Recognising the need to identify and celebrate new design concepts and innovations in 2005, Red Dot Award for Design Concept have created an unprecedented platform that accept new ideas, design research projects and prototypes from institutions, companies, design teams and designers. 

“Red Dot Award: Design Concept has been an indicator for the future of product and communication design—from electric and autonomous driving cars to smart technologies and robotics. “ Founder and CEO of Red Dot, Prof. Dr. Peter Zec explains. “Only in this internationally unique competition is it possible to offer the ideas of tomorrow a professional framework.”

Red Dot Award: Design Concept received a record 5,640 entries this year, a 19% increase in submissions from 55 countries. Only concepts with the highest design merit which won over the Red Dot jury were awarded the Red Dot. Comprising of 20 design experts worldwide, the international panel of distinguished jurors selected 333 concepts to be recognised this year. 265 concepts were awarded the Red Dot, 40 concepts consisting 0.7% out of the entire submissions were being honoured the Red Dot: Best of the Best for their exceptional design excellence, and 28 concepts were credited with Honourable Mentions. Prof. Dr. Peter Zec and Mr. Ken Koo, President of Red Dot, Asia, gave out the awards at the awarding ceremony in Singapore.

Three concepts were nominated for this year’s Red Dot: Luminary from the 40 Red Dot: Best of the Best laureates. The Red Dot: Luminary is the highest achievement at the design competition and serves as an inspiration to aspire towards. The nominees include MOTOROiD from the mobility category by Japanese Yamaha Motor Co Ltd, a proof-of-concept electric motorcycle prototype that employs AI and Yamaha-exclusive technologies aimed at creating an entirely new personal mobility experience; SCHOTT® LuminaLine from the illumination category by German SCHOTT AG, an aesthetic high-tech lighting concept that shines with its versatility and improves life in many ways; and  Cookacross from the culinary category by Iranian Zaviè Design Studio, a built-in cooktop with a fully customisable heating surface for more enjoyable cooking experience.  

This year’s Red Dot: Luminary honours the MOTOROiD by Yamaha Motor Co Ltd from Japan. “This is a perfect example of cooperation between multiple disciplines of engineering and design where styling is not superimposed to give a better look in order to force marketing or advertising to drive sales, but an integration of many actuator and sensor interfaces for a fully automated, artificial intelligence controlled motorcycle which can come to the rider, keep its full stability even while in motion just by active real time controls.” Red Dot juror Professor Axel Thallemer explains. “This is unique and probably a good example for a lighthouse beacon of technology fused with design, and achievable in the mobility field.”

The Red Dot: Luminary trophy is then presented to Yamaha Motor Co Ltd by Prof. Dr Peter Zec, initiator and CEO of Red Dot and Mr Ken Koo. The night concluded with the presentation of Red Dot Award: Design Concept winners’ exhibition at the Red Dot Design Museum which overlooks the waterfront promenade of Singapore’s Marina Bay.

Red Dot Award for Design Concept 2018 winning concepts are also presented at the online exhibition at the Red Dot Award: Design Concept website as well as on Red Dot Design Yearbook for Design Concept 2018/2019. The yearbook and exhibition are traditions of the Red Dot Design Award, providing designers with a reference to the best in design.

15 most innovative organisations and institutions

Red Dot Design Ranking 2018 for Design Concept

Red Dot Design Ranking honours leaders in innovation for their pursuance of design excellence through this compilation of their organisation’s cumulative achievements in the Red Dot Award: Design Concept over the past 5 years. The ranking consists of six distinct honorary lists for Companies, Design Studios and Universities, in the Americas & Europe and Asia Pacific regions and is a vigorous reflection of real sustainable design and innovation capability of an organisation.

Umeå Institute of Design (Sweden) maintained #1 position for the third consecutive year in the list for Universities in Americas & Europe while Dalian Minzu University (China) emerged top, a huge climb from last year’s third placing in the list for Universities in Asia Pacific this year.

“This ranking tracks and measures the success of an enterprise in producing exciting new design concepts over a period of time.” Explains Founder and CEO of Red Dot, Prof. Dr Peter Zec. “It is a good reflection of real sustainable design innovation capability of an organisation. It gives these companies and institutions the recognition that they deserve and encouragement toward their continued investment in design”.

Red Dot Award for Design Concept 2018 received an unprecedented 5,640 entries, a 19% increase in submissions from 55 countries. Only concepts with the highest design merit which won over the Red Dot jury were awarded the Red Dot. 333 design concepts were honoured and presented by Prof. Dr Peter Zec and Mr Ken Koo, President of Red Dot, Asia, at the awarding ceremony in Singapore. Only concepts with the highest design merit which won over the Red Dot jury were awarded the Red Dot.

Emerging top in rankings for 2018 are Midea Group (China) in the list for Companies: Asia Pacific and HALLA a.s (Czech Republic) in the list for Companies: Americas & Europe.

In the list for Design Studios: Asia Pacific, Shenzhen Perth Industrial Design (China) emerged the first position while Emami Design (Germany) achieved the #1 spot for Design Studios: Americas & Europe.

The achievements at this year’s Red Dot Design Ranking for Design Concept were released in tandem with Red Dot Award: Design Concept 2018 results and can be found at the accessed at the official award website. http://www.red-dot.sg/en/red-dot-design-ranking/