Brit Insurance Designs of the Year
The Brit Insurance Designs of the Year is the Design Museum’s assessment of a year’s worth of good design in 7 separate categories: architecture, fashion, furniture, graphics, interactive, product and transport. One winner is selected in each group out of roughly 100 nominations, all of which are currently on exhibition at the museum. Among the winners is Alexander McQueen’s Spring 2010 collection. The futuristic fantasy printed dresses are some his most brilliant work yet, though sadly his last. The Interactive award goes to another futuristic design, The Eyewriter, essentially a pair of sunglasses that allow people who suffer from paralysis as a result of Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis to draw using only their eyes.
The other winning designs are simpler, or at least more simple-looking, like the flat-pack, self-assembly bamboo furniture by Jair Straschnow and Min-Kyu Choi’s light-weight folding plug. Its simple, practical and unobtrusive design echoes Dieter Rams’ minimal mastery. If there was a Most Innovative category it would surely go to Yuneec International’s E-430 Electric Aircraft, a “twin seat, single engine, light sport aircraft that’s simple to use, easy to fly and produces zero emissions.” The ride is virtually silent, bump-free and can be charged for as little as $7.50.
More information on the winners, including a wonderfully modern housing project in Monterrey, Mexico and one of the most interesting ideas for stimulating the print industry can be seen on the announcement page.
