Well-designed, award-winning products you can use

AFTER two years of judging entries online, the Red Dot Award: Product Design has finally returned in physical form for the 2023 edition, with winners recently announced for submissions across 51 categories.

One of the best-known and largest design competitions in the world, the annual award recognises good design and innovation. In the latest edition, an international jury of 43 design experts from 20 countries met to evaluate the submissions. Award-winning works are presented in Red Dot Design Museums and winners can use the Red Dot label as a mark of good design.

This year, 2,150 products received the Red Dot Award: Product Design, some of which have just been added to the Red Dot Design Museum Singapore’s exhibits. These products are already in production, some of which are now available for purchase from their makers.

The other two awards under Red Dot are for Design Concept and Brands & Communication Design. The latter applauds excellence in branding and communication design such as books, packaging and illustrations. Some of the winners have also been added to the museum’s expanded permanent collection.

Here are a few highlights of winners of the Red Dot Award: Product Design. The full list is available at www.red-dot.org

Frenz Brainband

Frenzband.com

Who doesn’t want a good night’s sleep?

For those who find it challenging drifting into dreamland, the Frenz Brainband can help them fall asleep faster, sleep more deeply and wake up more refreshed. The AI-powered sleep and concentration aid tracks and stimulates brain activity via bone-conduction speakers. Brain signals, eye movements, micro facial movements, heart rate and more, are precisely tracked.

When worn during the day, it can improve concentration at work or help with relaxation. Sound chambers for the bone-conduction speakers enable the device to adapt to various sleeping positions as well. The Brainband impressed the jury not only for its slim, elegant profile, but also its ergonomic design and high level of wearing comfort.

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hó-lim Beverage Tumbler

tydoinfo.com

In the Hokkien dialect, hó-lim means “good for drinking” and seems like the perfect name for this product.

The hó-lim beverage tumbler meets your on-the-go drinking needs by using an integrated straw-like structure inside the cup. This simple but innovative design prevents ice cubes from blocking the opening of the “straw” in chilled beverages, yet the chewy tapioca balls (or pearls) of bubble tea can be sucked up easily. No more pearl-hunting with plastic straws for bubble tea lovers.

Stealth 16 Studio

msi.com

A laptop for both work and play – that’s what the Stealth 16 Studio offers users.

It won the jury’s nod for its purist design with subtle echoes of the gaming world. Judges liked the slightly bevelled and rounded edges of the case which make the device look as slim as possible. Also noteworthy, they said, are the asymmetrically designed air inlets and outlets as well as the colour gradient speaker area decorated with triangular patterns – design tricks that give the laptop an artistic touch.

Maverick

everysight.com

With the Maverick smart glasses, designers found a way to hide a wireless display device inside a classic eyeglass frame. The curved, lightweight polycarbonate visor offers a high level of durability without compromising vision. Prescription lenses are easy to clip on, the slim temples can fit inside helmets and adjustable end pieces enhance the ergonomic fit.

Maverick interacts with smartphone and smartwatch apps via Bluetooth, so you can access information hands-free. No wonder the jury described it as “a user-friendly device with a dynamic look”.

Moment

Narumi.co.jp

The Moment teapot won the jury over for cleverly integrating tradition into its design to evoke Asian culture through the hot beverage.

It has a flat shape, so tea leaves can circulate freely in the hot water to enhance their aroma and flavour. But this also increases the load on the wrist when pouring. Hence, the eye-catching curved handle that extends upwards. Inspired by the traditional Japanese pattern that looks like flowing water, the design makes use of the laws of physics such that wrist strain is reduced by over 30 per cent compared with a standard handle on a teapot with similar capacity.

Rott Kron Earring

www.rottkron.com

Earbuds are so ubiquitous that they really ought to look more stylish. And that’s exactly what impressed judges about the Rott Kron earring, which are positioned as a refreshing alternative to conventional earbuds.

Judges liked that this wearable blurs the boundaries between fashion and technology by accentuating the wearer’s personal style while offering a convincing acoustic performance. The high-gloss material focuses attention on the sleek shapes of the earbuds, while the ergonomic design ensures a high level of wearing comfort. The use of zirconia ceramic also makes the product biocompatible and hypoallergenic.