Emotions, diversity and local colour
The winners of the Hungarian Design Award, established 32 years ago, and the Design Management Award, reintroduced in 2009, received their respective prizes on 3 October. Both awards can be won through competition submitted by Hungarian designers as well as small-and medium-sized businesses. The creative and cultural economies are intertwined to such an extent now that several of this year's award-winning projects had already been manufactured at the time of entering the competition. The best of the designed works can be viewed at the Museum of Applied Arts until 13 November.
The biggest recognition of Hungarian design, the Hungarian Design Award and its special prizes were granted among others to a developmental cube, a reloadable sandbag used for core training, a relaxation floating cabin, inter-connectible decorative tiles, a washing machine concept, a tripod fireplace, a spine-friendly chair family, and a pop-up book of poetry. "These days emotions, diversity and local colour play an increasing role in the world of design. I could say that we are living in an age of mass customization," said Dr. Miklós Bendzsel, the president of the Intellectual Property Office and the Hungarian Design Council, summing up the strength of the submitted projects at the gala ceremony.
The Hungarian Design Award just like in the previous three decades was announced in the form of a competition. The projects entered in the competition, and the award-winning works in particular, clearly demonstrated the strengthening presence of Hungarian manufacturers: out of the 302 projects close to 50 were submitted by domestic small- and medium-sized businesses, and out of the award-winning designs almost every second one was already a product, which means they had already been manufactured at the time of entering the competition. The Design Management Award, recognising excellence in the integration of design into corporate culture, was also presented to a Hungarian company specialising in interior design and turnkey solutions.
"SMEs with an integrated approach have every chance of gaining a significant competitive advantage amidst today's difficult circumstances created by the global economic crisis and attendant social crises. This way of thinking can truly be realised when a company harmonises economic, technological and aesthetic considerations with usability and environmental friendliness. Having successfully applied this approach, the winning designs of this year's Hungarian Design Award and their manufacturers, as well as the business recognised through the Design Management Award have created projects that serve as models. They have proved that the tools of design can effectively be used to connect Hungarian users and businesses," added Mr. Bendzsel.
Award winners and exhibitors of the Hungarian Design Award
Winner of the Design Management Award 2011
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