Hungarian Design Award Winners 2016
Product category
WIA electric boats
Jury statement:
The Wia electric boat models were developed for ten years using high-tech solutions. The individual members of the fleet – regardless of their class size – evoke different boat building traditions, yet this environmentally conscious and energy-efficient product group has a unified design. The appearance of the boats – the classical edge-surface proportions, characteristically soft side lines, raised bow, shading surfaces on the stern, the visual representation of the hull windows on the bow, the elaboration of the interior surfaces, the use of material, and the elements of the deck – follow a unified language of form on all the models. The interiors are distinguished by the use of high quality wood and leather. The jury highly valued the fresh and up-to-date form of the boats, their outstanding quality, as well as their marketability thanks to technical innovativeness.
Ring Clock – A ring that shows the time
Jury statement:
The “Ring Clock” is a great example of how years of hard work can turn an exciting and engaging invention into a finished product. A product that turns your head… The ring clock, complete and already available on the market, retained the freshness, innovativeness, refinement and richness of detail that characterised the starting concept. It is made with high precision and to the highest standards. It is a mature design marked by an elegant form and durability. The time indication and the operation of the ring clock retained the intricacy of the original concept. A high standard is also evident in the packaging, the charger and the visual identity. It is a thoroughly elaborated product of outstanding quality and a world standard.
The Hammer modular slingshot and slingbow
Jury statement:
Archery is growing in popularity both in Hungary and worldwide. Bows are used for sporting and hunting, and there is cut-throat competition on their market. Modularity is one of the greatest assets of this award-winning project: the design provides a high standard solution for the easy conversion of the slingshot into a slingbow. The central node of the hammer slingshot is a technical innovation along with the ‘securing hammer’ that adds extra safety. The closing element is designed to enable a hammer grip, thus ensuring maximum security during use in addition to the bow’s intended use. Users and comparative expert analyses have confirmed that “The Hammer” integrates international cutting edge technical, mechanical and ergonomic solutions and is a design with great potential to become successful in the competitive market of bows.
Concept category
Pure Arhitecture textile collection concept
Jury statement:
In the “Pure Architecture” project the designer’s research and experimentation with visuality and technology produced a balanced concept. The geometric design of the textiles reflects a refined system of proportions recurring in a different rhythm in each pattern. The jury especially appreciated the consistent elaboration of the patterns and the iterations of the geometrical system of lines producing elegant designs on both sides of the textiles.
The textiles are made of natural materials. The implementation is of excellent quality, satisfying the requirements of tactility and interior usage. We hope that this award will contribute to developing the collection into a competitive product.
Visual communication category
Logo and identity design of Magvető Publishing
Jury statement:
The project is the winner of the restricted tender competition announced for the logo and identity design of Magvető Publishing, Hungary’s historically renowned publisher of literature. Both the logo and the identity were introduced in January 2016. The design reflects Magvető’s value-centric and conservative publishing practice as well as its openness to new literary trends and the prestige it enjoys in the domestic and international markets. The new logo was based on the classical font of the old design, but it created a new character by playfully combining the first letter of the publisher’s name “m” and the double accent of its last letter “ő” (exclusively found in the Hungarian alphabet, and referred to in typography as Hungarumlaut). The new identity design emphasises continuity with the previous one, while providing an excellent example for a complex and meaningful identity. The end of the design process was dominated by elegance and maturity with the emblem conveying the integral relation between man, language and book.
Student category
Hiking Trail of Warmrocks
Jury statement:
The objective of the collaborative experimental and research project was the representation of time through the formation process of bathing and warming units built from the mineral content of water. The project studied the geothermic landscape of Hungary and the possible uses of thermal water which can be found under four-fifths of Hungary’s territory. The aim of the project highly esteemed by the jury was to exploit the positive properties of heat, water and saline deposits both for physiological and recreational purposes to the maximum possible extent. While the student category is by definition a potential ground for experimentation the Hiking Trail of Warmrocks stood out thanks to its multidisciplinary approach (material experiments, (landscape) architecture, object design etc.) and the high quality of implementation. The jury emphasised that this project represents outstanding quality and is forward-looking even in an international context.