Jury session for Red Dot Award: Product Design 2016 successful
41 experts from all over the globe came together in the Ruhr region at the end of February to form the largest Red Dot jury in the history of the competition. The jury members included ICE and Transrapid designer Alexander Neumeister, fashion icon Jimmy Choo and automotive design legend Chris Bangle. During the jury session all entries were examined on site.
In 2016 the Red Dot Award recorded with well over 5,000 products the highest number of entries in its history. Products were registered in 31 categories: from consumer electronics, furniture, jewellery or watches to entire interior decorations and lab technology. Global brands like Google, Apple, Sony, LG, Philips, Kartell or Artemide submitted their products to have a chance to receive one of the coveted awards "Red Dot: Best of the Best", "Red Dot" or "Honourable Mention".
In order to cope with the increasing numbers of submissions, this year again a top-class committee from 25 countries was appointed. The objectivity of the jurors is essential: Only independent designers, design professors or specialist journalists are allowed to join the team of experts. Product designers of potentially participating companies and brands may not be members of the jury in any case. This rules out any conflicts of interest amongst competing manufacturers.
The independent panel of design experts assessed the submitted products by taking certain criteria into account such as functionality, degree of innovation, formal quality and ecological compatibility. The jury meeting is always a special highlight even for such prominent product specialists, because the innovations of each category are submitted physically. For this purpose vehicles of the largest automobile manufactures such as BMW, Ferrari, McLaren or Kia are presented on site for the Red Dot jury. A logistical challenge that the organisers of the Red Dot Award: Product Design accept every year.
The laureates use the seal of quality for good design as a marketing and communication tool. Winning an award also involves an extensive package of activities, such as a publication in the Red Dot Design Yearbook and a presence in the exhibition of the Red Dot Design Museums. The official award ceremony is the Red Dot Gala in Essen, which takes place on 4 July 2016 at the Aalto-Theater.
In a few days all participants will be informed at once individually about the results. From 30 March 2016, the winners are allowed to communicate their successes.
Adjudication criteria:
The judging criteria provide a guiding framework which is interpreted individually by each juror.
Degree of innovation
Ergonomics
Product periphery
Functionality
Durability
Self-explanatory quality
Formal quality
Symbolic and emotional content
Ecological compatibility
