Top-notch designs – convincing performance across the board by Red Dot: Best of the Best winners
First in class. This is the shared attribute of the products that receive a Red Dot: Best of the Best. As part of the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2020, the jury awarded the highest distinction in the competition to just 76 objects. Those objects set themselves apart from more than 6,500 entries through their ground-breaking design quality. They score highly across all levels of design, boasting an outstanding aesthetic as well as excellent quality of use. Many of the award-winning products also share further characteristics such as unparalleled innovative power and puristic elegance. It is this impressive achievement that is in the spotlight on the first day of Red Dot Design Week.
Touch and try
Assessing the products and selecting the year’s best designs is no mean feat. As experts experienced in different industries and specialist areas, however, the Red Dot jurors are up to the task: They embrace the competition’s “Touch and try” motto to the fullest when examining each entry in detail. This means that they ride bicycles, push buggies or try out knives by cutting vegetables, for example. The jury members then make a decision in teams of three.
Aesthetics and functionality combined
Whether they are major brands, SMEs or start-ups, what the laureates have in common is the outstanding design quality of their products. These also include numerous objects that enrich our homes. One such product is the “Aquno Select M81” kitchen mixer tap, made by Hansgrohe and designed by Phoenix Design. Intended for use in large sinks, it boasts a winning combination of shape and radius. Equipped with a high arc spout, a pull-out spray head and a tray with slanted edges, the product blends stylishly into any kitchen. The water can subsequently be filtered using the “Kohler Reve” system from Kohler Design Studio, for example. This innovative device works using a reliable reverse osmosis filter system that cleans two litres of water per minute. Its high output is accommodated in a minimalistic shape. Another product that won the top distinction in the competition is the bathroom range “Duravit Viu/XViu”, manufactured by Duravit and designed by sieger design. The range of bathroom fittings and furnishings are elegant and highly functional with sharp contrasts. “NM – SmartDrape Shades” window shades from Nien Made Enterprise feature an impressive, flowing appearance. The shades lend a graceful note to every interior. Yet another item to enrich your home is the OLED TV “LG 65GX”. Its concisely designed concept with a slender profile and no cables or fastenings on show exudes a certain fascination.
The Red Dot Award recommends products for every passion, whether it be cars, amateur photography, watch collecting or cycling. The competition’s highest distinction was awarded among others to two cars that couldn’t be more different if they tried. The fully electric Honda e has innovative assistance systems, a compact shape and a sophisticated high-end interface. The Ferrari SF90 Stradale has a sportier appearance, with a combination of a combustion engine and three electric engines as well as its well-balanced proportions making it an extreme sports car. All those who prefer two wheels instead of four should take a look at the “S3” and “X3” electric bikes from VanMoof. They stand out thanks to their puristic elegance and a matrix display in the frame’s top tube. The digital camera “SIGMA fp”, produced by SIGMA and designed by Iwasaki Design Studio, offers a level of technical sophistication comparable with that of the bikes. The compact, mirrorless device is versatile in use and can be adjusted to different photography situations. It is also very user friendly. The travel watch “Porsche Design 1919 Globetimer UTC All Titanium Blue” from Porsche and Studio F. A. Porsche is just as simple to use. The designers succeeded in integrating the function of quickly setting the respective local time in a chronometer casing. This innovation was executed in a particularly harmonious manner from a design perspective.
Presentation of all winners
The online exhibition and the yearbook, which is coming out in July, presents all of the winners of the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2020. This is where design fans can find detailed product descriptions, explanations of juror decisions, premium-quality images and further information on the designers and manufacturers. For all those who prefer to see and experience the products, it is worth visiting the Red Dot Design Museum Essen. From 23 June, the winners exhibitions “Milestones in Contemporary Design 2020/2021” and “Design on Stage 2020/2021” as well as “Onnellisuus – designed by Fiskars”, a special exhibition created by the Red Dot: Design Team of the Year 2020, will show the state of the art in product design and provide exciting insights into current developments and trends.