Dubai is a place of incredible contrasts. Humble homes are juxtaposed with out of this world luxurious resorts and plush ocean view pads. But Dubai has always been a place of extremes. A place where more is more. A whole lot more.

Luxury homes here all share certain things: abundant space, stunning design, and, of course, privacy. That’s certainly the case with the XXII Carat ultra-luxury villas that are just about to welcome their first ever occupants. Located right at the end of the Palm Jumeirah’s West Crescent, this is where things get rather fancy.

For today’s new generation of well-heeled travelers, the bar for luxe hideaways has reached dizzying heights, which is why XXII Carat’s interiors boast everything from kitchens that reflect discerning and uncompromising taste to bathrooms that offer a luxurious retreat from everyday life.

All the villas are furnished with high end finishing materials and equipment imported from France and Italy such as La Cornue, Baldi, La Cuisine Française, Devon&Devon, Schuco and Miele, to name just a few. Built using only the finest materials, XXII Carat is where all the determinants of uber luxury can be found.

Anton Yachmenev, Managing Director of Forum Group, the company behind XXII Carat, believes the standards of luxury living in Dubai have changed, for the better.

He says, “A decade ago, Dubai was not a place to buy a home and settle down. It was transient and short term and wasn’t taken seriously as somewhere you might want to spend the next 20 to 30 years of your life.

“But that has changed, dramatically. There is now a trend of discerning well-heeled buyers choosing a permanent home in Dubai and that’s why we came up with the idea for XXII Carat.

“It is a place residents can truly call home, where no expense has been spared. Each villa has been expertly designed and furnished to make sure you will never want to leave.”

Asked about who the buyers are lining up to purchase these high-end properties Anton says, “Our buyers are luxury-minded people from all over the world. They are people with style and sophistication who know exactly what they want and they expect nothing less than perfection.”

When you step inside one of the villas, the first thing you notice is the kitchen. The timeless beauty of La Cornue cookers, which are decorated with fleur de lis and one-of-a-kind enameled plinths, is a clear stand out feature. These custom-made range cookers combine traditional style with the latest technology to ensure outstanding cooking results.

“Our involvement with XXII Carat was particularly unique for us because it was the first time we took on such a large project. Usually, we design made to measure kitchens on a case-by-case basis but with XXII Carat we were involved with a global luxury real estate project with 22 exceptional and unique units,” says La Cornue’s General Manager, Benoît Favier.

“Forum Group had two major requirements. Firstly, everything needed to be electric and then the plinths, which are normally made from stainless steel, had to be enameled in the same colour as the cooker.

“For us, it was a very exciting project to work on not only because of the size of the order but because we could see everything taking shape, step by step, villa by villa, until this wonderful project became a reality,” he adds.

Complementing the cookers are the kitchen cabinets, which were fitted by leading French company La Cuisine Française.

“The kitchen is technically the most challenging part of the house, an everyday work area with its mixture of humidity, heat, liquids, and air circulating in and out,” explains Christopher Cousin, Founder and CEO of La Cuisine Française, whose family has been creating, manufacturing and fitting luxury furniture since 1821.

“It is therefore vital that the quality of materials, furniture and worktops in this room are guaranteed for lasting sustainability. Most of our kitchen cabinets are made from plywood carcasses, guaranteeing stability and lightness in weight, resistance to humidity, and increased load capacity.”

“But for XXII Carat we went a step further by upgrading certain features and adding special flourishes such as the addition of fine gold and silver leaf.”

Then there are the bathrooms, where you will find the jewel in the crown of XXII Carat villas, the $1 million bathtubs. Forum Group brought in precious-rock fixtures from high-end Italian interiors specialists, Baldi, a company that has carved a niche for itself creating luxury items for those who appreciate the finer things in life.

Taking inspiration from the Italian Renaissance, Luca Baldi – CEO of the family-owned company, describes his creations as “a perfect expression of the rarity and exclusivity of the Italian lifestyle.”

For the XXII Carat project, the raw crystals, weighing in at more than 10,000kg each, were shipped from Brazil to the Italy, where they were then hand-carved into a deep egg shape before arriving in Dubai.

“The residents of XXII Carat villas in Dubai will be among the first in the world to bathe in these remarkable tubs and enjoy the truly unique, magical and luxurious experience,” says Luca.

r the ultimate escape from the stresses and strains of everyday life.”

When it came to the bathroom décor, Forum Group turned to Italian bathroom design experts Devon & Devon, who were tasked with giving these decadent rooms a touch of European elegance.

Under the guidance of the company’s art director, Paola Tanini, and in partnership with the interior design studio Transforma, catalogue pieces were selected and painstakingly redesigned to furnish the bathrooms and hammams of the villas to adapt them to the Arab-Mediterranean style.

“We take classical shapes and use contemporary materials to come up with astonishing timeless bathroom furnishings,” says Tanini.

“For example, we redesigned our Dandy and Coventry taps and fittings for the private hammams to obtain a special waterfall effect. For XXII Carat’s bathrooms we used the Rose collection, Dandy and Coventry taps and fittings in an 18-carat gold finish and Cavendish accessories.”

The villas are on sale for between Dhs39.9 million and Dhs91.7 million, and the high price tag clearly hasn’t put off buyers, with 50 per cent of the properties already sold.

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Hyundai Motor Company has been awarded the honorary title “Red Dot: Brand of the Year 2018”. The title pays tribute to a brand that has created innovative design solutions on a very high level and recognises its design quality and decisiveness in brand management. In the Red Dot Award: Communication Design 2018, the South Korean car manufacturer succeeded in winning four Red Dots and three “Red Dot: Best of the Best” distinctions together with several agencies. With its overall excellent design quality and creative strength, Hyundai has positioned itself as the most successful brand in this year’s competition and will receive the well-earned trophy for the Red Dot: Brand of the Year 2018 during the award ceremony in Berlin, Germany, on 26 October.

Good design is relevant on all levels

Hyundai Motor Company has long-since understood that good design is necessary on all levels in order to be successful on the international market in the long term. The company has won numerous accolades for its well-designed vehicles and was furthermore honoured with multiple prizes for its communication design. Now, the car manufacturer, headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, with a presence all over the world, is the new Red Dot: Brand of the Year. It has been granted the honorary title for its consistent decisiveness in brand management and its effective collaboration with creative partners.

Red Dot CEO on the title of honour

Professor Dr Peter Zec, founder and CEO of the Red Dot Award: “Of all the prizes given in the Red Dot Award: Communication Design, the honorary title for the brand of the year stands out. I am truly delighted that this unique tribute is being paid to Hyundai Motor Company, as the manufacturer performs convincingly not only with its well-designed cars but also with elaborate communication design. In a highly saturated market, Hyundai succeeds in addressing its customers in a creative manner over and over again and manages to convey the technical background of its cars in a way that can be easily understood. The company’s innovative design approaches are both creative and high quality, providing customers with a virtually unparalleled 360-degree brand experience. It is with great pleasure that I congratulate Hyundai on its well-deserved title of honour ‘Red Dot: Brand of the Year 2018’.”

Hyundai feels honoured and proud

Wonhong Cho, Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President at Hyundai Motor Company, is delighted about the title: “It is an honour to be selected as the Red Dot: Brand of the Year 2018. We are humbled to receive such an accolade, as this award is validation that we are moving along the right track and it is a huge milestone for our brand image.” Regarding the future, Wonhong Cho, who has been responsible for the company’s marketing activities for more than eight years now, explains further: “This should encourage us to push harder in our approach and be a stepping stone for more creative and innovative projects in the future so that our brand can truly be loved by all.”

Award ceremony in Berlin

The official awarding of the Red Dot: Brand of the Year 2018 will take place during the Red Dot Gala at the Konzerthaus Berlin on 26 October. During what is one of the award ceremony’s highlights, Hyundai’s CMO, Wonhong Cho, will receive the trophy for the most successful brand in the competition in person from Red Dot founder Professor Dr Peter Zec.

Exhibiting Hyundai’s award-winning works

After the award ceremony, the 1,400 international guests will continue celebrating the year’s successes at the subsequent Designers’ Night. During the party at the ewerk Berlin, the exhibition “Design on Stage” will be presented for one night only. The attendants will experience all of the winning works – and thus the state of the art in communication design first hand. Besides the four works awarded a Red Dot, Hyundai’s projects that won a Red Dot: Best of the Best are also among the exhibits. Additionally, Hyundai’s projects will be showcased in the studio exhibition “Best Communication Design – Red Dot Winners Selection 2018” from 28 October 2018 to 13 January 2019 in the Museum for Communication Berlin.

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Out of a total of 8,610 entries, the year’s most creative and best-designed communication design projects emerged victoriously. Their makers will be honoured at the award ceremony for the Red Dot Award: Communication Design 2018 on 26 October in Berlin. From Australia to Iceland and from Taiwan to the USA and the United Arab Emirates – the award-winning designers and clients come to Berlin from all over the globe to celebrate their success at the Red Dot Gala and Designers’ Night. The winners of the top individual award, the “Red Dot: Grand Prix”, as well as of the newcomer’s award with prize money of 10,000 Euros is not announced to the international design scene until the evening itself. Other highlights on the evening include the awarding of the brand and the agency of the year.

Red Dot: Best of the Best for high design quality
In 2018, designers, agencies and companies from 45 countries submitted a total of 8,610 works to the Red Dot Award: Communication Design. But only well-designed and creative projects that won over the 24-member jury received one of the sought-after distinctions. As a result, after an adjudication process that lasted several days, the international panel of experts awarded the Red Dot: Best of the Best to just 0.7% of all entries. They thus recognised the very high design quality and creative achievement of 58 works. The creative heads behind the projects will receive their trophies on 26 October 2018 during the Red Dot Gala in the Konzerthaus Berlin.

Who will receive the Red Dot: Grand Prix?
During the award ceremony, seven of the projects that have won a Red Dot: Best of the Best will also be honoured as the best piece of work in their respective category. The jury can decide to award the Red Dot: Grand Prix, but this is not obligatory. As the top individual award in the competition, it recognises communication design featuring outstanding design quality and creativity. The recipients are not announced to the international audience until during the gala. Red Dot CEO Professor Dr Peter Zec is the host for the evening. Together with jury members Jennifer Tsai from Taiwan, Damon Aval from Germany and Professor Dr Seung Hun Yoo from South Korea, he hands over the trophies to the laureates.

Newcomer’s award with prize money of EUR 10,000

The air of excitement is guaranteed to the very last minute, not only for the established design professionals but also for the up-and-coming new designers who subject their abilities to scrutiny in the Red Dot Award: Communication Design. They can hold out hope of winning the Red Dot: Junior Prize. This newcomer’s award recognises the best piece of work by an up-and-coming designer and comes with prize money of 10,000 Euros.

Brand and agency of the year

The Red Dot: Brand of the Year 2018 is also awarded in front of a full house during the award ceremony. This title recognises a brand that has won over the jury in the course of the competition with not one but several innovative pieces of work of above-average quality. The outstanding achievements of a highly successful creative innovator are also recognised each year. The designers at the Red Dot: Agency of the Year 2018 will not find out that they have won the sought-after title of honour until the Red Dot Gala, creating a moment of genuine surprise. As a symbol of their success, they will receive the“Stylus” trophy from thjnk, the agency of the year 2017, thus marking the absolute highlight of the Red Dot Gala.

Designers’ Night with winners exhibition

The evening culminates in the Designers’ Night in the ewerk Berlin, where the Red Dot laureates receive their certificates. This legendary party is where the international creative scene celebrates the competition year and their successes. These successes are showcased impressively in the winners exhibition “Design on Stage 2018”. The exhibition presents all of the works that have won a prize in the Red Dot Award: Communication Design 2018. A selection of these works is on show in the Museum for Communication Berlin from 28 October 2018 to 13 January 2019 in the studio exhibition “Best Communication Design – Red Dot Winners Selection 2018”.

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Middle East’s largest real estate event showcases newly announced developments from top local exhibitors

Taking advantage of the region’s largest gathering of real estate professionals, developers took to the halls of the Dubai World Trade Centre to announce and showcase projects worth billions of dirhams.

Out of the 300 companies at Cityscape Global, five local developers have exhibited projects worth a total of AED38.7 billion making up a large portion of the total value of projects onsite. With the value of many of the announced projects expected to come to light in the coming days, the running tally is projected to grow substantially.

Running until Thursday 4 October, Cityscape Global has seen developers competing for the attention of first-time buyers, seasoned real estate owners and major investors with offers of attractive payment plans, fee waivers and additional bonuses on new and existing projects.

Nakheel – Dragon Towers (AED713 million)
Nakheel’s Dragon Towers is a twin building high-rise apartment complex that offers one and two-bedroom units starting at AED449,000.

With a total development value of AED713 million, the project will be built at Dubai’s rapidly-expanding Dragon City mixed-use community.

Aldar Properties – Alghadeer (AED10 billion)
Featuring more than 14,000 units, Aldar’s Alghadeer is a AED10 billion master-planned development located on the border of Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

Aldar is offering Cityscape Global visitors who buy homes at Alghadeer a 2% registration fee waiver and a 3-year holiday on service charges, as well as a monthly payment plan enabling customers to buy their home from as little as AED2,700 per month.

Arada – Aljada (AED24 billion)
Announced on the opening day of Cityscape Global, the Central Hub, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, is the focal point of Arada’s AED24 billion lifestyle destination, Aljada. The developer is also offering visitors the chance to purchase one of 109 semi-detached villas and townhouses in its nature-themed Sarab Community onsite at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

Arada is one of many Sharjah developers joining the freehold movement in the emirate, allowing foreigners to invest their money in the real estate industry, following a change in the law in 2014.

Binghatti Developers – Portfolio Projects (AED1.5 billion)
Binghatti’s total portfolio of available projects, which includes the recently announced Millennium Binghatti Residences (AED400 million) and Binghatti Stars (AED250 million) top a value of AED1.5 billion.

For sales onsite, they are offering a reduced 1% booking fee, free interior design, zero per cent commission and an onsite mortgage approval from Mashreq Bank. Additionally, they also have an exclusive deal that allows buyers to live in an existing unit in an existing Binghatti project rent free until handover has been completed.

Union Properties – Avenue District (AED2.5 billion)
Part of Dubai Motor City’s phase two development plans, Avenue District is a mixed-use lifestyle destination announced on the opening day of Cityscape Global.

Valued at AED2.5 billion, Avenue District will offer over 300 residential units as well as a state-of-the-art 100,000sqft BMW and MINI showroom.

Other major developments and projects launched on the opening day of the show include Marsa Meydan by the Meydan Group, a Newport Beach style residential and lifestyle community in Jebel Ali featuring a climate-controlled marina and waterfront villas with private pontoons, a first in Dubai.

Meraas’ Port de la Mer was also announced during the first day of the event and is set to be a beachfront master developed project in the heart of Jumeirah. Located in the Northern Peninsula of La Mer, it will offer a mix of residential suites, four and five-star hotels and a 192-berth superyacht marina.

Cityscape Global returns with support from Foundation Partners: Dubai Holding and Nakheel; Platinum Sponsors: Eltizam Asset Management and Marjan Island and; Silver Partners: Noyanlar and Tamleek Real Estate; and Strategic Partner: Dubai Land Department.

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Red Dot Award: Product Design begins – call for entries from designers and manufacturers worldwide

• Entries can be submitted as of 15 October 2018
• Early Bird tariff available for registrations received by 9 November
• The closing date for entries is 1 February 2019

The Red Dot Award: Product Design 2019 starting signal will be given on 15 October 2018. Designers and companies from around the world then have until 1 February 2019 to submit products from all areas of daily life for a chance to win an award at one of the world’s largest design competitions. The first of the three registration phases, which allows participants to benefit from a discounted registration fee, ends on 9 November.

48 different product categories
From every day to unusual, participants can this year choose between 48 product categories for their submission. They can send in entries for everything from consumer electronics to aircraft, medical devices, jewellery, robotics and furniture for evaluation by an international jury. “The first thing I notice is the huge variety of categories and the growing quality of products,” said Red Dot jury member and UK design strategist Michael Thomson during the adjudication process in 2018. In fact, the experts were already impatient last year to find out what innovations would be presented in 2019. Steve Leung, the founder of Steve Leung Designers, explained, “I would like to see more designers who are ecosensitive in their work.” However, he also points out the potential he foresees in the realm of artificial intelligence.

Experience and expertise get straight to the point
For more than 60 years, a jury consisting of experienced experts from different specialist fields have been coming together to search out the best designs of the year. Over the course of an evaluation process that lasts several days, they try out and discuss the products, and eventually reach a well-founded decision on the design quality of the submissions. In line with the motto “In search of good design and innovation”, during the assessment process, they look for criteria such as the level of innovation, functionality, formal quality, durability and ergonomics.

Red Dot Winner Label identifies award-winning products
If a design receives an award, the winners may use the internationally recognised winner label. It assures the long-term association of the product with outstanding design quality and offers consumers a useful benchmark. Award-winning entries are furthermore presented in the Red Dot Design Yearbook, in international exhibitions, as well as online and in the Red Dot App.

Registration phases for the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2019
Early Bird: 15 October – 9 November 2018
Regular: 10 November 2018 – 9 January 2019
Latecomers: 10 January – 1 February 2019

Additional information and registration: www.red-dot.org/pd/participate

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The Restaurant & Bar Design Show is UK’s most comprehensive event dedicated to the very latest and most stylish designs for restaurants and bars, and as it is just around the corner, we have managed to get hold of an exclusive preview of what’s coming up for 2018!
Taking place at the ExCeL London, on the 25th – 26th September, this is THE event for restaurant and bar design – and the best news? Tickets to attend are completely free!
Register here: www.restaurantdesignshow.co.uk
So without further-a-do, here are our top tips for what to see in 2018!

Design Zone

Design is more than just the way an establishment looks; it is the physical embodiment of their brand and what it represents. As the first interaction that a customer has with a business, design has a seriously important role to play when it comes to first impressions!
The Restaurant and Bar Design Show ’s design zone will provide you with a flurry of inspirational ideas which all culminate in a strong expression of any brand identity.
With a huge range of styles on display, you are guaranteed to find displays of genius amidst the most revolutionary designs the world has to offer. Visit the design zone to see how some companies are setting themselves apart from the crowd!

Emerging Brands

Great design requires ambition, and the Restaurant & Bar Design Show loves ambition! For that reason, they’ve got a zone strictly dedicated to the inspired minds behind today’s emerging brands.
The Emerging Brands Zone will bring together businesses that are eager to showcase their ambitious ideas and implement them on a global scale. So come along to see the businesses with big dreams – they’re #Hungry4growth and are ready to shine on the biggest stage.

Trends, Ideas & Advice

Lack of inspiration? In need of some change? Don’t worry, the Restaurant & Bar Design Show has all the knowledge and innovations to make your creative juices flow!

Networking

Join a network of over 18,000 proactive industry professionals; heed their advice and learn from their mistakes, as you carve out the future of your business, one connection at a time.

Business Growth

The Restaurant & Bar Design Show ’s number 1 priority is business growth – so if you want to know what is next for the industry, be sure to register for your FREE ticket today, before spaces run out!
To book your FREE ticket, and find out about all of this year’s goings-on, check out their website here: www.restaurantdesignshow.co.uk. We can’t wait to see you there!

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From 27 to 30 September 2018, Red Dot is presenting the exhibition “The Form of Simplicity. Good Design for a better Quality of Life” at the China International Exhibition Center in Beijing. True to the motto “Less, but better”, the roughly 150 exhibits on show exemplify how the principle of simplicity influences the form of products and helps to increase the quality of life.

Exhibits illustrate the development of the principle of simplicity

The exhibition, which is being held as part of the 2018 Beijing International Home Decoration and Smart Home Exhibition & International Design Expo (BIHD 2018), uses examples of selected design objects to demonstrate the design principle of simplicity and shows the transition in the form of various products that has taken place in design since the industrialisation. The focus is on aspects such as the simplicity of form, function and use as well as their diversity and quality.

From furniture to lamps, cutlery, consumer electronics or bicycles, there are around 150 exhibits for visitors to discover. The products are compared with each other, thus unveiling the differences between historical and modern pieces and between handcrafted and industrially made products. Thonet’s “bistro or Viennese café-style chair”, Artemide’s Tolomeo lamp or Apple’s iPhone are just some of the impressive products that were key in shaping the evolution of simplicity. All of them have become real design classics, among other things thanks to their innovative design, their streamlined functionality, ease of use and the use of appropriate materials.

“Less, but better”

Against the backdrop of digitalisation and technical innovations that are becoming more and more complex, it is especially important to reduce things to the essentials. While the guiding principle “Less is more” played a central role in the Bauhaus era, nowadays designers have adapted this adage to “Less, but better”. This means that dispensing with the decorative embellishments of historicism and the resulting simplified language of form do not translate into reduced quality or comfort. Instead, they constitute an enrichment, thus making a vital contribution to improving quality of life.

Designers give progress a form

The application of the principle of simplicity should not be seen as the opposite of complexity, but as its successful design. Although products look much simpler nowadays than in the past, the effort involved for designers is far greater. That is because they now not only design the encasing for the technology but also the interfaces and apps. By radically simplifying products and processes, they give technical advancement a significant form.

Publication for the exhibition

The exhibition “The Form of Simplicity. Good Design for a better Quality of Life” will be accompanied by a publication with the same name (ISBN  978-3- 89939-210-4) to be published on 27 September 2018 in the Red Dot Edition. The book will be released in English and Chinese and will be available online in the Red Dot Shop. It was written by Professor Dr. Peter Zec, founder and CEO of the Red Dot Award, and Burkhard Jacob, Managing Director of the Red Dot Institute.

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Awards for the best designers and manufacturers of the year alongside exhibition opening

On 9 July, the winners of the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2018 were duly celebrated. On the occasion of the Red Dot Gala, the international design scene convened in Essen to see the year’s best designers and manufacturers receive their awards. After their turn on the red carpet, the Red Dot: Best of the Best winners were given their trophies in front of roughly 1,200 international guests. The prize-giving to the Red Dot: Design Team of the Year 2018, Phoenix Design, was the highlight of the award ceremony. The evening culminated in the spectacular Designers’ Night in the Red Dot Design Museum, where the after-show party took place and the two winners exhibitions were launched.

Recognition of the year’s best designers and manufacturers

This year, designers and manufacturers from 59 countries entered more than 6,300 products in the competition. 45 of those products won an “Honourable Mention”, while 1,684 designs received a “Red Dot”. The international Red Dot Jury considered just 1.1% of entries, a total of 69 innovations, worthy of a Red Dot: Best of the Best, the highest award in the competition.

The latter accepted their well-deserved trophies on stage at Essen’s AaltoTheater during the award ceremony. The winners were announced individually to appreciative applause and invited to accept the sought-after Red Dot Trophy. In addition to the winners, host and presenter Professor Dr. Peter Zec, founder and CEO of the Red Dot Award, welcomed three of the 39 jury members on stage: Wolfgang K. Meyer-Hayoz, Steve Leung and Adriana Monk, all of whom founded their own design studio, congratulated the proud Red Dot: Best of the Best laureates. The guests included the well-known designers Stefan Diez, Rob Melville, Stefan Niehaus, Robert Sachon, Peter Schreyer and Hadi Teherani.

There was a particularly heart-warming moment at the award ceremony when honouring the Red Dot: Design Team of the Year 2018, which has performed convincingly over many years with its outstanding designs. 2017 award winners Peter Kettenring and Lars Wagner from Canyon Bicycles handed over the “Radius” challenge cup to their successors, thus officially crowning them as Red Dot: Design Team of the Year 2018. After a short film that impressively demonstrated the role of Phoenix Design as a ground-breaker in German design history, around 70 Phoenix employees rushed on stage to share in the accolade – a wonderful gesture that shows that the success is attributable to the entire team.

The after-show party: unrivalled networking, partying and dancing

The subsequent Designers’ Night in the Red Dot Design Museum Essen gave guests an opportunity to network, celebrate and dance. This is where the Red Dot Gala and Honourable Mention winners received their certificates. The highlight of the event was the launch of the two special exhibitions. The winners were able to discover all of the award-winning products in the presentation “Design on Stage – Winners Red Dot Award: Product Design 2018”, which can be seen in the museum until 5 August. The exhibition thus represents the current status of global product design. Phoenix Design developed and designed its own exhibition, “PHOENIX – First. Now. Next.”, in which the design team of the year showcases its outstanding achievements until 19 August.

For more info about Red Dot Gala: https://www.red-dot.org/pd/about/

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SBID has announced an extension on the entry deadline for the SBID International Design Awards. Interior Designers and Architects now have until 6 July 2018 to submit their entries.

Considered as one of the most prestigious accolades in interior design by the very best in the industry, the Awards represents over 40 countries worldwide. Last year saw a 40% increase of entries and over 100,000 public votes.

This year’s edition promises to bring together the world’s finest interior design schemes, from the ostentatious to the minimal, the innovative and the functional. Consistent in its quest to recognise, reward and celebrate global interior design excellence from all over the world, the Awards will culminate with another glittering ceremony at its permanent residence; The Dorchester hotel, London.

This year also brings brand new additions to the revered panel of judges including Carlo Chiulli, Design Director at Christian Louboutin Beauté, Stefan Sielaff, Design Director at Bentley and Helen Brocklebank, CEO of Walpole, to mention a few.

Each entry undergoes an exclusive three-tier judging process by panels of leading industry experts for both technical content and aesthetic creativity and evaluates essential elements such as brief compliance, budget, health & safety, and fit-for-purpose design.

The finalists will be announced at the end of July 2018, and once announced, the public will be invited to cast their vote for their favourite projects online, which will contribute to the overall scores.

Entry is free of charge for SBID members* with up to 5 entries permittable, and non-members can enter for just £150 per entry + admin fee.

For more information or to submit your entry visit www.sbidawards.com

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“The Value of Simplicity”: Red Dot Projects presents design exhibition in Beijing

From 27 until 30 September 2018, Red Dot Projects Singapore presents a new exhibition in China: “The Value of Simplicity – Good Design for a better Quality of Life” will be on show in the course of the exhibition and trade fair “2018 Beijing International Home Decoration and Smart Home Exhibition & International Design Expo” (BIHD 2018). Visitors to the China International Exhibition Center in Beijing can look forward to around 250 exhibits, among them furniture, writing instruments and consumer electronics, which illustrate the principle of simplicity in design and demonstrate the differences between historicism and modernity, craftsmanship and industry.

Good design becomes apparent in easy usage

The Red Dot Award is one of the largest design competitions in the world. Its distinction, the Red Dot, is an internationally accepted and coveted seal for good design quality. At the end of September, a broad audience can experience the Red Dot winners’ achievements at first hand in Beijing. Cutlery, luminaires, bikes and much more – within the framework of the exhibition “The Value of Simplicity”, visitors can discover current and historic products from various fields of everyday life. They are even invited to touch and test some of them, as good design quality becomes especially apparent in use. Thereby, products which are easy to operate and feature a comfortable handling are especially persuasive.

Less is more

In order to achieve this, designers around the globe still follow the guiding principle “less is more”. It expresses an aesthetic approach that dispenses with decorative embellishments of historicism and favours a simple language of form. It became the epitome of modernity. But simplicity does not simultaneously mean loss of quality or comfort. Quite the contrary: The reduction of complexity allows to integrate complicated things, which permanently surround people, in daily life in a simple way. This way, they are a reasonable asset and increase the quality of life. Thus, simplicity describes a paradigm shift as well as an aesthetic principle and stands for the new comfort of the modern, contemporary society.

Simplicity as formula for success

These developments are linked closely to the technical upheavals of the Industrial Revolution. They led to the manufacture of goods in series production and had a formative influence on their design. In the exhibition “The Value of Simplicity”, the Thonet chair No. 14 from 1859 illustrates the impact of technology on the design of products: known as Vienna Café chair, its reduced lines result from the restrictions of the bending technology for wood, of which it is made. This reduced form became a role model of modern functionalism. In further consequence, products with outstanding properties relating to use, simple operability, streamlined functionality and suitable usage of materials became prime examples and real design classics.

Simplifying complexity

Against the background of increasingly complex technical innovations and progressing digitisation, the principle of simplicity and the reduction to the essential play an important role. In a world in which the border between analogue and digital, between human and machine blurs more and more, and in which technology has become an integral element of life, applying the principle of simplicity allows coping with the new living conditions.

How design reacts to the challenges of technology is among others illustrated in the exhibition by using the example of TVs, which have changed from a three-dimensional object in the room with the two-dimensional image to a two-dimensional object mounted on the wall with a three-dimensional image. While the products look simpler today, the effort is proportionally higher for the designers as they design more than just a shell for the technology inside. They also create the point of intersection – among others in the form of apps and interfaces. By radically simplifying products and processes, they put technical progress into a significant form.

A likewise lasting influence on our life had the iPhone which was introduced on the market in 2007 and which is also exhibited. It revolutionised our communication and had a formative influence on our understanding of a mobile phone’s aesthetic with only one single button. In direct contrast to

older mobile phones, it becomes apparent that simplicity must not be seen as the opposite of complexity, but rather as its elaborate design. Apple’s iPhone, Dyson’s fan or Sony’s Walkman – with high quality and innovative power, designers create simple answers to everyday problems and thus contribute to increasing the quality of life worldwide. Beijing Easyhome Investment Holdings Group Co., Ltd has commissioned Red Dot Projects Singapore to plan and realise the exhibition “The Value of Simplicity – Good Design for a better Quality of Life” together with the Red Dot Institute.

Publication for the exhibition

On the occasion of the exhibition “The Value of Simplicity – Good Design for a better Quality of Life”, the eponymous publication (ISBN 978-3-89939-210-4) will be released in the Red Dot Edition on 27 September 2018. The book will be published in English and in Chinese and will be available online at the Red Dot Shop. It is edited by Professor Dr. Peter Zec, founder and CEO of the Red Dot Award, and Burkhard Jacob, Managing Director of the Red Dot Institute.

27–30 September 2018: “The Value of Simplicity – Good Design for a
better Quality of Life”

Exhibition in the course of the Beijing International Home Decoration and
Smart Home Exhibition & International Design Expo 2018
China International Exhibition Center (CIEC)
No. 6, Bei-San-Huan East Road
Beijing
China

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This year’s title of honour “Red Dot: Design Team of the Year” goes to Phoenix Design with its teams in Stuttgart, Munich and Shanghai. Founded in 1987 by Andreas Haug and Tom Schönherr, the interdisciplinary team with its international gearing has been especially convincing with its consistently innovative, top-notch design achievements. On 9 July 2018, the Phoenix Design Team will be officially awarded the title at the Red Dot Gala and will receive the “Radius” trophy on stage at Essen’s Aalto-Theater.

Consistently successful in the Red Dot Award: Product Design

Since its founding, the Phoenix Design Team has won roughly 200 distinctions in the Red Dot Award: Product Design, including 13 Red Dot: Best of the Best awards, which is the highest in the competition. In the past five years alone, the design studio was the recipient of 41 Red Dots and three Red Dot: Best of the Best distinctions. For its consistently top-class achievements and the impetus it creates, the Phoenix Design Team will now be awarded the title of “Red Dot: Design Team of the Year 2018”.

“Phoenix is revolutionising the product design discipline. With a new understanding of the ability of products to interact, the team is creating real brand experiences and winning over not just the Red Dot Jury, but also me personally. I want to congratulate the winners very sincerely on their well-deserved success”, said Professor Dr. Peter Zec, founder and CEO of the Red Dot Award, in regard to the Red Dot: Design Team of the Year 2018.

Tom Schönherr and Andreas Haug, Managing Partners and founders of the design studio, are delighted to receive the individual award, which no company or designer can apply for: “For the whole Phoenix Design Team, the title of honour ‘Red Dot: Design Team of the Year’ is hugely significant, and is due primarily to the employees who have created the success of Phoenix Design over several decades. It is the highest award in the international design world for an outstanding team performance over decades. Everyone is absolutely delighted.”

FIRST. NOW. NEXT. – Without a past there is no future

The Phoenix Design Team designs products for the future. Following the motto “Without a past there is no future”, the team benefits from its many years of experience. The history of the design studio began in 1987 with the dream of making the world just a little bit better. It was on a yacht in the Caribbean that Andreas Haug and Tom Schönherr decided to set up their own agency. In that moment, they did not dare to hope that they were laying the foundations for one of the most successful companies in the industry.

With its philosophy, “Logic, moral and magic”, Phoenix Design became a ground-breaker for German brand and design history. Nowadays, the studio creates products and services with roughly 75 employees at three locations: in Stuttgart, Munich and Shanghai. The designs are all geared to the needs of the user and to a self-explanatory interaction with the product, and are characterised by longevity and measurable economic success. They succeed in breathing life into the identity of the customer’s brand in a moving way.

Phoenix Design creates designs for tomorrow’s world. With new disciplines and methods, the designers uncover opportunities and work together with their clients, which include Duravit, Hansgrohe, Loewe, Haier, Huawei, Trumpf, Viessmann, Vorwerk and Zeiss, to design a new and better future. With the “Care-O-bot 4”, designed by Phoenix and manufactured by the Fraunhofer IPA and Schunk, the design team has impressively demonstrated that it sets standards for the future. The service robot features sophisticated expressions and gestures. It can navigate independently, recognise obstacles and grasp objects unaided. The jury for the Red Dot Award recognised this outstanding accomplishment in 2015 with the Red Dot: Best of the Best.

Award ceremony and exhibition launch on 9 July

At the Red Dot Gala on 9 July, the Phoenix Design Team will be officially announced as Red Dot: Design Team of the Year 2018. It will thus enter the Hall of Fame of international design, joining the ranks of Apple, Adidas, LG Electronics, Porsche, Grohe, Veryday, Bosch, Blackmagic and Canyon. The special exhibition designed by Phoenix “PHOENIX – First. Now. Next.” will open on the same day. It can be seen alongside the exhibition “Design on Stage – Winners Red Dot Award: Product Design 2018”, which showcases all of the award winners in this year’s competition, until 19 August 2018 in the Red Dot Design Museum Essen.

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KentPlus YALOVA Wellness SPA Resort in Armutlu – Yalova, a region with a rough topography, mild climate and a spectacular sea view in Turkey, offers a green life for its users as a mixed use complex that combines many different functions such as residential, hotel and social facilties.

The area of KentPlus YALOVA Wellness SPA Resort designed by Project Design Group in the settlement of Dereliköy in Armutlu of Yalova, which is situated on land with an area of approximately 330.000 m², welcome people with its hill topography, mild climate and spectacular sea view and is set in green countryside, enabling resident to re-establish contact with nature.

This unique natural character of the site forms the basis of the project concept, whose main aim is that the buildings should be designed to become partially lost in this natural atmosphere, and by harmonizing with the topography to spread and melt into the landscape. Similarly the atmosphere envisaged for users was that while enjoying themselves, relaxing or walking in the street they should imbibe the fragrance of nature. So in order to achieve this envisaged atmosphere for users and to enhance its effect, numerous green belts were created in residential area. By this means, the integration of land, design and the forestland surrounding the project area is provided.

In this created green area, by giving particular importance to public space character, the streets were pedestrianized and pedestrians were met the green with lots of streets that open the wide green belts and nearly reach a small forest at the end of the route. While designing, the project units that would be added within this atmosphere, they were located on the land in a way that would allow the greenery to make contact with them at certain points and to surround them at certain other points.

The dwelling units were located on the steeper upper slopes of the land facing the view, while hotels were located on the lower slopes where the gradient steadily lessened. In the residences a new breath is desired instead of current ordinary residence typologies and a different residential morphology is built rather than producing monotype housing. Instead of using a repetitious standard type of housing, different typologies; some of them with terrace roof, some of them with hipped roof, some of them with bigger closed area and some of them with smaller closed are but bigger gardens, are brought together. And a settlement, the streets of which create passages by narrowing at some points, and create a small plaza by spreading at another point, is formed. By this way 14 different types of blocks in total of 163 blocks and 63 different types of apartment in total of 1001 apartments are produced.

Besides, a section of houses called ‘hayat’ which is mostly seen in the typologies of “Ancient Turkish Houses” is being interpreted again by integrating to the modern life. ‘Hayat’ is used as a pleasant common area that serves to take advantage of combining two different flats and to increase the interaction and sharing of neighbors. Essentially, the aim was that the atmosphere created outdoors should be drawn via an inner garden into the house, which is into life. In this way an atmosphere was created that users would not only experience when they went outdoors, but as a part of their daily lives. Residential units, being reconsidered with all these approaches, were designed by the way of gathering the classic plan typologies in different way and reconstruction of functioning of this combination.

The social facility units, which aim to bring the users together with thermal water resources, another natural beauty of the region, were embedded in different elevations and hidden in the land as much as possible. Social facilities involve unity of the green and water with the thermal and freshwater pools and green inner courts. In the thermal pool area, small private cubic rooms were designed inside the thermal water pool area. And the daylight usage was provided in whole area through examining the historical Turkish bath typology. While designing the space setup of these social facility units, being inside and outside of the building was reconsidered and a visual connection between thermal water and freshwater was built.

In the project, three different hotel buildings were designed with approximately 592/595/135 total bed amount. . So as not to confine the view of each dwelling unit, the hotel blocks were fragmented towards the upper storeys and staggered in keeping with the topography towards the lower storeys. Staggering these lower storeys facilitated entry from outside, giving users easier access to open air thermal swimming pools, the spa centre, Turkish baths, sports centre, beauty centre, recreation rooms and other community units. The axis of the stream that flows through the least steep section of the site towards the stream was defined as the project’s main recreation line, where social interaction increased with the presence of the hotels. This line, which finally meets the shore, attracts users from the entire project area due to its position at the centre of the site, and both physical and functional structure. Using diverse landscaping elements and pavilions, by widening the stream and incorporating it into the design, it has become a prominent feature and the spine of the project.

In the recreational areas throughout this spine, social areas, appealing to both adults and children from different ages, were designed. This recreational line adorn with a biological pond, an amphitheater, playgrounds, restaurants and thematic gardens for taking a rest around the pond. Around the pond, which is 1200 m², plants having fibrous root, withes and reeds are used to keep water clean. A rich landscaping area was shaped by choosing proper plants for climate and soil characteristic of Yalova. On hard floor, different transition are provided through using breeze concrete blocks and granite plate stone, while in the open green areas, being preferred of groundcover plants that do not need much water.

As well as the residential buildings, social facilities and the hotels; multi storey parking garage, health centre, mosque, school and restaurant buildings were also designed as a part of the project main concept.

Through this created atmosphere of the project, it was targeted that the natural environment, which is the most important element and also the director of design and design process, gets involved in user’s daily life in the first order.

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The 2018 edition of the SBID International Design Awards is now open. As ever, this year’s edition promises to bring together the world’s finest interior design schemes, from the ostentatious to the minimal, the innovative and the functional. Consistent in its quest to recognise, reward and celebrate global interior design excellence from all over the world, the Awards will culminate with another glittering ceremony at its permanent residence; The Dorchester hotel, London.

Considered as one of the most prestigious accolades in interior design by the very best in the industry, the Awards represents over 43 countries worldwide. Last year saw a 40% increase of entries and over 100,000 public votes.
This year brings brand new additions to the revered panel of judges including Carlo Chiulli, Design Director at Christian Louboutin Beaute, Stefan Sielaff, Design Director at Bentley and Helen Brocklebank, CEO of Walpole, to mention a few.

Each entry undergoes an exclusive two-tier judging process by panels of leading industry experts for both technical content and aesthetic creativity and evaluates essential elements such as brief compliance, budget, health & safety, and fit-for-purpose design.
Architects and interior designers are invited to submit their projects by Friday 15 June 2018. The finalists will be announced in July 2018, and once announced, the public will be invited to cast their vote for their favourite projects online, which will contribute to the overall scores.

Entry is free of charge for SBID members and a fee applies for non-members. Previous editions’ finalists and winners are available to view here.

For more information on the SBID Awards, visit www.sbidawards.com

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Dragana Mihajlović is a fashion designer based in Belgrade, Serbia. She graduated from Modeling and Design Studies at Belgrade University in the year 1997 and ever since then she has been doing fashion.

As an independent designer, she has been appearing since 2013. Dragana Mihajlović makes luxury fashion brand completely committed to young women.

She creates a bridal line for urban women because she wants to give alternative different options to the traditional white gown. There is also a line with classy clothes for events and celebrations. Her pieces are gentle, edgy, romantic and very feminine.

Mix & Match concept was born when Dragana Mihajlović decided to give the future brides endless possibilities in picking out the right wedding outfit.

With Mix & Match options, every bride can assemble her very own look for her wedding party or civil ceremony, selecting a top and skirt that will fit her perfectly with accessories that give her an extra sparkle on her big day.

The separate pieces can be integrated into one’s existing wardrobe: “Our skirts can be worn to any summer party with a simple t-shirt and sandals, while our tops are perfect for a night out paired with pants and heels or even to the office under a suit.”

If you want to see more from Dragana’s design, follow the link https://www.draganamihajlovic.com/

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The Superloft imagined by Giulio Cappellini is an imaginary yet real home, cool and eclectic, cultured and elegant, with the participation of the most interesting protagonists of the Made in Italy design and the masters craftsmen who can create beautiful and precious things.

A house that combines side-by-side iconic pieces by the most important furniture brands, in a synergy between contemporaneity and vision. Every space of a hypothetical home where a family could actually live will be explored. From the living to the wellness room, from the kitchen to the bedrooms, from verandas to service spaces. A proper superloft, whose idea is to create an
International home: that could be placed in Paris as well as in New York in Berlin or Shanghai.
“Now, more than ever, people want to live in a home that reflects their tradition, culture, identity. I tried to create a wide-ranging space that is not just a status to exhibit but describes the pleasure of living in cosy spaces, surrounded by beautiful objects, now discreet and declared, that become essential presences in our existence” states Giulio Cappellini.
The following will participate to Supeloft: Boffi, Cappellini, Designers Guild, Flaminia, Fontanot, Icone Luce, Linvisibile, Living Divani, Magis, Meisterwerke, Oikos, Orsoni, Pecchioli Firenze, Poliform, Poltrona Frau, Salvatori, Trend Group, Vetrerie di Empoli, Wave Murano Glass.

And designers: Michael Anastassiades, Ron Arad, Ronan e Erwan Bouroullec, Achille e Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Tom Dixon, Rodolfo Dordoni, Silvia Fanticelli, Renzo Frau, Ron Gilad, Konstantin Grcic, Jaime Hayón, Piero Lissoni, Shi-Chieh Lu, Alessandro Mendini, Jasper Morrison, Nendo, Neri & Hu, Elisa Ossino, Marco Pagnoncelli, Andrèe Putman, Philippe Starck, Leonardo Talarico, Marcel Wanders, Norbert Wangen.
Superloft will be running also in the evening, after the closing hours, with private cocktails and dinners invitations in this top-design house. A different view to share emotions of design with friends and business relations.
We thank S.Pellegrino and Venchi for the set-up products.

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Elite Stone is a unique experience, a magic circle that stems from a coup de coeur generating elective affinities. Elite Stone is the super luxury brand which encapsulates rare dreams, an exclusive club of prestigious products: a value chain born from the culture of excellence and Tetyana Kovalenko’s extraordinary knowledge of the world of semiprecious stones and marble; an entrepreneur with a particular passion for luxury and everything culturally beautiful.

And this knowledge has led to the creation of a world first, the patented E-Light System, enabling marble to be backlit. Light gives new life to special surfaces, important doors, prestigious walls and exclusive kitchens, increasing the thrill for anyone fortunate enough to have them. All timeless, unique and unrepeatable objects.

Unique and unprecedented: for the 2018 Furniture Fair (Milan, 17-22 April) Elite Stone will be unveiling a unique design concept, researched in the greatest of detail, to bring the dream of the most luxurious of furnishings to life. Not one, but two exhibition spaces (Hall 1 – Stand M10 and Hall 24 – Stand L02) will present the exclusivity of a company that shapes marble using high quality tailoring methods, in which luxury and refinement are interwoven to form true gems.

A visit to Elite Stone at the Furniture Fair is a glimpse of the exclusive savoir faire of the marble and stone craftsmen who, with their unique qualities, have created all the products exhibited. They always start off from Tetyana Kovalenko’s creative vision of beauty; she is a true connoisseur, with her own refined and very individual style, an ambassador of excellence who, with exceptionally rare quality, makes dreams come true. Not for everyone.

A total living luxury of incomparable beauty unfolds before the visitor who goes through the prestigious doors in Renoir marble of the “ES” exhibition space (Hall 1 – Stand M10). The imposing entrance is an invitation to enter a regal dwelling and to immerse oneself in a perfect combination of design, art and nature: like a hand-painted work of art, the flooring is decorated with book matched Grey Stone on which stands a table in pure white Italian marble with a teak base, all of it customisable on request.

The living area is a real devotion to excellence, with its bold personality, which celebrates an exceptional use of marble. The contemporary and sophisticated luxury is concretely realized in the island with its sliding-top in Calacatta Borghini illuminated by E-Light System technology, which, on sliding, reveals a marble worktop full of accessories. In the background, an attractive wall in backlit marble decorates the area, revealing precious secrets, amongst which a tastefully equipped winery.

Comfort and luxury hospitality are the key words for the spaces aside from the living area: two marvellously constructed tables, one in Lemurian Blue and one in Calacatta – perfect for conferences and private residences – furnish the area with innovative taste. Of great impact is the sublime triptych of backlit Cherry White Onyx panels with Laza 3D flowers created and applied by hand, which brings light and elegance to the walls. The living room wall is truly extraordinary, with its lit alcoves and sliding doors in spectacular book-matched Pavone onyx. But not only that… There will be Vanilla Sky wall closet in backlit pink onyx with accessories, with insets in vanilla coloured leather and a top quality wooden structure, clad in Erable.

To complete the furnishing is the perfect combination of nature and human creativity: the refined dressing tables designed by Elite Stone, finished in leather and exclusive stones, which make everyone’s daily beauty routine unforgettable.
A dream to fall in love with at the first glance is the new collection of Made in Italy outdoor living sofas in prestigious white marble with cushions made from prestigious Hermès fabric, perfect also for elegant interiors and with its own, very specific identity.

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This year, companies and designers from 59 countries entered more than 6,300 innovations in the Red Dot Award: Product Design, a higher number than ever before. After inspiring and intensive discussions by the 39 jury members, they did not award a distinction until they had agreed on the good design quality of the product. As a result, a total of 69 entries – just 1.1% of all entries – received the top award in the competition, the Red Dot: Best of the Best. The “Red Dot”, which stands for good design quality, was awarded 1,684 times, while 45 objects won an Honourable Mention, which is given to a particularly well-executed aspect of design work. All of the designs have one thing in common: They represent the current status of product design and give insights into its future.

Excellent, award-winning design quality

From furniture and household appliances to fashion and consumer electronics – the excellent quality of this year’s products has made them award-winning products. Red Dot juror and design strategist Michael Thomson agrees: “The first thing I see is the greater breadth of varieties in the categories and that the quality within those is increasing. It is becoming much more complex to be successful as products become more connected to our emotional and aspirational ambitions.”

Gisbert Brunner, a passionate expert on watches, also emphasises the rise in quality: “This year, the range of watches entered in the competition is miles ahead of previous years. As a jury, we had a much larger selection of interesting timepieces, and it was a joy to see that these included really good designs, in terms not just of their appearance but also of their touch and feel.” For example, the watch “TAG Heuer Connected Modular 45 Luxury Kit” from TAG Heuer won a Red Dot: Best of the Best this year. It won over the jury with its modularity in particular: Parts of the watch, such as the case, the lugs, the strap and the clasp, can be interchanged. In addition, the smartwatch module can be replaced with an automatic mechanical chronograph module.

Thomas Lockwood, jury member and influencer in the field of innovation, sees the improving quality as a sign that companies increasingly define good design as a success factor in order to stay afloat on the market. “Design and innovation are the lifeline of our business”, he says.

Intuitive use as a key for smart design

“Every product has to combine high degrees of functionality with high aesthetic design quality. Both are important”, according to Martin Darbyshire, founder of the consultancy firm tangerine, speaking about the interaction between two components that play a decisive role in the judging. In terms of functionality, there is one thing that is especially noticeable: While the use of products is becoming more intuitive, the technology is receding into the background and becoming more and more invisible.

This trend is reflected in particular amongst the winning products in the Smart Home field. For example, “Google Home” won a Red Dot: Best of the Best. The smart speaker has integrated microphones and functions as a personal digital assistant to help with day-to-day tasks. Voice commands are used to play music, get a weather forecast, write a shopping list or use the Smart Home product. “Google Home” does not have any visible buttons or keys; instead it is controlled via an inconspicuous touchscreen. The use of fabric allows the technology to disappear into the background.

Use of innovative and sustainable materials

The award-winning products often featured a combination of innovative and sustainable materials. This was the principal reason why the “Kaffeeform Material” by Kaffeeform, which was submitted as a cup and is made from coffee grounds, prompted the jury to award it a Red Dot: Best of the Best. Because global coffee consumption is on the rise, and with it the resulting waste, more and more quantities of cold coffee grounds are readily available. Designer Julian Lechner used this wasted resource to create a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative material to petroleum-based raw materials. Properties that are characteristic of the material include the marbled, wood-like surface, the smell of coffee, the light weight and the long shelf life as well as the fact that it is dishwasher safe. “We are talking about a product that many of us hold in our hand much too often and for much too short a time in plastic form. With ground-breaking products such as this ecological coffee cup, we are taking a step in the right direction”, explains materials and surfaces expert Katrin de Louw in connection with the carbon-neutral and recyclable container.

Celebration of the award-winners on 9 July

All of the laureates will be celebrated at the award ceremony in Essen’s opera house, the Aalto-Theater, on 9 July. The winners of the Red Dot: Best of the Best, which include Apple, Bulgari, Canyon Bicycles, Ferrari, Lenovo, LG, Philips, Porsche, Sony and Veryday, will accept their well-deserved trophies on stage in front of around 1,200 international guests. At the subsequent Designers’ Night, guests will party in the midst of the award-winning products in the Red Dot Design Museum, as the after-show party is also the opening of the exhibition: For four weeks, the “Design on Stage – Winners Red Dot Award: Product Design 2018” special exhibition will showcase the award-winning innovations as part of the world’s largest exhibition of contemporary design.

The day of the Red Dot Gala coincides with the publication of the Red Dot Design Yearbook 2018/2019, which presents all of the year’s winning products. In addition, they can be found in the Online Exhibition, the Red Dot App and on Red Dot 21 from that date.

The post The winners of the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2018 have been chosen appeared first on Design42Day Magazine.

Introducing Kast Canvas; a series of 3 basins that celebrate the design possibilities of concrete through refined surface pattern. The expressive outer design of each basin enhances the tactile texture of concrete and accentuates the overall form.

Though relatively discreet in appearance, the subtle interaction between light and shadow offers a layer of textural interest and visual intrigue. With 2018’s interior spotlight on maximalism and an abundance of embellishment, the new Canvas range from Kast will be sure to make a joyful statement in a variety of bathroom settings!

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The elevated plot sits 4m above the street level and is surrounded by dense residential development. The eventual solution comes from a reconciliation of inherent constraints with opportunities embedded within the site and program. A visually heavy base platform is expressed by slate covered terraced planters. Two distinct cantilevered volumes form the visible massing and embracing wings of the house which are pushed to the urban set-back limits of the site. The separated volumes are connected by a central circulation core. A three-sided courtyard is formed from the residual space between the volumes. A glass lift and see-through staircase that winds around the transparent shaft vertically connect the various programmatic elements. The exterior facade is cladded in beige & silver travertine, and contrasted with black basalt stone. Horizontal aluminium fins provide sun shading and provide a modicum of privacy from the street and the adjacent properties.

The experience on entry into the subterraneous garage is private and cocooned from the exterior. The stone and materials within the garage are cave-like but the procession to the main entrance further in reveals textural changes in the architectural finishes, revealing smooth honed travertine walls and floors. The entrance foyer lead to a walk-in wine cellar and a large entertainment cum games room. Naturally, the entrance also leads one upwards to the next level, and the views expand outwards and upwards, but are focussed on the single Frangipani tree floating in the central courtyard. A vital role of this floating planter in the middle of the swimming pool is that is also allows daylight and natural ventilation to the basement garage below.

The main living, and dining areas are on this first storey level. Below are the garage and the entertainment den, where family and friends come together. The second storey houses all the bedrooms and a private study. The top floor has an accessible roof deck and garden, providing a boundless, alfresco space that overlooks the surrounding neighbourhood and has views toward the city in the distance.

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Bette’s innovative design and extensive colour options push the boundaries of bathroom interiors at Design Fields, Clerkenwell Design Week

Following its debut last year as Clerkenwell Design Week’s first exhibiting bathroom manufacturer, glazed steel bath, shower floor and washbasin specialist, Bette, is using this year’s event to show how its products push the boundaries of bathroom interiors.

Bette’s focus on innovation led to the company being invited to exhibit at Design Fields last year, and it will be using the 2018 event to launch a new bath, show some of its most innovative products and highlight the wide range of colours available, including an innovative new colour.

The geometrically embossed BetteLoft Ornament bath and basin will be displayed in an innovative new colour, unlike any currently available in the Bette range. Also on display will be the award-winning BetteLux Oval Couture fabric- covered bath, and Bette will be launching a new bath. The new BetteStarlet Spirit is a classic bath with a refined, minimal bath rim that combines proven styling with modern lightness. The folded bath rim of only 8mm underscores the elegance of this timeless bath and the elegant line looks at home anywhere. The centrally positioned drain and symmetrical lines allow comfortable bathing for two.

Bette will also be showing its minimal and flush-to-floor shower area, BetteFloor Side, which is available in an extensive range of sizes and colours, including matt colours. On display will be Bette’s Exclusive Colours: a range of matt colours designed to coordinate with popular flooring, so that the shower floor can coordinate with the bathroom floor.

Bette’s baths, shower floors and washbasins are finished in a highly durable enamel which can be created in hundreds of different colours, and there is also the opportunity to colour-match ceramic items, such as tiles.

 The glass-like BetteGlaze® surface of Bette baths, shower floors and washbasins is harder than marble, plastic or epoxy granite, non-porous, scratch-resistant and easy to clean. Dirt and chemicals/liquids cannot penetrate the surface, so can be simply wiped away. Even nail polish will not mark it. The durability and ease of cleaning are the reasons the majority of hotels choose glazed titanium-steel for their baths, and why Bette is able to offer a 30 year warranty on its glazed steel products.

All Bette products are made of strong and stable titanium-steel for superior strength and formability. This means that Bette can, for example, produce shower trays in very large sizes that remain extremely stable. The material also allows the creation of extremely slim rimmed baths that are also strong and stable.

Bette’s flexible manufacturing process means that customers can order bespoke sized products, such as a shower tray or fitted bath in the exact size required. The steel product can be trimmed or extended before enamelling so that it’s the exact size required.

Bette baths, shower floors and washbasins are made from entirely natural materials and are 100% recyclable. Bette has also invested heavily in green technologies at its factory in Germany and creates 2/3 of its energy requirements from renewable resources. Sustainability is central to Bette’s approach, and this isconfirmed by the company‘s Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) which complies with ISO 14025 and EN15804

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