements, facilitating epidemic prevention and control.

The Emerald Isle Rare Irish Whiskey Packaging by Tiago Russo

Inspired by the Faberge egg, the Emerald Isle whiskey mirrors a similar rare opulence with how luxuriously it’s packaged. A statement of whiskey, art, and craftsmanship, the whisky’s bottle and packaging use the Faberge as a recurring design accent throughout the entire collection. The opulent colored gemstones on the box reflect Ireland’s traditions and natural beauty. Touted as the rarest and most expensive whiskey ever sold, only seven units of the Emerald Isle whiskey were produced and sold at an auction, where the bottles were sold for a starting price of 2 million USD! Each egg-shaped bottle comes encased in a luxurious wooden display case, covered by a glass box. Open the display case and each bottle is also accompanied by drinking accessories, a Faberge egg replica, a premium wristwatch, and a set of Cohiba cigars to complete the entire experience!

Draw One Calendar by Dan Wang and Ziqiang He

Designed to serve as a calendar as well as a use-one-per-day paper towel dispenser, the Draw One sits mounted on your kitchen wall. Now why would one in their right mind combine a calendar and a towel dispenser? Well, designers Dan Wang and Ziqiang He wanted people to respect and cherish time as well as paper. “Draw One Calendar is a minimalist calendar that uses the form of a tissue box as a metaphor for the preciousness of time”, mentioned the designers. The calendar uses individual sheets of paper to display the date, with each sheet also serving as a paper towel. The catch is that you can only use one paper towel per day, so you’re automatically conditioned to be more economical and not waste paper towels. Moreover, as the year is complete, you can simply add another set of 365 paper towels into the Draw One’s wooden dispenser box.

E390 Electromobile by AIMA TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO., LTD.

The E390 may not have an incredibly sexy name, but it sure looks like a stunner. Unlike scooters that are usually known for having a less-than-slender body language, the E390 boasts of an incredibly lean profile, allowing it to have the appeal of a moped, with the template of a scooter. Designed for urban commuting, the E390 rightfully looks stylish in the contemporary sense, with a clean design, fresh blue colorway, and that beautifully slim yet piercing headlight! And although you can’t see it in the picture, the E390 also boasts of an incredibly well-designed dashboard that blends right into the scooter’s form without so much as one parting or separation line!

Iko Hanging Chair by Ivo Andric

“A levitating sphere, a focus capsule, a refuge for the senses”, that’s what Ivo Andric prefers to call his design rather than simply a ‘hanging chair’. After all, the Iko doesn’t look or feel like your traditional chair. Designed like a nest of a weaverbird, this little hanging cocoon provides a neat enclosed space for you to lounge in, allowing you to take a reclusive break right within your home. The chair is shaped like an icosahedron, creating a geometric dynamism that complements most home decor, and comes with plush cushions and felt-lined acoustic-panel walls to give you comfort and quiet whenever you want!

Canairi Indoor Air Quality Monitor by Hans Augustenborg

Designed to look like home decor, the Canairi actually serves a pretty important health purpose – it tells you whether your air quality is good or bad. Mounted on your wall, this adorable yellow bird either stands upright, to let you know the air you’re breathing is clean, or dramatically falls over to give you a heads up when your air quality drops below acceptable limits. The idea comes from the old belief that canary birds were used in coal mines to detect danger, mainly, carbon monoxide. If the bird fainted, it was a sign that the levels of carbon monoxide were too high and miners would be instructed to evacuate. Not a particularly ethical use of canaries if you ask me, but I assure you, no canaries were harmed in the making of this air quality monitor!

Migo 3D Printer by Junshen Pan and Jie Shen

Named after the word Amigo, this little 3D printer is small enough to actually be carried around wherever you go! Roughly the size of a cat or a small dog, the Migo fits right in your backpack (you know the kind you use to carry pets on) and can be carried from home to work… although it wasn’t quite designed for work. You see, given its small footprint, Migo can’t really print larger objects – which makes it perfect for educational use rather than professional use. Gone are the days when kids carried books in their backpacks. The future involves kids carrying their own 3D printers! Although no, I’m pretty sure the printer isn’t designed to run while inside the backpack… yet.

Grab an Early-bird Registration for A’ Design Awards 2022-23 by clicking here!

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The Design Intelligence Award is back with a prize fund of $750,000. Here’s how you can participate.

Ask yourself. Is a design good if it won an award? Or is it good if it positively impacted people? The latter sounds like the most obvious option, right? Well, that’s the objective of China’s premier awards program, the Design Intelligence Award. Established in 2015 by the China Academy of Art, the DIA Award doesn’t just discover good design… It develops it. Working in part as an award program and in part as a product accelerator, the DIA Award celebrates innovation and entrepreneurial imagination. The free-to-enter award program has a two-round judging and evaluation process, with the aim to help develop products that uniquely benefit humanity. In doing so, the DIA Award also aims at creating a platform to accelerate international trade, increase connectivity, and open up commercial opportunities. After all, good design is only impactful when it reaches and benefits more people, right? To that end, the award program has even set up a prize fund worth ¥5 million RMB, or $750,000 USD to help incubate great ideas into great designs.

The Design Intelligence Award’s judging process occurs in two stages – a preliminary, and a more hands-on final one. During this time, an elite panel of 550 multidisciplinary design experts evaluates the entries based on three criteria/layers – 1) The fundamental layer emphasizes the “Principles of Design”, covering functionality, aesthetics, technicality, user experience, and sustainability. 2) The advanced layer emphasizes the “Direction of Design”, spanning contribution to humanity, industry, and the future. 3) The top layer emphasizes the “Impact of Design” in regard to social influence and industrial development.

Based on these criteria, the DIA Jury Panel selects 30 outstanding projects that are innovative and positively impactful. Winners get access to the DIA’s prize fund of ¥5 million RMB ($750,000 USD) with the winner alone getting ¥1 million RMB. Although that isn’t the end of it. All winners are invited to the DIA Award Ceremony to engage face-to-face with global representatives from various industries such as design, academic circles, media, etc. The award also organizes a set of expert lectures known as the D-WILL, sponsored by Zhejiang Modern Intelligent Manufacturing Promotion Center and Design Innovation Center of China Academy of Art, with the intent to spearhead innovation and connectivity. With “Meet design, Meet future” as its initial intention, the Lecture invites education experts, industry elites, and pioneers to share their achievements and insights in their personal research and careers with younger generations. Finally, winners get featured in the media as a part of a coordinated PR push to help get their work noticed by everybody. In fact, you can scroll down to see a few winners and honorable mentions from last year’s Design Intelligence Awards.

Have an innovative idea for a product or service? Want to win up to ¥1 million RMB ($147,000 USD) to help develop it into a tangible life-changing design? Click here to enroll for the 2022 Design Intelligence Awards FOR FREE!

Movable “Huo-Yan” product series by BGI Genomics Co., Ltd. (GOLD WINNER)

Designed as a response to the pandemic and an emerging need to rapidly turn vacant plots of land into testing labs and isolation wards, the Movable “Huo-Yan” features a series of negative-pressure inflatable tents that can be transported to a site and quickly deployed on the spot. These tents are designed to then serve as nucleic acid testing laboratories or isolation wards, allowing scientists and the medical community to rapidly respond to any outbreaks that need intervention.

New Urban Rail Train Without Catenary Power Supply by CRRC TANGSHAN Co., Ltd. (SILVER WINNER)

Any astute observer will immediately notice what’s different about the train in that picture above. No, it’s not its edgy aesthetic, but rather, the absence of a catenary power supply, or that wire that connects the train’s engine to the power line on top. Developed by CRRC TANGSHAN, this new train concept runs on wireless power instead, relying on an inductive power supply network that charges the train without any cables or wires.

WAVE by d’strict holdings, Inc. (SILVER WINNER)

If you’ve spent any amount of time on social media, chances are you’ve seen videos of this building somewhere on the internet. Located in Gangnam in the heart of Seoul, the ‘WAVE’ is a public media artwork realistically expressing consistently crashing waves through an anamorphic illusion technique on a giant L-shaped LED display. Sure, you could use the display to show advertisements, as they do in Times Square, but go ahead and tell me that you’d rather stare at billboards than a VR anamorphic piece of artwork!

T-dot Smart Bluetooth Braille Keyboard by KunYoong IBC (SILVER WINNER)

Designed to be perhaps the first portable keyboard for Braille users, the T-dot is small enough to be carried around your neck. It opens up almost like a reverse tripod, folding open in a T-shape on a desk. Once connected wirelessly to a device, keys running along the T-shape allow the visually impaired to type out in Braille and have the text automatically transcripted in any language you choose. This accessible tool effectively allows the visually impaired to type without having to navigate around a traditional QWERTY keyboard. A tiny thumb-stick at the center of the T-dot also makes it easy for users to navigate around pages and on machines.

X-Craft AR Headset by Rokid (BRONZE WINNER)

Designed by the makers of some of the earliest available AR headsets, the Rokid X-Craft is the world’s first explosion-proof AR headband equipped with a 5G module. Designed to readily attach to various safety helmets and hard hats, the X-Craft is specially designed for complex and high-risk environments such as oil & gas, electric power, aviation, rail transport, and other industries that could benefit from augmented reality. The glasses come equipped with an AI algorithm and AR technology which enables frontline workers to update information automatically and increase overall efficiency.

Have an innovative idea for a product or service? Want to win up to ¥1 million RMB ($147,000 USD) to help develop it into a tangible life-changing design? Click here to enroll for the 2022 Design Intelligence Awards FOR FREE!

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LEXUS DESIGN AWARD announces its Grand Prix Winner for 2022, a motion-tracking device for the elderly

The 2022 LEXUS DESIGN AWARD comes to a conclusion with its jury finally unveiling their pick for the Grand Prix Winner. A motion-tracking device to help rehabilitate the elderly and stimulate their memories, Rewind by Poh Yun Ru was deemed as the project that best encompassed the LEXUS DESIGN AWARD’s theme of “Design for a Better Tomorrow”. It surpassed 1725 other entries from 57 countries and regions to reach the top spot.

Rewind was selected from a roster of 6 finalists, which were picked for their ability to articulate the Lexus brand’s three core principles: Anticipate, Innovate, and Captivate, and Enhance Happiness. Poh Yun Ru and the other finalists then spent 3 months developing their original proposals and creating prototypes under the highly skilled guidance of Sam Baron, Joe Doucet, Yosuke Hayano, and Sabine Marcelis – this year’s team of mentors for the LEXUS DESIGN AWARD. The finalists were then judged by LEXUS DESIGN AWARD’s elite jury panel, featuring Paola Antonelli, Anupama Kundoo, Bruce Mau, and Simon Humphries. In a new addition to the award program, the finalists also met one-on-one with the judges, receiving not only direct feedback on their work, but also career advice and tips for improvement.

View the other LEXUS DESIGN AWARD Finalist Designs here.

The idea for Rewind came to Poh Yun Ru after seeing her grandmother struggle with remembering how to perform basic day-to-day tasks as a result of dementia and failing memory. Designed to evoke memories, Rewind uses motion-tracking to guide seniors with dementia in re-enacting familiar gestures. Based loosely on the phrase that ‘practice makes perfect’, Rewind allows its user to engage in activities that would otherwise come intuitively. By creating a platform that allows them to constantly practice these activities (and even receive haptic feedback as a result), Rewind helps rebuild the neural pathways that get weak with age.

At the root of the Rewind experience is a handheld IoT device that acts almost like an input device. Actions like ironing, pouring, spice-griding, stirring, etc. are displayed on a screen, and users are required to mimic them with the handheld device in their hands. This is made easier because it’s much safer for the elderly to work with a purpose-built device than an actual iron or a heavy pestle and mortar. Sensors within the handheld device measure how users interact with it, and through this process of copying and repeating these actions, elders are re-familiarized with common physical actions and interactions, allowing their minds and bodies to get used to them. These functions helped inform the Rewind’s design. The device was made to be minimal with no complex buttons or controls, intuitive to grasp and use, and incredibly tactile, with a pattern running along its grip that made it easy to hold and maneuver.

Upon winning the 2022 LEXUS DESIGN AWARD, Poh Yun Ru commented: “I feel immensely grateful that Rewind is now a step closer to improving the lives of more people. This couldn’t have happened without the unwavering support of my mentors, my team of dedicated engineers, programmers, healthcare experts, and users. This opportunity from Lexus Design Award to turn a project into a real-world product felt nothing short of amazing, and I feel heartened to have met and learned from the Grand Prix of Lexus Design Award 2022 so many passionate designers from around the world. It has been such a rewarding and inspiring journey, and I am excited to continue designing for a better world and a better tomorrow for all.”

View the other LEXUS DESIGN AWARD Finalist Designs here.

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