Design Museum

Brit Insurance Design Awards: Your Vote

Which design would you honor for innovation in the following categories:

(list the object title and provide a two sentence response for the innovative selection)

Architecture: Origin Part 1: Join by BCXSY (and Mr. Tanaka)

 

 I liked this piece, Join the most architecturally because I felt that it took something old and familiar and made it interesting. In person, the sharp angles at which the shapes collide are interesting because they are so precise and yet, so masterfully smooth. The workmanship that must have gone into making these dividers blows my mind. 

Furniture: Solo Bench by Domingos Totora

I liked this bench because it reminded me of a caterpillar. It was firm and comfortable, and yet still fully functional as a bench. The neutral color doesn't make it stand out very much, but it is super comfortable and different, so it's a winner for me!

Transport: EN-V by General Motors

My favorite transportation design was hands down the EN-V by GM. These cars are so cute! They fit one or two people only and are supposed to be more eco-friendly than normal automobiles. The designs of the EN-V look futuristic and unique compared to the cars of today. For creativity, I vote A+!

Graphics: I WONDER by MARIAN BANTJES 

I liked this graphic design the most because I felt that caught my eye and it seemed like a treasure chest in the form of a book! I didn't realize at the time that Marian actually designed the book cover herself! You can see how intricate the design is in person, but to see the design, step by step, is even more amazing because the entire cover is so damn symmetrical and precise. This cover is a work of art in itself! Bravo!!!!

To see a detailed step by step creation of the book cover: http://observatory.designobserver.com/entry.html?entry=15668

Wim Crouwel: A Graphic Odyssey 

I was initially very overwhelmed by Crouwel's exhibition because the white walls and white tables were packed full of prints in frames. None of the pieces drew my eyes to it upon first glance because Crouwel's pieces are either very minimal and black and white or minimal and colorful. Also, all of the sharp shapes and stripes made my head dizzy after staring for too long. I don't think that this work is too minimal by any means because even though his designs don't bombard you with different visuals, overall, his designs are very creative and unique. I was surprised at the variety in his work considering his minimal design style. Adjectives that I would use to describe this exhibition are stripey, geometric, repetition, space-y (as in outer space), and slanted/asymmetrical lines.

When I looked at posters by Wim Crouwel, I kept thinking back to Bridget Riley's work because they make me dizzy if I stare at it for too long. Riley's precision in her paintings is a similarity that also shows up in Crouwel's work especially since both like to use geometric shapes with repetition.