Red Dot Award reveals 2017 products of the year

Every year, the Red Dot Award: Product Design competition attracts the cream of the crop in industrial design. From furniture to musical instruments to tech gadgets to sports cars, designers from 54 countries sent in a staggering 5,500 submissions of their most inventive product designs for a chance to earn a coveted Red Dot title.

The 39 jury members — including independent designers, design professors, and specialist journalists — rigorously evaluated the entries and awarded those that demonstrated the highest design quality and innovation in multiple criteria. Out of the 5,500 entries, the jury granted 103 Red Dot: Best of the Best awards; 1,406 Red Dot awards; and 52 Honorable Mentions. Winners will be celebrated at the 2017 Red Dot Gala in Essen, Germany on July 3.

Here's a small selection of the product designs that won this year.

Alphabet of Light [Lighting System]
Manufacturer: Artemide GmbH, Germany 

Project summary: “Alphabet of Light is a modular system of lighting components that allows signs to be written and straight and curved lines to be produced. Basic geometric elements form letters and graphical signs so that messages are able to be expressed and spaces modulated. The components can be combined in any way you choose and link together thanks to a hidden electromagnetic connector that leaves no trace of shadow or discontinuity. Alphabet of Light emits pleasantly diffuse light with great efficiency thanks to the minimal absorbance of the materials.”

Omni Nightclub Taipei [Nightclub]
Manufacturer: E-tai space design office, Taiwan 

“The light streams in the space through the linear guidance, with the application of transitional plane and the material. It outlines splendid and beautiful pictures. The geometric shapes are full of the large space under the linkage of light. The circles, triangle and rectangles construct rich changes. Moreover, the hall shows more mobility with the presentation of curve and arc. The light becomes light or dark alternatively. It shows different shapes as the colors change.”

HUB [Charcoal BBQ]
Manufacturer: Shriro Australia, Australia 

“Featuring an integrated electric element, you can get your charcoal burning at the right cooking temperature in just 10 minutes. Thanks to the patented Rotiscope Technology™, you can quickly set up an authentic commercial-quality rotisserie at 3 different heights. The jaw-like Cliplock Forks™ ensure everything from chickens to suckling pigs are kept firmly in place as they turn, powered by a discreet motor tucked inside the body of the barbeque. Everything about the HUB is designed to keep things easy to use while looking good.”

Revstar [Electric Guitar]
Manufacturer: Yamaha Corporation, Japan 

“Drawing inspiration from London and Tokyo’s vintage street-racing motorbikes, Japan’s heritage of engineering excellence and the 50-year legacy of Yamaha guitar craftsmanship, every detail of each Revstar model has been carefully designed and engineered to bring out the unique personality of each guitar in the lineup. From the curves and contours of the ground-up body design to the distinctive colors and finishes and custom-wound pickups that perfectly match the guitar’s character, the Revstar collection comprises a diverse lineup of instruments as unique as the guitarists who play them.”

biobrush [toothbrush]
Manufacturer: biobrush GmbH, Germany 

We include features, which experts consider to be indispensable: head medium to small, medium to soft bristles, multi-tufted bristles, evenly cut a rounded bristles and angled brush head. The result is a simple shape. What makes our tootbrush stand out from our competitors in the bathroom and in retail is their monochrome colouring (Designanm. 07/15). Secondly, intrinsic values of our toothbrush – the handle as well as the packaging are based on cellulose made of the wood waste from sustainable forestry.

Xinhua Bookstore [Bookstore]
Manufacturer: Beijing Fenghemuchen Space Design, China 

“When redesigning Xinhua Book Store, we aim at breaking down its old and conservative image and reconstructing the brand, a reflection of the spirit of its time, to make it align with the pace of the society we now live in. The biggest difference is in the expression of the human touch. Our primary inspiration and design principle derive from our observation and retrospection on the status quo of the society as a whole.”

Storie by CEDIT [ceramic slab]
Manufacturer: Florim Ceramiche spa, Italy 

“‘Storie’ collection by CEDIT is designed by Studio Zanellato Bortotto and offers porcelain slabs in various sizes inspired both by a sophisticated interpretation of the material and by specific kinds of pictorial expressions. ‘Storie‘ comprises five different sets of wall coverings (between these is the ‘Castello’ series), inscribed by the designers with the theme of the relentless passage of time. Zanellato and Bortotto have selected different environments and identified a specific effect caused by the ageing process in each of them. The slabs are designed for covering indoor and outdoor walls.”

Piuma [chair]
Manufacturer: Kartell spa, Italy 

“Piuma consist of a complex thermoplastic polymer compounded with carbon to confer elevated mechanical rigidity and extreme lightness. Thanks to a sophisticated injection moulding technology, specifically studied for this material and an absolute first for the ambit of industrial design, Kartell has managed to reduce the chair thickness to an all-time minimum of just a few millimetres resulting in an ultralightweight chair of just 2.4 kg.”

Pudding BeanQ Smart Robot [Smart Robot for Early Child Education]
Manufacturer: Intelligent Steward Co.,Ltd, China 

“Fun, easy to use and safe are the principles throughout the whole design.With colorful appearance and rounded,cute design language, children can be more willing to play with it. Besides that, touching the two sides of its body and head makes you feel like having a pet. Supported by rich perception and characteristic emotions, it can be enjoyable and smooth for children to have different interaction experiences like taking a video chat, playing games, being companied and educated.”

Trinetic [Task Chair]
Manufacturer: Boss Design, Great Britain 

“Trinetic is the world’s first fully certified task chair to provide dynamic support without the need for manual user adjustments. Trinetic does not need to be adjusted for individual users, making it the perfect chair to support flexible work patterns in situations where several different people can be sat on the same chair throughout the course of a working week.”

TRANSFORMABLE SMART HOME [architecture; interior]
Manufacturer Shanghai Huadu architecture&urban planning co.,ltd, China 

“The transformable smart home system innovatively introduces the movable floor plate in the living condition, using the mechanical garage technology. By leveraging the floor up and down to fit different living scenarios. Users could use mobile phone to control the movement of the floor plate. The whole system could provide 6 different modes to choose from. This is a product for Chinese young people who are struggling in the ultra high housing price in big cities.”

Mazda MX-5 RF [Passenger car]
Manufacturer Mazda Motor Europe GmbH Public Relations, Germany

“With the three-piece roof closed, the car looks like a sports coupé. Opened, the top sections of the hardtop disappear behind the seats. The entire mechanism adds only a minimum of weight and comes at virtually no cost to boot space. To go with the MX-5 RF’s added flexibility and security, Mazda took a number of details upmarket, from interior materials to cabin insulation and even the car’s refined ride and steering.”

HeartFelt [Modular Felt Ceiling System]
Manufacturer: Hunter Douglas Europe, Netherlands 

“It’s the world’s first linear ceiling system made of felt, giving it a unique proposition in the field of interior design. HeartFelt® is a modular system of linear, felt panels (40 width x 55 mm height in size). It’s one of kind structure and appearance open up a whole new world of possibilities for architects and interior designers. Available in five shades of grey, from off-white to anthracite, HeartFelt® allows for endless variations in terms of panel size, grout line width, mounting height and colour, offering designers a broad range of opportunities.”

You can learn more about the Red Dot Product designs here.