traffic design competition 08

traffic launches the Middle East’s first annual design competition in its continued efforts to encourage, promote and nurture the emerging design scene.

High-profile jury panel includes rising local star architect Khalid Al Najjar (DXB-LAB), Karim Rashid and Konstantin Grcic.

Advisory panel includes George Katodrytis (American University Sharjah), Antonia Carver (Bidoun magazine) and Ahmad and Rashid Bin Shabib (Brownbook magazine).

Three categories: i) a decorative object; ii) a lounge chair; iii) interior design of a design retail space.

Winning designs to be put into production.

All Middle Eastern designers and designers residing in the Middle East are eligible to enter.

The Region’s First annual Design Competition Launches

traffic launches the Middle East’s first regional annual design competition in its continued efforts to encourage, promote and nurture the emerging design scene. Launching with a heavyweight international panel of judges and an advisory panel with deep roots in the region’s creative communities, the competition aims to uncover the layers of latent design talent in the region and amongst the global diasporas. It aims to provide a platform for exceptional talent to reach out to influential international and regional audiences within and outside the world of design.

The inaugural year’s competition features a world-class jury comprising such illustrious figures as Karim Rashid, Konstanin Grcic and Khalid Al Najjar which lends the awards instant credibility.

traffic is confident that these awards will be a vital catalyst in the development of the nascent regional design industry. The Middle East and the GCC in particular has experienced an unprecedented development boom that has helped expand the broader creative industries. Recent initiatives including Qatar’s Tasmeem Annual Design Conference, Dubai’s International Design Forum, the Media City’s Ibda’a Awards and the blooming of regional art fairs all have roles to play in the burgeoning growth of the regional creative industries and these awards mark another important milestone.

The Brief

There will be three categories for the awards, applicants will be asked to design one (or more) of the following:

A Decorative Object (limited to a maximum volume of 0.25m3);
A Lounge Chair (limited to a maximum volume of 2.5m3;
A Design Retail Space (1,000 sq ft) to be built at a prestigious address in Business Bay Dubai.

The Awards

The awards, which will be announced at a special event that will take place at traffic in June 2008, aim to shine an international spotlight on exceptional design talent from the region, with the winning designs going into production and sold exclusively at the traffic design gallery. The winner of the third category will have their design built at a high-profile location in Business Bay Dubai (planned to open in Q4 2008).

There will also be cash prizes for the winning designs of each category:

A Decorative Object US$2,000;
A Lounge Chair US$3,000;
A Design Retail Space US$4,000.
Designers will have the opportunity to be identified by some of the leading creative minds in the fields of architecture and product design while seeing their designs go into production, both of which should prove highly attractive for designers.

The Criteria

The awards in all categories will be judged on the following criteria:

Innovation;
Aesthetic / design quality;
Functionality;
Ergonomics;
Ecological compatibility;
Commerciality;
Durability;
Symbolic and emotional content;
Manufacturabilty;
Cultural relevance

Awards timelines

The design competition officially launches December 1 2007, and first round entries will be accepted until March 09 2008. Applicants will need to submit the following:

Completed and signed Application Form scanned in pdf format;
Up to 3 pdfs including at least one glamor shot;
Up to 3 pages of explanations on design / concept.
1 Head-shot of applicant.
First round submissions should be emailed to [email protected].

The jury will then select 10 of the entries to be further developed by the applicants including the creation of prototypes. The prototypes and detailed technical drawings including material samples will then need to be submitted before April 31. Nominees will need to submit the following:

1 prototype (no smaller than 0.5mx0.5m and no bigger than 2mxm);
Technical drawings;
Material samples.
Final round submissions will be accepted at the following locations:

traffic, Al Barsha, Dubai, near Mall of the Emirates - map online at www.viatraffic.org;
9714 offices, next to The Third Line gallery in Al Quoz, Dubai;
9714, PO Box 73617, Dubai, UAE, t +971.4.340.20.90.

Eligibility

All designers (professional or otherwise) residing in the Middle East (defined as: Oman, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Lebanon, Egypt, Syria, Palestine, Jordan, Tunisia, Morocco, Iraq, Iran and Libya) or of Middle Eastern origin are entitled to enter. Entrants must be at least 18 years old.

More Information:
http://www.9714.com/clients/traffic/images/design_competition_08.html
[email protected]