Taiwan Wins Two Silvers and Three Bronzes at 2008 IDEA

Again proving its world-class design capacity, various teams from Taiwan won five major prizes at the renowned, international design contest-2008 Industrial Design Excellence Award (IDEA).

According to Taiwan Design Center (TDC), a national design center on the island, winning the two silver and three bronze awards in the 2008 IDEA competition, one of the world's most prestigious design contests, is on a par to the island's best performances in recent years.

The winner of a silver award for its Tatung Wireless VOIP Phone designed for Tatung is Nova Design Co., Ltd., the largest design studio in Greater China. Another silver-award winner is Duck Image Co., Ltd., also a frequent winner of major international design contests, for its INFINI LUXU I-109 bicycle lamp. The bronze-award winners include Elite Design Co. for its O-Grill 3000 portable BBQ; BenQ Corp. for the BenQ Free Surf U1 interactive module interconnect device or MID; and D-Link Corp. for the FuChat cordless phone.

According to TDC, Taiwan designers competed against some 1,517 formidable rivals from 28 nations at the 2008 IDEA, which is co-sponsored by BusinessWeek and Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA). This year, 35 gold awards, 77 silver, and 93 bronze awards were given out; while for the first time this year, 389 finalists were named in addition to the winners.

Another first at the 2008 IDEA was that the jury bestowed two "Best in Show" awards, including one to SizeChina, a design research project that compiled the first-ever database consisting of a representative cross-section of mainland Chinese' digitized cranial and facial images; with the other given to Apple's now-iconic iPhone.

Mostly American Winners

Also the TDC said that IDEA offers fewer prizes in comparison with other major international design competitions, hence raising the bar to make the high-profile contest even more coveted for global designers. Plus the TDC said that 96 or 46% of the 205 prizes overall were given to American companies or designers this year, suggesting perhaps a higher barrier for foreign entries.

Tony Chang, CEO of TDC, urged Taiwan-based companies to more aggressively join major international design competitions, because winning such awards undoubtedly is the best and most effective way to upgrade market competitiveness and product added-value. Chang is very reassured to see increasing numbers of Taiwan enterprises realizing the importance of good, conscientious design, a process also gaining more attention as it has been promoted islandwide with more and more locally-designed products winning major design awards worldwide.

Chang furthered that TDC operates the Taiwan Good Design certification system, the first step for Taiwan-based designers and companies to win the Taiwan Design Award, the highest honor given locally, and to access all major design competitions worldwide. Both the two silver-award winners from Taiwan at the 2008 IDEA were Taiwan-Good-Design certified, Chang cited as example.

Coupled with the five awards from the 2008 IDEA, Chang claimed that the number of award-winning products created by Taiwan-based designers in the world's top-four contests-iF, reddot, IDEA, and G-Mark-total 165 as of the end of July, already a 24% increase from 133 in 2007. The CEO is very confident that such total will exceed 200 once the results at iF Communication Design Award, reddot communication design, and G-Mark product design contests are announced, making 2008 the most fruitful year for the Taiwan design circle.

Award-winning Designs at 2008 IDEA From Taiwan

Tatung Wireless VOIP Phone

Award: Silver Award

Category: Communication Tools

Designer: Nova Design Co., Ltd.

Client: Tatung Co.

According to Nova Design, the VOIP phone features Bluetooth, wireless and a touch-pad with silk-like operation smoothness. The Tatung VoIP Phone allows easy communication via the Internet. Its upper cover case can be changed to display various colors and patterns. While the phone design itself is reduced to the bare essentials, its optical profile is created with rounded edges and a faux antenna for a retro style.

INFINI LUXO I-109

Award: Silver Award

Category: Leisure & Recreation

Designer: Duck Image Co., Ltd.

Client: Chance Good Ent. Co., Ltd.

With the dual functions of bicycle light and flashlight, the Luxo I-109 boasts a tool-free attachment and easily removable bracket, making it a favorite of outdoor enthusiasts looking for convenience. Round plastic o-rings give the Luxo a high degree of water resistance. The reflector angles are calculated precisely to provide optimal lighting for a wider and longer beam. The precise angles also help eliminate flashing, increasing the safety for road users. All this and environmentally-friendly, too -- a single 1-Watt LED is used to produce the lighting brightness of 8-10 lux.

O-Grill 3000

Award: Bronze Award

Category: Home Living

Designer: Elite Design Co.

The O-Grill 3000 is a truly portable grill, weighing less than 25 lbs with features that rival larger, heavier, more costly models. It has a 225 square-inch grill area with a 9,450 BTU stainless steel burner, eye-catchingly colorful design and retractable legs. Equipped with a detachable storage compartment for user convenience, this grill sets a new standard for tailgating, camping and apartment deck cooking.

BenQ MID Aries2

Award: Bronze Award

Category: Interactive Product Experiences

Designer: BenQ Corporation

Mobile Internet Device (MID) Aries2 brings a new level of convenience to Internet users. Its ultra-light weight makes it highly mobile, but the challenges of designing for (and using) a small screen were overcome through smart interactive design. By simply shaking the device, all open windows can be displayed and accessed. Flip the device vertically or horizontally and use the finger or a stylus to type, zoom and control the interface. Web browsing, viewing pictures and reading documents can be operated with the flick of a finger.

FuChat

Award: Bronze Award

Category: Communication Tools - Concept

Designer: D-Link Corporation

The FuChat is a cordless phone that can make both Internet calls and regular calls. When FuChat detects a change in the user's tone of voice or body temperature, it changes the display, text, sound, lights, and color on the phone. Its goal is to make interaction with the phone a more personal experience, improving communication by associating human emotions with an electronic device. The FuChat is made from renewable plastic to reduce its impact on the environment. Online account management and support is also included, allowing people to easily configure and manage their phone through the Internet.