The Design Museum’s annual Design Awards exhibition opened earlier this month. Called “the Oscars of the design world,” the awards honor the most innovative and progressive designs in seven categories: Architecture, Digital, Fashion, Furniture, Graphics, Product and Transport. An overall winner will announced in April, but until then, here are our favorite nominees, starting with what we do best here at Design Applause, Product.
1. Heracleum by Bertjan Pot (above)
A stunning and delicate chandelier powered by ELECTROSANDWICH by Marcel Wanders for Moooi. From the designer:
“Heracleum’ arrived at Moooi as a fantasy. I had the wish to light many LED-lights at the same time. I experimented with bundles of electricity wires that I shaped into a branch structure. During the development of the design it just seemed that too much soldering was required. Then Marcel Wanders had the ‘luminous’ idea to use his ELECTROSANDWICH® to make the design possible. The structure was coated with a plastic layer for isolation and on top of that a conductive layer to supply the LEDs with power. Using this technique it was possible to create a structure more slender than I had hoped for when I started the project. The technique and design are perfect for each other.”
2. Invisible Cycle Helmet by Hovding
Worn like a collar, the helmet automatically inflates like an airbag around your head upon impact. “The airbag is deployed by sensors – accelerometers and gyros – that pick up a bicyclist’s abnormal movements in the event of an accident. The sensors then send a signal to the gas inflator to inflate the airbag.” Watch a video of it in action.
3. The Learning Thermostat by Nest
A touch screen thermostat that remembers every time you adjust it until it learns your habits. It can also be controlled via your iPhone when you’re away from home.
4. Totem, by Bethan Laura Wood and Pietro Viero
A hand-blown Pyrex glass light tower made by stacking various glass shapes.
