September 3, 2010
The I.D. Legacy Lives
When I.D, the oldest product design magazine in the U.S., folded after 55 years, its publishers promised that the Annual Design Review (ADR), at least, would continue in an expanded, online avatar. The ADR was a long standing tradition at the magazine, in which the editors and industry experts pored over applications from designers in […]
When I.D, the oldest product design magazine in the U.S., folded after 55 years, its publishers promised that the Annual Design Review (ADR), at least, would continue in an expanded, online avatar. The ADR was a long standing tradition at the magazine, in which the editors and industry experts pored over applications from designers in various fields, and selected the very best to be published in the August/September issue each year.
The MeyerHoffer Surfboard – Best in Show, Consumer Products.
This year’s review comes a little late, and it has quite a few quirky surprises. Click, a virtual lamp that lives only on your computer screen, has actually been selected as the “Best in Show” in the Furniture category. Surfboards may not be the first thing to come to mind when someone says “Consumer Products,” but Thomas Meyerhoffer’s strange wavy surfboard topped that category, winning over food blenders, speaker systems, projectors and compost mixers. One could argue that Swiss International Air Line’s first class seats, designed by Priestmangoode, should be in the Furniture category, but they won in the Transportation category.
Amazon Kindle DX packaging – Best in Show, Packaging.
But the ADR has some perfectly sensible choices as well. BMW Group DesignworksUSA’s public furniture system, Metro4o, shares the honor in the Furniture category. The thoroughly business-like Motorola MC9500 Mobile Computer was named the best entry in the Equipment category, and judge Debbie Millman was so impressed by the packaging for the Amazon Kindle DX, that she actually reconsidered her decision to buy an iPad. And as always, IDEO made it to the list, this time for “Palette,” a concept that will help users plan a nutritional meal based on the color of their food. A special addition to the ADR this year is the Rado Young Talent Design Award, which went to Sang Hoon Kim, for his curvaceous Phenomena room divider.
Phenomena room divider – Rado Young Talent Design Award.
For a complete list of winners, visit the Annual Design Review Web site.
All images courtesy I.D. magazine.
