Split personality for DBA awards

Clients and designers often share the honours, but rarely the actual trophy. Winners of the Design Effectiveness Awards have always shared the trophy, and the redesigned prize this year will be no different. Seymour Powell’s design retains the concept of a trophy which comes apart into two halves – one for the consultancy and one for the client.

The core theme of the new trophy is based on the Yin Yang shape to visually symbolise the element of partnership in the client/consultancy relationship.

It reflects ‘the prerequisite for entry into the Design Effective Awards – that consultancies and their clients enter jointly and have a close working relationship’, says a spokeswoman for the Design Business Association, which this year is running the awards in conjunction with Design Week’s sister magazine Marketing Week.

‘We’re keen to make the trophy more inspiring to our target European business and design audience,’ adds the DBA spokeswoman.

Given that the Design Effectiveness Awards are in the top three of the most sought after prizes in design, alongside Design Week’s and British Design and Art Direction’s schemes,

Seymour Powell’s design also has to present a ‘distinct personality to gain recognition as a significant business award for high professional standards’, explains the spokeswoman.

The two halves of the rather phallic trophy lock together and will be presented as a whole for the ceremony’s purposes. It is being produced in two finishes – gold for the Grand Prix and silver for the winners of the 16 categories and environment award. Perhaps its only drawback is that it doesn’t come with batteries.

Design: Seymour Powell

Client: Design Business Association