Rings “cut” by KISSdesign, Sally Kiss is one of this year’s outstanding products: The Red Dot jury was enthused, and awarded “cut” a Red Dot: Best of the Best. In 2016, this highest single distinction in the international competition goes to only 1.5% of all entries. Manufacturers and designers from 57 nations had registered about 5,200 products and sent them to the Ruhr area in Germany – “cut” impressed with highest design quality and makes Sally Kiss, proprietress of KISSdesign, one of the leaders in an international comparison.

“cut”

In the sense of a “reduction of the gem to the basic cut shape,” these pieces of jewellery aim at visualising

significance and value independent of the material.

The pieces are made of stainless steel using advanced

industrial laser micromachining technology, which

requires meticulous planning of the object. The result

is outstanding in terms of both precision and expressivity.

These rings showcase a fascinating geometric design idiom that is only possible thanks to the special manufacturing technique. They possess an impressive

three-dimensional appearance. Paired with the tactile

appeal of stainless steel, these rings sit softly on the

finger. They embody a sophisticated design concept

which, realised by innovatively making use of contemporary technology, led to pieces of jewellery of high aesthetics and expressivity.

Design and Production: Sally Kiss

Statement by the jury

The rings of the “cut” jewellery series fascinate beholders at first glance. Using the possibilities offered by laser micromachining in a creative manner, they emerged as gems with a distinctive visual appeal.

They look like self-enclosed three-dimensional units,

yet the individual layers they are made of are still

perceivable. They touch the senses with their inspired

design and exude a sense of high value.

About the jury and Red Dot

With 41 experts from all around the world, who are chosen according to strict rules, the Red Dot Award: Product Design guarantees a very high judging competence: Only freelance designers, design professors and specialised journalists – but not designers employed at companies potentially participating – are appointed to the jury.

The independent expert panel assesses each entry strictly and fairly, live and on site, according to criteria such as degree of innovation, formal quality, functionality and ecological compatibility. The jury awards the highest single distinction “Red Dot: Best of the Best” for ground-breaking design. Only the best entries in a category receive this award.

Professor Dr. Peter Zec, founder and president of the Red Dot Award: “With their extraordinary feel for creativity and keen eye for unmatched precision, the Red Dot: Best of the Best laureates deserve this highest recognition. We will honour them at the formal presentation of the Red Dot Trophy on stage at the Aalto-Theater in Essen.”

4 July 2016 marks the culmination of the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2016. During the glamorous awards ceremony, the Red Dot: Best of the Best laureates will accept their trophies in front of around 1,200 guests. At the subsequent after-show party “Designers’ Night”, the winners will celebrate until the early hours in the Red Dot Design Museum Essen in the midst of prize-winning products. All award-winning products will be presented in the special exhibition “Design on Stage” for four weeks before becoming part of the permanent exhibition.

With about 2,000 exhibits from 45 nations, the Red Dot Design Museum Essen displays the complete range of current product design. In the former boiler house of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Zollverein coal mine, it presents products that have won the Red Dot on five floors and approximately 4,000 square metres. Every year, the world’s largest exhibition of contemporary design informs around 150,000 visitors about current trends and top achievements.

About the Red Dot Design Award:

In order to appraise the wide scope of design in a professional manner, the Red Dot Design Award is broken down into the three distinct disciplines: the Red Dot Award: Product Design, Red Dot Award: Communication Design and Red Dot Award: Design Concept. The Red Dot Award is organised by the Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen in Essen, Germany. With more than 17,000 entries in 2015 alone, it is one of the largest competitions in the world. It was in 1955 that a jury convened for the first time to assess the best designs of the day. The name and brand of the award were developed in the 1990s by Red Dot CEO, Professor Dr. Peter Zec. Since then the sought-after “Red Dot” is the revered international seal of outstanding design quality. Further information: www.red-dot.org.