Celebrating its 11th edition, the LEXUS DESIGN AWARD was established to provide a platform for emerging creatives to invest their ideas and creativity in creating a ‘Better Tomorrow’. Aimed at finding unique solutions to global environmental and social problems, the program offers a unique opportunity for the next generation of creators to thrive under the guidance of leading industrial mentors, with Lexus providing grants to bring their innovative designs to life. This year, the award program introduces the “Your Choice Award”, where the public can vote for their favorite design. Check out the list of candidates below and don’t forget to cast your vote!
In the latter half of last year, Lexus announced the 2023 edition of its award program, focusing on key principles of “Anticipate, Innovate, and Captivate, while seamlessly enhancing the happiness of all” and promoting design through a unique mentorship approach. Industry mentors Marjan van Aubel (Solar Designer, Marjan van Aubel Studio), Joe Doucet (Founder, Joe Doucet x Partners), Yuri Suzuki (Artist and Designer/Partner, Pentagram), and Sumayya Vally (Architect/Principal, Counterspace) collaborate with winners, who present their designs to a distinguished jury panel featuring Paola Antonelli (Senior Curator for the Department of Architecture and Design at MoMA), Karim Rashid (Designer, Karim Rashid Inc.), and Simon Humphries (Chief Branding Officer, Toyota Motor Corporation). Winners are awarded up to 3 million Japanese yen to bring their ideas to life, with the four winning designs exhibited at Milan Design Week from April 17th to 23rd. With the Your Choice Award, YOU get to vote for your favorite design too!
Click Here to Vote for “Your Choice Award”. Hurry voting ends in 48 hours (April 23rd at 23:59 CET)
LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2023 Winners
Fog-X by Pavels Hedström
The Fog-X is a unique piece of clothing that not only provides warmth but also doubles as a water harvester. Originally designed as a backpack, the Fog-X was transformed into a jacket during mentorship sessions due to its smaller and more versatile nature. The jacket’s design helps it collect atmospheric moisture, making it an ideal solution for arid environments where water is scarce. To maximize its water-catching abilities, the Fog-X comes with an app that guides the user to optimal locations for harvesting fog. The transforms into a fog-catcher, which collects micro-droplets of water from the wind, providing a clean source of drinking water even in the driest of deserts.
Print Clay Humidifier by Jiaming Liu
The Print Clay Humidifier is an inventive and sustainable non-electric humidifier that uses recycled ceramic waste as a raw material. Jiaming Liu’s fresh perspective helps recycle ceramic objects and pieces while retaining their evaporative properties, aiming to expand the use of ceramic recycling to bring the realization of a resource-recycling society. The humidifier is 3D-printed and uses the water-wicking properties of clay to deliver moisture into the air. Liu tested different combinations of ceramic powders and various iterations of the humidifier’s design. “I found that the petal structure combined with the rotating shape increased the material’s performance,” he mentioned, also highlighting how the product was designed to seamlessly balance aesthetics and function.
Touch the Valley by Temporary Office
Touch the Valley is a 3D puzzle game specifically designed for visually-impaired individuals. The puzzle consists of topographic pieces that can be assembled by matching adjacent contouring pieces, providing a tactile experience that encourages sensory perception and allows individuals to explore and interact with their environment. Temporary Office, the design duo behind the game, consulted with vision rehabilitation training specialists and the visually impaired community to refine the puzzle, resulting in the addition of magnetic haptic feedback, elevational grooves, smoother edges, and potentially extruded patterns to enhance the user’s experience. The goal of the puzzle is to create a joyful and immersive process of play and exploration without overwhelming cognitive load.
Zero Bag by Kyeongho Park & Yejin Heo
A unique combination of container and detergent, the Zero Bag boasts of a cradle-to-grave approach that allows the plastic packaging of a product to disintegrate once it serves its purposes. Designed to be used to package clothes, food, or any other item that would typically require plastic packaging, the Zero Bag is made from water-soluble alginate plastic, with a paper detergent lining. When you receive your items wrapped in a Zero Bag, simply wash them with the bag and the bag will dissolve in the water, leaving you with zero waste. The detergent/soap helps to clean the contents of the bag before consumption or use. The bag is versatile and can be used for both clothes and food, with a simple swap of the inner lining for a food-safe soap or baking soda. The Park and Heo’s aim is to also strengthen the waterproof abilities of the bag so it can sustain the journey from manufacturing to retail to consumer. The Zero Bag is a game-changer in the world of sustainable packaging and is sure to make a positive impact on the environment.
Have a favorite design? Cast your vote for the Your Choice Award using this link! (Voting is open till April 23rd 23:59 (CET))