Runners announced for Prince Philip prize

Six nominees in line for this year’s Prince Philip Designers Prize were announced this week by the Design Council. Architect David Chipperfield, graphic designer David Gentleman, and product designer Robin Levien, are just three of the design luminaries in contention for the prize next week.

The remaining shortlisted nominees are Apple’s head of design Jonathan Ive, furniture designer and Royal College of Art professor Ron Arad, and fashion designer Shelley Fox.

The winner will be announced in a ceremony in Newcastle on 25 October as part of the Dott 07 festival. It will be the first time that the ceremony has been held outside of London. Previous recipients of the prize include Norman Foster, Terence Conran, James Dyson and Thomas Heatherwick.

Nominees are judged on their contribution to raising the profile of design within the industry and with the public, as well as their influence on design standards and trends. Factors taken into account include commercial success, originality of concepts, plus aesthetic, technical and structural qualities.

The judging panel includes The Duke of Edinburgh, Design Council chairman Sir George Cox, Master of the Faculty for the Royal Designers for Industry Mike Dempsey, director of Nissan Design Europe David Godber, president of the Chartered Society of Designers John Sermon, managing director of Unimatic Engineers Martin Stevens and former deputy chief executive of the Design Council Harry Rich.