LEXUS ANNOUNCES LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2022 FINALISTS
NEXT-GENERATION CREATORS ON QUEST TO DESIGN A BETTER TOMORROW
Lexus today announced the six finalists for the Lexus Design Award 2022, selected from among 1,726 entries submitted by creators from 57 countries. Finalists gain the privilege of mentorship by four international creative stars, with whom they will interact directly while developing prototypes within a budget of 3,000,000 yen (approx. €23,000) each.
Now in its tenth edition, the Lexus Design Award continues to evolve since its launch in 2013 with the mission of supporting and nurturing young creators. The Lexus Design Award program identifies promising talent whose fresh ideas receive a high-profile cross-media introduction on an established platform respected by the global creative community. Finalists were chosen for their original solutions contributing to a better tomorrow, while articulating the Lexus brand's three core principles — Anticipate, Innovate, and Captivate; while seamlessly enhancing the happiness of all.
Lexus Design Award 2022 Finalists
- Chitofoam by Charlotte Böhning & Mary Lempres (dual USA - Germany and dual USA - Norway, based in USA)
A biodegradable packaging solution derived from the exoskeletons of mealworms that have digested polystyrene foam waste.
- Hammock Wheelchair by Wondaleaf (Malaysia)
A combination wheelchair, forklift and hammock for reducing the manual lifting of patients by caregivers.
- Ina Vibe by Team Dunamis (Nigeria)
A sustainable cooking, charging and lighting product.
- Rewind by Poh Yun Ru (Singapore)
A platform that leverages multi-sensory stimulation to prompt meaningful recollection for seniors with dementia.
- Sound Eclipse by Kristil & Shamina (Russia)
A noise cancelling device that reduces noise from outside when placed near an open window.
- Tacomotive by Kou Mikuni (Japan)
A tangible driving simulator for children with visual and aural challenges.
Lexus Design Award 2022 judge Anupama Kundoo said, “I was impressed by the creators’ sensitivity to real-life issues faced by individuals with disabilities and the challenges facing society, such as sustainable coexistence with nature. The mentoring process will optimize the impact of the finalists’ designs. I greatly enjoyed working with such a diverse jury and finding so much alignment. Where there were different perspectives, those too were complementary and aligned in their core values.”
Earlier in January, the six finalists participated in a five-day workshop with four mentors: Sam Baron, Joe Doucet, Sabine Marcelis, and Yosuke Hayano. Interacting directly with these leading lights, the finalists received professional guidance to explore the potential of their ideas and help bring them to life. Finalists will continue working with mentors to flesh-out their prototypes throughout the three months or so leading up to the Grand Prix.
In Spring 2022 the judging panel, comprising renowned creative visionaries Paola Antonelli, Anupama Kundoo, Bruce Mau and Simon Humphries, will select the Grand Prix Winner based on the finalists’ presentations of how their prototypes put their design concepts into practice.
In exclusive individual follow-up sessions, the six finalists will receive personalized consultations with each of the panel members to explore career paths and give a flying start to their further professional development.
* For more information, please visit LexusDesignAward.com
Official Hashtag: #lexusdesignaward
Chitofoam
Chitofoam is a material research project that reuses discarded polystyrene foam as food for mealworms, and then utilizes their exoskeletons such as their discarded shells. It has been found that mealworms can safely digest polystyrene, and biopolymers made from chitosan extracted from their exoskeleton will be used to create an environmentally friendly alternative to polystyrene foam.
By Charlotte Böhning (dual USA - Germany) & Mary Lempres (dual USA - Norway)
Based in USA, Charlotte Böhning & Mary Lempres are classmates pursuing their Master's of Industrial Design at the Pratt Institute. They have respective backgrounds in development and behavioural economics, chemistry, and fine art. Their collaborative design practice is centered on material-driven innovation, empathic technologies, and human-centric factors.
Hammock Wheelchair
By combining features of a wheelchair, forklift, and hammock, caregivers can move and transfer patients without having to manually lift them. A cloth with tunnel casings acts as a pallet, while a wheelchair with two prongs acts like a forklift.
By Wondaleaf (Alex Wong, Reuben Tang, Louis Tang, Wong Ping Ming, John Tang, Lau Yien Yien and Sii How Sing), based in Malaysia
The team members of Wondaleaf are part of a medical device innovation company. Each member specializes in different aspects of the design and production process. After some team members had difficulty caring for patients after running a nursing home, they partnered to design a device to assist caregivers and patients at these facilities.
Ina Vibe
Ina Vibe is a lightweight, portable gas-powered cooking burner/stove with a thermoelectric generator that harnesses heat energy to generate sustainable, affordable and clean electricity, making it possible to cook, charge and light in a sustainable and healthy way.
![Team Dunamis [Landscape]](https://content.presspage.com/uploads/1850/1920_teamdunamislandscape.jpg?10000 "Team Dunamis [Landscape] - LDA2022 Ina Vibe by Team Dunamis")
Team Dunamis (Obasogie Okpamen, Obasogie Osasumwen, Anastacia Amadi, Uwague Aizeyosabo and Omolehin Emmanuel), based in Nigeria
Team Dunamis is a group of five graduates of Engineering and Business Management from Landmark University and Rivers State University in Nigeria. They are passionate about creating energy solutions, human-centered products and systems geared towards transforming their continent for the better. They aim to be a beacon for hope in their communities.
Rewind
Designed to evoke memories, Rewind uses a motion-tracking tool that guides seniors with dementia in re-enacting familiar gestures. These actions are then reflected as audio-visual feedback on a paired device that triggers recollection.
Poh Yun Ru, based in Singapore
Poh Yun Ru is a socially engaged product designer who seeks to create a positive impact on society by improving the lives of others. Living in a culturally rich and diverse society, she sees design as a methodology to develop intuitive and inclusive solutions for people from all walks of life.
Sound Eclipse
Installed in front of half-open windows, the microphone on the back of Sound Eclipse captures noise, while speakers emit sound waves of identical amplitude to the original noise but of inverted phase. These waves combine and cancel each other out.
Kristil & Shamina (Kristina Loginova and Shamil Sahabiev) based in Russia
Shamil Sahabiev is an industrial designer who has also worked as a concept artist, contributing his designs to multiple video game titles, including games for VR. Kristina Loginova, as a product manager, has helped to turn many creative ideas into profitable businesses. Together they are now focused on industrial design with the goal of creating things that benefit society and bring the future closer.
Tacomotive
The texture of the paper, especially its roughness and softness, changes subtly with pattern cutting. Using this phenomenon, I designed an analog driving game to enjoy tactile exploration, inspired by the concept of co-creating communication in the education of children with visual and aural challenges.
Kou Mikuni, based in Japan
Kou Mikuni graduated the Department of Integrated Science (natural science) at the University of Tokyo, and is currently a doctoral student studying design at the School of Engineering (mechanical engineering) of the same university.
ABOUT LEXUS DESIGN AWARD
Launched in 2013, the Lexus Design Award is an international competition for up-and-coming creators from around the world. The Award seeks to contribute to society by supporting designers and creators whose work shows potential to shape a better future. Six finalists gain a rare opportunity to prototype their designs under the mentorship of leading designers. The Lexus Design Award provides global media exposure to drive professional career advancement.