Immerse yourself in communication design: the power of water

How creatively water, the most important element for humans, is taken up in our everyday lives, apart from the basic needs, may not be obvious to many at first glance. But also in communication design, the element is made tangible through various projects. In the Red Dot Award 2018, the top-class jury honoured, among other things, works that recognised the power of nature and the aesthetics of water, and incorporated their properties in creative works.  

Border crossers

In the corporate films “Pioneers” from Hyundai, the viewer is brought closer to the element of water, the only emission of the fuel cell technology, through enormous images. In the clips, the world record holders in freediving and big wave surfing tell in an impressive way what drives them and what it means for them to be pioneers: namely courage, persistence and the will to push to their limits. Innocean Worldwide Europe’s films were created for the Geneva Motor Show 2017 and displayed on a giant trapezoid LED screen. In this way, they support the Hyundai i30, the fuel cell concept and the pioneering spirit of Hyundai.  For the high design quality and creativity, the designers were awarded the Red Dot.

Walking on water

The Red Dot award-winning sculpture and viewing pavilion “WaterWalk” of the Hwaseong municipal in South Korea gives visitors the feeling as if they were walking on water. The 44-metre-long and ten-metre-high statue stands on Jebu Island and spans over parts of the water. Here, the sculpture serves as a gateway to the ocean and starting point of the sea road. At low tide, the visitor has an impressive view over the mudflat. At high tide, the water reaches up to the deck of the pavilion, giving the visitor the feeling of walking on water. The undulating anodised aluminium surface resembles the reflection of water, so that the “WaterWalk” designed by SOAP blends seamlessly into the surrounding and reflects the weather and the tides.

Ocean to touch

The installation “30° – Visualising Ocean Data” was designed by Mathias Foot, Stephan Schakulat, Franziska Rast and Janna Nikoleit. With its help, a better understanding of the ocean should be created by using rehashing scientific efforts. The data of the 30° western longitude, which extends across the entire open ocean, were visualised in short animations. These provide information about parameters such as temperature, salinity or oxygen concentration in the water. The installation, designed for Wissenschaft im Dialog, combines light, space and animated graphics and transforms abstract information into an aesthetic experience. In the Red Dot: Junior Award this work was awarded a Red Dot.

Colourful into deep blue

The Hungarian brand Manta Swimwear is known for its basic and theme collection. Botond Vörös created a current and playful brand design for a limited edition of clothing, which was awarded the Red Dot. The highlight are the elements inspired by water motifs that perfectly integrate different forms of beach life such as swimming, sailing and fishing. The design is very lively, which is further underlined by the colourful palette.

Top meeting of design experts

Behind the projects awarded in the course of the Red Dot Award: Brands & Communication Design is a top-class jury that can draw on years of expertise in communication design which helps them to select the best works of the year. In July 2019, the international experts of the brand and communication industry will meet, to examine the new submissions and to reward the most convincing projects. Anyone who makes it into the circle of prize-winners can look forward to the Red Dot Gala in Berlin, where the prize-winners will receive their trophies and certificates.