The Red Dot Award: Product Design 2019 is in full swing: the closing round is now open, as the last of three registration phases has started. Designers and companies only have until 1 February to enter their innovations in the competition for the renowned seal of quality. They can enter all kinds of products for assessment by the experienced jury. True to the motto “In search of good design and innovation”, the jury will award the Red Dot seal only to designs that are convincing in terms of their good design quality.

Versatile in every way

The competition is open to established designers and companies as well as to those setting out on their careers all over the globe. They can submit objects from all areas of daily life – from furniture and kitchen appliances to telecommunications, lifestyle accessories and vehicles. However, the jury is also delighted to see more unusual products like ships, industrial robots or playgrounds, for example.

Jury tests each individual product

After the registration phase has ended, the roughly 40 experts, including designers, design professors and journalists from different fields, come together for several days in order to assess the products. The special aspect of this process is that the jury tests each object individually. For example, they ride bicycles, drive cars, cut vegetables with the knives entered in the competition and write with the pens. This is essential because it allows the jury to evaluate not only the aesthetics of the product but also its functionality, longevity, peripherals and self-explanatory nature.

Global visibility for the award winners

If an object wins an award, it is a testimony to its good design quality and high innovation potential. In this way, the laureates set trends in the design industry and show what the future direction might be. Consumers recognise these premium design products by means of the Red Dot Winner Label, which the award winners use as a marketing tool on product packaging, advertisements or on their website for example. The winner label ensures visibility on the international market and sets them apart from competitors.

There are also other measures that draw global attention to the winners: the Red Dot Gala, which sees the design industry convene in Essen to duly celebrate the best products of the year, will take place on 8 July 2019. As part of the subsequent Designers’ Night, the award-winning products are made a part of the first exhibition – “Design on Stage” in the Red Dot Design Museum Essen is the first stop on a journey full of high-profile communication measures for the winners. Additionally, they are presented in international exhibitions and in the Red Dot App as well as in the yearbook. 

Red Dot Award: Product Design 2019
Latecomer registration: until 1 February 2019
Jury session: February 2019
Award ceremony: 8 July 2019
“Design on Stage”: from 9 July 2019