by Brianna Crandall — February 6, 2012—The “world’s best” new design for 2011 was announced recently by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies. Several thousands of leading manufacturers, corporations, industrial design offices, architects, graphic and packaging designers from over 50 nations submitted the best of their new product design to the Good Design Awards program that honors worldwide design innovation, vision, sustainability, and the competitive design edge.
Dating back to 1950, the “world’s largest and most important” industrial design competition was held this year at the American Institute of Architects in Los Angeles. A total of over 500 Good Design Awards were given for 2011 by the Los Angeles jury, representing the work of thousands of designers and industry leaders producing the finest accomplishments in design and manufacturing from 38 nations. Winning designs ranged from Sennheiser/adidas Earphones designed by BMW Group DesignworksUSA to the Zefiro380 High-Speed Train designed by Bombardier Transportation in Germany—everything “from the spoon to the city,” as the program’s original founders intended.
Other products include: advanced electronics, signature chairs and office furnishings, building materials, high-tech kitchens and appliances, electric cars, sleek computers and televisions, electric urban chargers for tomorrow’s vehicles, tools, office products, bathroom fixtures, headphones, high-tech packaging, pencil sharpeners, and many more.
Just a sample of the winning facilities-related products includes:
Furniture:
- Dossier Executive Furniture Collection: John Hellwig for Teknion
- Herman Miller Compass Patient Room Furniture: Continuum for Herman Miller, Inc.
- Trea Chair: Todd Bracher Studio for Humanscale
- LSM Conference Table Collection for KnollStudio: Lehman Smith McLeisch for Knoll, Inc.
- Kontour Lounge Series: Wolfgang C. R. Mezger for Davis Furniture
- RHOMBI II Flat Panel Lectern: Cesaroni Design Associates, Inc. for Bretford Manufacturing
Office Products:
- MAST Monitor Support Arm: CGM Design LLC. for Teknion
- JobClock Hornet: ExakTime
Building Products/Materials:
- Acme System 50 Glass Wall: Inscape
- Health Crease Tile: One & Co. for Health Ceramics
- Nova and Pulsar Mosaic Tile: Italdesign Giugiaro SpA for Mosaico+
Lighting:
- Jump by Philips Ledalite Luminaires: Philips Ledalite
- Airabesc: 2Do Design for Osram Sylvania, Inc.
- Half Pipe Sconce: Michael Wolk Design Associates for Boyd Lighting
- Horizon LED Task Light: Peter Stathis & Virtual Studio for Humanscale
Floor and Wall Covering:
- Ink Wallcovering Collection: Pentagram for KnollTextiles
- Armstrong Marmorette with Continuum: Armstrong World Industries
- Reoriented from FLOR: David Oakey Designs, Inc. for Interface, Inc.
