In Pictures: Designs of the Year 2014
- Published
The Design Museum has announced the seven category winners for this year's Designs of the Year awards. Zaha Hadid and Patrik Schumacher won the architecture prize for the Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku, Azerbaijan. The judges said: "It’s beautiful, it’s inspiring, it’s the clear vision of a singular genius and we thought it was a remarkable piece of work."
Peek (Portable Eye Examination Kit) was named the digital winner. The smartphone-based system for comprehensive diagnostics was designed by Dr Andrew Bastawrous, Stewart Jordan, Dr Mario Giardini and Dr Iain Livingstone. The judges said: "It's a great example of how digital design can make a difference in remote healthcare. It uses high design and high technology for a really fundamental purpose, which is ideally to make people’s lives better."
The fashion category was won by Prada. The judges said: "Prada's S/S14 collection loudly declares the joy of being a modern woman. It mixes colours, textures, and paintings to leapfrog over the world of tasteful bland fashion. This is serious clothing that doesn't take itself seriously."
James Bridle's Drone Project - a series of life-size military vehicle outlines which have appeared around the world including the UK, Turkey and US - won the graphics category. The judges said: "Expertly demonstrating the power of graphic design, the simple outline requires no caption, no text, no explanation. Like a reverse conjuror he makes the invisible visible."
Konstantin Grcic won the furniture category for his Pro Chair Family range. The judges said: "It should absolutely shake up the educational sector and give students a truly happier experience in the classroom because it is seriously comfortable and joyous without risk of becoming a cartoon."
The product award went to the Seaboard Grand, a reinvention of the piano keyboard with the keys designed as soft waves by Roland Lamb and Hong-Yeul Eom. The judges said: "This intriguing new digital instrument is the first I've seen that departs from an analogue piano typology and adds something new via its surface interface and design."
Volkswagen won the transport award for its XL1 - the world's most efficient liquid-fuelled production car. The judges said: "Here is a car that seems like it’s come out of a dream of the future, it’s refined... and it looks beautiful, dangerous almost, in its dramatic shapes and lines." All the category winners and nominated designs are on display at the Design Museum in London until 25 August. The overall winner will be announced on 30 June.