Opinion

A design award for every piece of shit?

5.3.2019

Translation: machine translated

If I have to choose between "totally practical" and "works, but looks better", the choice is clear. Give me the prettier thing! So I look at the design awards and realise that almost everything now has a price.

What's better than a designer piece? An excellent designer piece. When every run-of-the-mill saucer is ennobled with the grandiose designer label (after all, someone designed it), it's good to be able to stand out from the crowd with an official award. A winner notice like this enhances any packaging.

In the best-case scenario, the content is also impressive at first glance and gives you an idea that someone has put a little more thought and attention to detail into it than the average person. Like this chair, for example. Three backrests from a single mould, designed by Philippe Starck, inspired by classics by Charles Eames, Arne Jacobsen and Eero Saarinen. This has won applause, the "Red Dot Design Award" and the "Good Design Award". All okay, understandable, no further questions.

Chairs

Kartell Masters Sedia

Although: yes, it is. What is such an award worth if it is on every second product? When travel adapters, fire extinguishers and toilet brushes are honoured in series, I get the feeling that there's an award for every piece of shit. Or several of them.

I search through our range and find, among other things, a safety shoe from the Uvex brand, which has collected almost as many titles as Roger Federer for three years: Focus Open 2013 Silver, Reddot Design Award Winner 2013, Design Award of the Federal Republic of Germany 2014, German Design Award Winner 2015.

In addition, humidifiers, air purifiers, air numbers without end. Obviously, the bigger the block in your home, the more important an award is. You can then console yourself with this if the appliance is in the corner and is still somehow annoying.

Want some examples? All excellent!

Work shoes

EUR91,56

Uvex Safety 1 low shoe S1 SRC

Travel adapters

Q2 Power World to Europe

Fire extinguishers

Gloria Foam fire extinguisher S6 Design

A, B

Humidifier

EUR189,–

Koenig Air380

50 m²

Humidifier

EUR341,64

Venta LW45 Original

55 m²

Air purifier

Venta LP60 WiFi App Control

75 m²

Why, why, why are all these products award winners? I have no idea. It rarely says so. Who needs reasons when you can advertise with an award? The manufacturer's description of the Venta LP60 air washer simply states:

"And its design? It deserves a prize: the LP60's appliance design was honoured with the reddot award 2017."

The award as an end in itself. I didn't question it for a long time, but looked at all the beautiful logos and nodded in recognition. So the scam worked for me. Not that there are ten humidifiers in my flat. I've been able to control myself well so far. But I have already taken a closer look at one or two products thanks to his award.

Price? Suspicious!

I was taken aback when I got my hands on two "award-winning" products in quick succession, both of which have also been honoured with the Red Dot Design Award. The prize is awarded annually in the fields of product design, communication design and design concepts and is spreading like the measles.

In the product design category alone, the 2018 edition 1795 winners, which were chosen by a jury of 39 international experts. Red dots everywhere. In my case, for example, on the packaging of the "Skinners". A sock-shoe hybrid that doesn't necessarily stand out for its beauty, but is pretty practical.

Of course, new approaches and innovative solutions should also be honoured; after all, product design is not just about looks. Agreed. Nevertheless, the red dot leaves me a little perplexed, as there is no explanation on the packaging or online. And soberly speaking, these are socks that look like you've walked through wet tar in them.

Design or not design, that is the question here

Award winners among themselves: The Tratac Active Roll and the Skinners.

I feel the same way about the Tratac Active Roll. Heavens, it is and remains a fascia roll! A piece of black plastic with grooves and a vibration core. It's also available from Blackroll and other brands that don't just want to sell hollow rollers. A pleasant thing, yes. But neither a global sensation nor a unique innovation. What did the Red Dot jury think about this? I was sent the two explanatory statements on request.

"The Skinners sock shoes are characterised by a high level of comfort and are suitable for indoor and outdoor sports thanks to their durable material."

Wears well, indoors and outdoors. Interesting. And what makes the Tratac Active Roll so special? The answer I get is not the laudation for the miracle roll, but for the Active Ball from the same manufacturer, which also won an award. With all the awards, it's easy to get confused. But that doesn't matter when it comes to the reasoning.

"Designed for high user-friendliness and reliability, the silicone layer of the Active Ball also impresses in functional and haptic terms."

Really now? A product that is supposed to be user-friendly and reliable? It doesn't read to me as if the jury wrestled with itself for days and weeks to finally come to this conclusion. There is also a reason why the reasons for older award winners such as the Skinners (2017) and the Active Roll (2016) can no longer be found online: "Some award winners decide not to extend their presentation after a year." No wonder, because it costs money.

All just bought?

The award winners themselves have to fork out a tidy sum. If you want to submit a product, you currently pay between 300 (early bird) and 510 euros (latecomer). In the case of an award, another 4000 to 6000 euros will be added. Not as prize money. But in costs to become part of the marketing machinery and to be represented in the yearbook, online and in the Red Dot Design Museum in Essen (6 euro entrance fee).

The situation is similar at the iF Design Award and probably everywhere else too. At the end of the day, I don't care. And it certainly pays off for manufacturers and the award industry. What's a few thousand in relation to the advertising impact? Win-win. If you don't take part, it's your own fault. But if an award is stuck on every second product, if the award becomes an end in itself and there is little or nothing behind the reasoning, something more valuable is lost for me: credibility.

How do you feel about design awards?

I don't give a damn about them. I'm my own jury.
67%
Bring it on! I am specifically looking for excellent products.
5%
I didn't even notice until now that every other product won an award.
29%

The competition has ended.

20 people like this article

Michael Restin

Senior Editor

Michael.Restin@digitecgalaxus.ch

Simple writer and dad of two who likes to be on the move, wading through everyday family life. Juggling several balls, I'll occasionally drop one. It could be a ball, or a remark. Or both.

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A design award for every piece of shit?

Want some examples? All excellent!

Price? Suspicious!

Design or not design, that is the question here

All just bought?

These articles might also interest you

Do design doctrines such as Bauhaus and Memphis still exist today?

From invisible to must-have: I bought the most successful Swiss chair

The true inventors behind these iconic designs and their replicas

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