The 2014 Design Week Awards winners

Best of Show

Tomorrow

Winner: Tomorrow Project for The Prince’s Trust, By CHI & Partners

This project comprises a brand campaign, retail designs and an initiative to tackle issues around youth unemployment. CHI & Partners was challenged by charity the Prince’s Trust to create a platform that would ‘celebrate and champion’ young people’s achievements. The initiative sees youngsters team up with designers such as Zandra Rhodes and Wayne Hemingway to create new products. CHI & Partners created ‘Tomorrow’s Store’, located in the heart of London. Every month the keys are given to a new young designer, who gets to transform it into a platform to sell their products.

The judges said: ‘A collaborative project that touches on many disciplines, and provides opportunities for the next generation of designers.’

Print Communications

Rix

Winner: Mr & Mrs Rix – Wedding Invitation, by Music

Music associate creative director Adam Rix married wife Sara at Yorkshire Sculpture Park. The wedding invitations were designed as an exhibition plaque – and were made from concrete. The copy mimics exhibition conventions while an additional plaque describes the piece and references previous events in the couple’s life as earlier ‘collaborations’.

The judges said: ‘Almost from the beginning, our favourite was set in stone.’

See the shortlisted print communications projects here.

Brand Campaigns

Tomorrow

Winner: Tomorrow Project for The Prince’s Trust, By CHI & Partners

The Tomorrow Project is an initiative run by charity The Prince’s Trust that aims to tackle issues around youth unemployment. CHI & Partners was challenged to create a platform that would ‘celebrate and champion’ young people’s achievements. The agency created ‘Tomorrow’s Store’, which champions young designers and entrepreneurs. The store is located in the heart of London and each month the keys are given to a new resident. They are able to transform the store into a platform to sell their products and tell their story in a unique way.

The judges said: ‘Ambitious, collaborative and for a great cause.’

See the shortlisted brand campaigns projects here.

Self-Promotional Projects

Winner: The Wall, by Zulu Alpha Kilo

When Canadian consultancy Zulu Alpha Kilo was nominated for Strategy Magazine’s Agency of the Year it was asked to create a video to be shown at the awards gala. The Wall pokes fun at the struggles of getting good work produced, as seen through the eyes of the advertising concepts themselves.

The judges said: ‘Clever, insightful and just plain funny.’

See the shortlisted self-promotional projects here.

Retail Interiors

Domus

Winner: Domus W_1, by I-Am Associates

i-am associates has worked with tile company Domus for ten years, and was asked to create a new store and showroom for the company in London’s West End. The store features a giant suspended Domus typographic installation and a showroom with a bar zone where customers can discuss requirements over a cup of coffee or a glass of wine.

The judges said: ‘This features richness and depth, with areas to explore modern ideas juxtaposed against the tiles. It’s a social space with a human scale and somewhere where you would want to hang out.’

See the shortlisted retail interiors projects here.

Packaging Design

Penhaligons

Winner: ChrIstmas Gift Collection 2013 for Penhaligon’s, by JKR

JKR’s 2013 gift collection for Penhaligon’s takes inspiration from the fragrance brand’s Victorian roots and the music boxes of that time. The consultancy created tin boxes that rotate and produce the sound of birdsong. They are illustrated with mechanical song-birds in an array of colours.

The judges said: ‘A captivating design that goes far beyond the role of simply packaging the product. An enchanting piece of brand theatre in its own right, which will be kept and treasured for years to come.’

See the shortlisted packaging design projects here.

Identity Design

Made In Britain

Winner: Made In Britain Identity, By The Partners

Made in Britain is an independent organisation that promotes British manufacturing. It briefed The Partners to create a mark that would be instantly recognised and understood, and that could be used across a variety of materials – from ceramics to fabric to packaging and digital materials. The mark is based around the Union Flag, with colours that can be adapted according to application. The arrow device can be used as navigation on point-of-sale material.

The judges said: ‘A strong, simple and flexible identity, perfectly suited to appearing on thousands of examples of great British design.’

See the shortlisted identity design projects here.

Hospitality and Workplace Interiors

Ace Hotel

Winner: Ace Hotel London, for Atelier Ace, by Universal Design Studio

The Ace Hotel London in Shoreditch is Ace’s first hotel outside the US. Universal Design Studio worked on the project – including 258 guest rooms, a restaurant, bar, café and gallery. The design aims to evoke craftsmanship, while guest rooms are based on the idea of staying with a friend, which UDS says is ‘embedded in the culture of the area’.

The judges said: ‘This is a blurring of boundaries. Not just a place to sleep, it’s a part of the community.’

See the shortlisted hospitality and workplace interiors projects here.

Writing for Design

Winner: Cross Words, by Roger Horberry and The Workshop

Roger Horberry worked with branding consultancy The Workshop to create a promotional project to attract new clients. The project is a collection of 20 mesostics (poems where a vertical line intersects a horizontal line of text). Horberry says, ‘It’s about making the most of my source material and having some fun with words along the way – just like my day job’.

The judges said: ‘We had nothing but good words for Roger’s Cross Words.’

See the shortlisted writing for design projects here.

TV, Film and Video Graphics

ITV

Winner: Where Drama Lives, by ITV Creative

The Where Drama Lives campaign juxtaposed contemporary characters with those from ITV’s back catalogue. Going back to the original negatives of ITV dramas, the design team pulled clips that fitted the action, cleaning the negatives to match the 35mm look. The team also shot body doubles within the action, matching the camera moves of the original footage. It then used head replacement to add the heritage characters side-by-side and interacting with the 21st century characters.

The judges said: ‘It highlights ITV’s heritage in drama with outstanding craftsmanship and skill. It made us forget how annoying Ant and Dec are.’

See the shortlisted TV, film and video graphics projects here.

Product Design – Industrial

Acro

Winner: Superlight Ultra XC For Acro Aircraft Seating, By Factorydesign

The Ultra XC is an aircraft seat designed to save weight and fuel costs, and enhance passenger comfort. The design gives the centre seat – known to be the least popular seat – an additional inch in width. This counters the industry standard where seats are equally sized regardless of the enhanced benefits of window and aisle seats.

The judges said: ‘In an increasingly challenging environment, where pressure to save weight can sometimes be a detriment to quality, this design seems to strike the right balance.’

See the shorlisted product design – industrial projects here.

Product Design – Consumer

iPhone

Winner: iPhone 5S, by Apple

The iPhone 5s is described by Apple as ‘the most forward-thinking iPhone yet’. The phone features an 8-megapixel camera and the new Touch ID system, which lets users securely unlock the phone with the touch of a finger. The phone comes in an anodised aluminium cover with diamond-cut edges and is available in metallic finishes including gold, silver and space grey.

The judges said: ‘In a world that gets ever more complicated, the iPhone continues to try to make our lives simpler through intuitive technology that seamlessly connects with the user. As a pure piece of product design, its styling restraint, attention to detail and quality of manufacture is unparralled.’

See the product design – consumer projects here.

Furniture Design

Tops

Winner: Wooden Tops For Vital Arts – Barts Health NHS Trust, By Morag Myerscough

On the seventh-floor children’s ward at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, Vital Arts has transformed the atrium into ‘a space where imagination can run wild’. The playspace takes the form of an oversized living room with larger-than-life pieces of furniture. The pieces, designed by Morag Myerscough, include colourful giant wooden top seating and soft building blocks.

The judges said: ‘It’s refreshing to see healthcare leaders and designers in such a serious sector prioritising play, imagination and user interaction in an otherwise stressful and high-pressured environment.’

See the shortlisted furniture design projects here.

Wayfinding and Environmental Graphics

RCA

Winner: Royal College of Art Wayfinding and Signage, by Cartlidge Levene

Cartlidge Levene was commissioned to design new wayfinding and signage for the Royal College of Art buildings, starting with the Dyson Building in Battersea. The signage uses the new RCA branding, developed by Research Studios. It uses Margaret Calvert’s Calvert font for core information, while the new Calvert Brody font is used for building names, level numbers and donor names, and Knockout for major destinations.

The judges said: ‘This solves a real problem. It’s creativity in the right context and a system bringing a guiding light.’

See the shortlisted wayfinding and environmental graphics projects here.

Exhibition Design

Grubb

Winner: Lost Light, Gardens of Light Festival for Town Centre BID/Arts Bournemouth, by Michael Grubb Studio

The Gardens of Light Festival is a major new event to boost Bournemouth’s winter tourism appeal and part of five-year lighting masterplan for the town being led by Michael Grubb Studio. The consultancy created ten interactive Light Pods, which were scattered throughout Bournemouth’s Grade II-listed gardens. These include the HipPODdrome, a beach hut covered in chrome cladding and filled with disco balls, strobes and a DJ, and the Optical World, a three-dimensional curtain of hanging fibres inside a mirrored pod.

The judges said: ‘An iconic, simple idea immersed in nature. A gateway into a bigger idea, attracting and appealing to all generations.’

Bowie

Highly commended: David Bowie is for the Victoria & Albert Museum, by 59 Productions and Real Studios

The design for the V&A exhibition draws from David Bowie’s many artistic influences, such as Surrealism, Expressionism and the Beat poets. Sets were designed to provide a stylish yet unobtrusive backdrop to the story, with the occasional showpiece of set and video. The exhibition also featured handwritten lyrics, film and video footage.

The judges said: ‘An emotive subject, and you can’t ignore public opinion. It was an amazing combination of music and exhibition. Immersive, all-encompassing, engrossing and fabulous.’

See the shortlisted exhibition design projects here.

Interactive Design

Office

The Office is Dead, for Property Alliance Group, by Music

Music was tasked with marketing a Grade II-listed building in Manchester that was being refurbished into offices aimed at creative businesses. The site is based around Google Business Photos, and copy about the building and contact details appear in the fabric of the building itself. Elsewhere, a series of artworks poke fun at the clichés of modern office life.

The judges said: ‘A brave application of media in a creatively stagnant sector of interactive design. It’s fun and fizzing with ideas.’

See the shortlisted interactive design projects here.

Poster Design

San Fran

Winner: San Fran Poster for Mucho and AIGA San Francisco, by Purpose

Mucho and AIGA San Francisco organised an exhibition and silent auction called InsideOut SF and called for interpretations of the city from a host of local and international collaborators. Purpose aimed to reference the San Andreas Fault – on which the city is built – through a two-leaved poster. The top sheet is torn in half through the middle of the typography, to reveal the fault-line running through San Fran.

The judges said: ‘One big fault, and no others.’

See the shortlisted poster design projects here.

Editorial Design

Independent

Winner: The Independent Redesign, by The Independent with Matt Willey

For the redesign of the Independent, the design team was briefed to reimagine the newspaper, magazine and website to reflect the paper’s original, classical heritage, but with a contemporary twist. Henrik Kubel created a new font family – Indy Sans, Indy Serif and Indy Hairline – which appears throughout. Rotating the masthead by 90o created a longer, thinner canvas and Walter Molteni of Le Tigre was commissioned to redraw the Independent’s Eagle icon.

The judges said: ‘Masterfully done.’

See the shortlisted editorial design projects here.

Digital Installations

NissanIDx

Winner: Nissan IDx, by AKQA

Nissan IDx is a co-creation project that allows drivers to share their ideas around car design with Nissan and help shape future designs. IDx was launched at the Tokyo Motor Show with a ‘virtual world’ created by AKQA. The project also saw the launch of the High Definition Oculus Rift, and AKQA’s interactive installation allowed users to journey through a car-design process over six levels. The decisions they made during the process were translated into design and engineering concepts by Nissan.

The judges said: ‘An installation that is compelling to the audience with interesting engagement and which listens to the customer.’

See the shortlisted digital installatons projects here.

Rising Star

Josh Turner

Winner: Josh Turner

Josh Turner graduated last year from Falmouth University’s graphic design course, and currently works as a junior designer for Brighton consultancy Cookchick. He has won two Young Creative Network Awards and his work has been featured in Computer Arts and Digital Arts. Turner says, ‘Eventually I want to run my own design studio which creates the type of work that questions the norm and looks at things in a different light’.

The judges said: ‘Josh shows great imagination, great ideas and great promise.’

See the shortlisted Rising Star entrants here.

Design Team of the Year

Index

Winner: Livework Studio

Over the past year, the Livework studio has worked on a variety of challenges across the world – from high-speed trains in Thailand to a digitised currency in South Wales. The Livework team worked with the Thai Design Council to create a service vision for Thailand’s proposed high-speed train network. It has also worked to create a digital platform for South Wales ‘time-based’ currency Spice, which has received backing from Nesta. Other projects include working with bank JP Morgan to improve communications and global command centres, and helping Norwegian bank Gjensidige improve its insurance services.

The judges said: ‘Working around the globe, on a diverse range of projects for a diverse set of clients, the Livework team really shows what design can do.’

See the shortlisted design team of the year entrants here.

Brand of the Year

ITV

Winner: ITV

ITV rolled out its new branding across all touchpoints – including ITV, ITV2 and mobile and digital platforms – on 14 January 2013. ITV said it wanted its new identity to reflect ‘a more human brand’. The ‘colour-picking’ responsive logo draws tones from its background, meaning that no two logos are the same. Since the relaunch, the ITV main channel share has grown by 3.4 per cent – the only terrestrial channel to do so and the first time ITV’s main channel has grown since 1990. External revenues have grown by £91 million and the ITV share price has gone up by 82 per cent. ITV was shortlisted in the Identity Design category for the Design Week Awards and won the TV, Film and Video Graphics category.

The judges said: ‘ITV’s rebrand was a brave commitment that paid off, and a strong signal of the power of design.’

See the shortlisted brand of the year entrants here.

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