Designers from Taiwan Win 68 Prizes in 2010 Red Dot Product Design Awards
2010/05/18 | By Quincy Liang
Only if global economic growth could mimic the rise in Red Dot Design Award prizes won by the Taiwan design sector over the past seven years, with 34 times as many awards having been won from 2004 to 2010.
Designers from Taiwan won 68 prizes, including one Best of Best, the highest honor, in the 2010 Red Dot Product Design Award, regarded as the Oscars in product design, compared to only two in 2004 or 20 in 2005.
By early May 2010, Taiwan's designers have won 147 prizes in two globally renowned design competitions-the iF Product Design and Red Dot Product Design-from the former of which Taiwan brought back 79 prizes (including three Golds); while two major design contests have yet to unveil the final winners, including the Good Design Award (G-Mark) of Japan) and Industrial Design Excellence Award (IDEA) of the U.S..
The Red Dot Design Award, initiated in 1955, is divided into the three disciplines: product design, communication design and design concept. Typically receiving over 12,000 entries from more than 60 nations, the Red Dot is the biggest and most prestigious design competition globally.
The CENS editorial team summarizes in the following a selection of the 68 prize winners in the 2010 Red Dot Product Design category.
Product: PIPE Auto Emergency & LED Desk Lamp
Company: Advanced Connectek Inc. (Designer: Process Product Design AG Taiwan Branch)
PIPE is a new generation LED lamp that doubles as home and emergency light. The integral electronic management system senses a blackout to automatically light up the portable lamp, which lasts two hours as flashlight as necessary after quakes, fire etc. Users can also use the switch that automatically activates during blackouts. PIPE has integrated cooling for effective heat dissipation without using radiating fins that may be hazardous.
Product: Gaming Station-Level 10
Company: Thermaltake Technology Co., Ltd. (Designer: Thermaltake and BMW Group Designworks USA)
Designed as an open modular structure, with all the elements visible, to enable their easy addition and removal. The design concept is inspired by gamers' preference for substantial-looking, top performance components and architectural aesthetics, as well as being influenced by the nature of the games themselves as futuristic, virtual architecture and cityscape worlds.
The asymmetrical balance of a vertical heat sink with horizontal components creates an iconic architectural statement which is based on the functional requirements of highly efficient gaming towers. As powerful gaming towers generate ample heat, the designer focuses on building effective cooling, with the exposed, multi-layer vertical heat sink symbolizing both inherent power and excellent cooling qualities of the Level_10 tower.
Product: Portable USB Speaker
Company: FORESHOT Industrial Co., Ltd.
The new Portable USB speaker has a simplistic barrel design, offering visual ease. The speaker has double functions: the "Interlock Design" allows easy cleaning and the adjustability allows focusing of sound projection. Plus this speaker has integrated storage of cables that minimizes clutter and need for cleaning.
Product: Galatea
Company: H & J Kreima International Co., Ltd.
Just what many cyclists need: a dual-purpose bike lock and water-bottle cage in one. Use it to store a water bottle while riding and as a lock while parked. Its innovative dual-hub keyhole design enables locking of more than one bike, perfect for convenient security for group cyclists. Its intelligent bobbin system enables the cable to be neatly tucked inside the lock to greatly reduce the risk of dust contamination, which damages the lock. At only 550 grams, the Galatea is lightweight and very portable, as well as works on all cycles.
Inspired to create an upscale writing instrument, the designer not only builds an attractive fountain pen but also adopts innovative branding, product development, plus practical distribution to develop an all-round package of success. The marketing team benefits from a perfectly finished pen that makes its effort easy to raise the brand and added-value.
Product: Still One Water Drinking Faucet
Company: Shengtai Brassware Co., Ltd.
Literally indestructible and hazard-free, this drinking faucet features 304 and 303 stainless steel to achieve resistance to acid, heat and erosion, with the surface free from chemical coating for hazard-free drinking.
Designed for extra durability, the stainless steel valve cartridge mechanism differs from traditional brass, rubber and ceramic counterparts, which lasts for some 200,000 actuations. Based on the design conception of "Less is More," the designer uses simple lines and form to integrate practicality, elegance and precision, as well as being very compact to suit Taiwanese kitchens.
Product: Quick N Flex
Company: Proxene Tools Co., Ltd.
The ultimate do-it-all tool driver, the Quick N Flex fits a variety of tool heads with angle adjustability for super convenience even in tight spaces.
Product: Gum Plus/PP-168
Company: Just Mobile Ltd.
The perfect personal device charger for users on the go, the Mobile Gum Plus packs an impressive 4400 mAh of power and 1000mA of output to charge iPhones up to 4 times, and up to 90% capacity in just an hour. This charger enables users to enjoy more music, video, talk, games, internet on iPhones, as well as working on iPod, Smartphone and other USB-powered devices.
Product: Alupad
Company: Just Mobile Ltd. (Design: tools Design)
Just Mobile Alupad, designed by a Danish designer, beautifully complements an Apple keyboard and mouse. The Alupad is no run-of-the-mill mouse pad but a serious desktop luxury, crafted from a single slab of anodized aluminum to ensure durability and better value for money, as well as encased in seamless white plastic with non-slip feet to stability. The Just Mobile Alupad is ideal accompaniment to Apple's mice, and the perfect gift for discriminating Apple fans.
A laptop speaker and cooling system, the SoundBase Mobile features premium sound with high quality 2.1 stereo audio system. The subwoofer has integrated left and right speakers in one unit and is worldwide patented. The Auto Driver configure supports both Windows and MAC systems-just plug and play to enjoy music while it also cools a laptop. Lightweight and easy to handle, this dual-purpose speaker for mobile users also has only one USB cable for hassle-free connection to PC or laptop.
Offering old-school sound in the digital age, this vacuum-tube amplifier has analog sound technology as well as iPod technology to deliver warm, rich sound usually attributed to vacuum tube components. The top has an aluminum housing with three vacuum tubes accompanied by three polished aluminum horns, with the main controls clearly arranged on the front and the backside slightly recessed to stow cables.
Product: Yantouch JellyFish Lamp
Company: Yantouch Corporation
Perhaps inspired by the Lava Lamp of the 1960s, the designer creates the Jellyfish Lamp to emit stunning, kaleidoscopic colors that mimic the marine jellyfish. It has two lighting sources: the top and bottom tube, with either both turned on or only the bottom on. And there are two lighting options: fixed color that change in intensity and flow color that changes hues as well as chromatic-variation speed. The touch panel enables one-finger control of both the top and bottom light sources.
Product: Gel Inlay Yoga Mat
Company: Yansn Co., Ltd.
Solving the age-old problem of slipping on mats for yoga practitioners, the designer has created the Gel Inlay Yoga Mat. No more worrying about slipping and hazards related to such issue, yogis now have this shock-absorbing mat with gel inlay, with the innovative micro-fiber & anti-slip plastic inlay design to prevent users ever slipping. The superb anti-slip surface helps users relax in yoga poses more efficiently and comfortably. Its foldaway design enables easy storage and cleaning, as well as being durable and lightweight.
Product: Piano LED Table QLD-203
Company: Qisda Corporation
The Piano LED Table, a LED light fixture, caters to users demanding sophistication in interior decor. This LED light is shaped like a piano keyboard with an elegant and classic look but also enables turning on the light as easy as playing a keyboard. The light panel is composed of independent units, each of which works in solo or harmony. Simply tilting the panel, just like playing the piano sort to speak, turns on the light. Each side of the light serves specific purpose: one offers light for reading and the other ambient illumination.
Product: Coral LED Table (55cm)QLD-104
Company: Qisda Corporation
Tapping one of nature's most beautiful submarine colors, the Coral LED Table is an ambient light that features exquisite hues of corals.
A multi-diffuser in the Coral LED Table enables illumination akin to a hydrangea in full blossom. The light emitting from the center of each diffuser interacts with the others, reflecting on and shining through translucent diffusers producing a unique visual effect of light and shadow. Equipped with high-power LED, the Coral LED Table is also a reading lamp. Not only do the LED lamp's low-temperature characteristics benefit users, this item is also an amazing visual experience.
