Lexus has unveiled a collection of new installations at Milan Design Week 2025, the world’s largest showcase event for international design. Its exhibition at Superstudio Piu’s Daylight Space will feature “A-Un”, an immersive installation created in collaboration with Japanese creatives SIX and STUDEO, and “Discover Together”, an interactive collection produced by next generation designers in a legacy project from the Lexus Design Award.

The exhibition is open to the public at Superstudio Più in Tortona, Milan’s creative district, from April 8 to 13.

Simon Humphries, Lexus Chief Branding Officer, said: “Since the founding of our brand, Lexus has constantly challenged the conventions of the luxury automotive world, pushing the boundaries of mobility to create unique and extraordinary experiences that surpass expectations rather than simply meeting them. Today, as technology advances and transforms the way we perceive time spent in motion, we find ourselves reflecting on how these shifts can lead to profound new forms of engagement and interaction.

“At Milan Design Week, we seek to express this convergence of technology and humanity, exploring moments in which they intersect and how reimagining time itself can be a catalyst for new experiences. Additionally, through ‘Discover Together’, we have collaborated with three visionary creative units who explore the interplay between individuals with society through the lens of the Black Butterfly, offering new perspectives.”

The new immersive installations have taken inspiration from the “Black Butterfly”, the name given to a dual-interface control device featured in the cockpit of Lexus’ LF-ZC concept car. Each explores how future technologies will bring man, machine and mobility closer together.

The exhibition’s official opening today (April 7) will be hosted by Pascal Ruch, Toyota Motor Europe Vice President Lexus and Value Chain. He will introduce speakers including Lexus International President Takashi Watanabe and Lexus Design Division General Manager Koichi Suga. Together with Takeshi Nozoe of SIX., Tatsuki Ikezawa of STUDEO and representatives from Bascule Inc., Northeastern University and Lexus’ in-house designers, they will provide insights into the groundbreaking installations and the future of mobility and design.

A-Un installation

Across the two decades since its first appearance at Milan Design Week in 2005, Lexus has collaborated with world-renowned artists and designers – including Philippe Nigro, Neri Oxman, Sou Fujimoto and Rhizomatiks – to create immersive experiences that embody the brand’s vision and values.

This year it has teamed up with the Tokyo-based creative agency SIX and design studio STUDEO to present “A-Un”, an installation inspired by the Japanese concept of A-Un no Kokyū (harmonised breath), a traditional concept where two bodies or entities instinctively synchronise their movements and emotions. Using the Black Butterfly motif as a window connecting people and society, Lexus brings its vision for the future of mobility to life in an immersive space.

A vast Black Butterfly-shaped screen suddenly emerges within the space, standing three metres high and measuring 10 metres wide and four metres deep. A testament to Lexus’ commitment to honouring traditional materials and craftsmanship, the work was meticulously crafted by hand over three months, using woven threads made from about 35 kilometres of bamboo fibre.

The structure comes to life as visitors approach, responding to their heartbeats to create a unique, immersive experience. As the heartbeat synchronises with fluctuations sampled from nature, the Black Butterfly becomes a medium for discovery. In that moment, visitors witness the seamless connection between people, society and the world – an experience shaped by the “A-Un” philosophy.

Lexus’ vision of future mobility goes beyond a car simply responding to human commands to its anticipation of human intentions. Through the Black Butterfly, people and vehicles engage in a journey of constant learning and evolution together, discovering new possibilities and one-of-a-kind moments. Vehicles will connect directly with people, creating a new experience of movement.

Discover Together installation

This year’s exhibition builds on the legacy of the Lexus Design Award which has discovered, nurtured and long supported next generation creators, challenging the boundaries of creative potential. Three visionary groups have used the Black Butterfly as a motif to explore new dimensions of personalised experiences with technology. Bascule Inc., Northeastern University and Lexus’ in-house designers present a series of interactive installations that reinterpret the Black Butterfly through distinct and unique perspectives. This encounter between Lexus and emerging talents gives rise to “Experience Amazing” which visitors are invited to discover first-hand in the exhibition.

Earthspective

Bascule Inc. (Japan)

This work explores the concept of an expanded earth perspective. The combination of “earth” and “perspective” in its title represents a shift in the way we view our world. As humans, we perceive reality from our own, limited vantage points. However, when we step back and observe the Earth from the vastness of space, we gain a new perspective – an Earthspective. From this view, we are mere travellers on the planet. The words you speak become imprints on the future, etched into the ever-expanding universe.

Our Energy Nexus

Northeastern University (USA)

This installation explores the theme of reducing air pollution, using real-time interaction to visualise the power of community and collective action.

Visitors engage with real-time pollution levels and Milan’s global air quality index data, channelling their warmth through the Black Butterfly as symbolic release of energy. Each contribution is transformed into a glowing star; as the air clears, these stars shine brighter, reinforcing the connection between personal action and environmental change. Together our energy converges to shape a cleaner, brighter future.

Discover your Butterfly – Lexus in-house designers (Japan)

The butterfly is a symbol of your unknown potential to make an impact on the world

Inspired by the Butterfly Effect, this installation captures the transformative power of small actions.

It envisions a world where countless butterflies converge, each one unique in its motion, coming together to create a dynamic and evolving reality. With the Black Butterfly as a window for unleashing your unknown potential, visitors release their own butterfly, influencing the world around them while discovering new aspects of themselves. Each small flutter contributes to a ripple of beauty and change, proving that even the smallest actions can shape the future in powerful ways.

The Lexus Design Award – Discover Together

Since 2013, Lexus has hosted the Lexus Design Award, an international competition dedicated to fostering and supporting next generation creators through dialogue and co-creation. To deepen this collaboration and further its commitment to emerging design talent, the programme is being updated as the “Lexus Design Award – Discover Together”. It will be officially relaunched this summer with a showcase event scheduled to take place at Milan Design Week in April 2026. Look out for further details of this exciting new chapter in design.

Exhibition information

“A-Un” creator profiles

Takeshi Nozoe (SIX Inc.)

Takeshi Nozoe founded the creative company SIX Inc. in 2013. As creative director, Nozoe takes on the challenge of creating new forms of communication and real-world experiences with brands both in Japan and overseas, including Toyota GR and Lexus. He has worked on a number of projects that have expanded the boundaries of expression through the fusion of technology, including spatial expression using 1,000 drones; the music video “Obsession for Smoothness”, created in collaboration with OK Go; and the Space Balloon Project, a real-time interaction with the stratosphere. To date, he has received more than 100 international creative awards, including a Cannes Lions Gold Award and a New York Festival Gold Award. SIX’s original product, the COTODAMA Lyric speaker, is sold in 44 countries worldwide, demonstrating high recognition for its innovation in product development.

https://sixinc.jp/

Tatsuki Ikezawa (STUDEO)

A graduate of the Department of Design Informatics at Musashino Art University, Ikezawa founded the creative studio, STUDEO in 2020. Approaching brand strategy from the perspective of art direction, he seamlessly integrates concept development, product design including packaging and logo design, and the planning of communication tools such as commercials, graphics, and spatial design to create a cohesive brand world. In 2018, Ikezawa held a solo exhibition BEYOND THE CRAFT in New York and, in 2024, participated as a designer in The Trio Asia Posters at the Mexico International Poster Biennial.

His works have been recognised with numerous awards, including the Tokyo ADC Award, JAGDA New Designer Award, Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, ONE SHOW, and New York ADC. He is a member of the Tokyo Art Directors Club and the Japan Graphic Designers Association.

https://www.studeo.co.jp/

“Discover Together” creator profiles

Bascule Inc. (Japan)

Members pictured (from left) Tomoyuki Iwabuchi, Masayoshi Boku, Sakiko Osawa

Bascule Inc. is a creative team based in Tokyo, known for extracting reality and stories hidden in various data to create emotional experiences. Centred on their unique approach called DATA-TAINMENT, they engage in a wide array of fields including advertising, events, sports, art, urban development, and outer space, aiming to create new experiential values in which everyone can participate.

https://bascule.co.jp/

Northeastern University (USA)

Members pictured (from left) Chloe Prock, Paolo Ciuccarelli, Jasmine Yiming Sun, Elizabeth McCaffrey

Under the direction of Paolo Ciuccarelli, head of Northeastern University’s Center for Design, Chloe Prock, Jasmine Yiming Sun, and Elizabeth McCaffrey form a team of designers and researchers exploring the wide intersections of data visualisation, experience design, and creative practice. With expertise spanning immersive media, computational data visualisation, UI/UX design, and design research, their work bridges the gaps between emerging technologies, human-centred design, and poetic computation to create engaging and thought-provoking experiences.

https://camd.northeastern.edu/center-for-design/

Lexus Design Team (Japan)

Members pictured (from left) Moto Takabatake and Yuri Tamura

Members of the Design Team at Toyota Motor Corporation have challenged new expressions and experiences by reinterpreting the Black Butterfly. As a mentor, Takabatake works as a Concept and Vision Designer, planning future visions and concepts targeting all products, including experiences for both Lexus and Toyota brands. Designer Yuri Tamura began her career as a CMF designer and now explores innovative designs that challenge existing concepts across all genres. She focuses on capturing human emotions and experiences from new perspectives, aiming to deliver inspiration to many.

The Black Butterfly, a dual-interface cockpit control system developed by Lexus for its LF-ZC concept car, has provided inspiration for international creators to develop immersive new installations at the cutting edge of art and design.

These exciting interpretations of how future technologies will bring man, machine and mobility closer together will be showcased by Lexus at Milan Design Week 2025, one of the world’s premiere events for global creatives. The exhibits will be on public view at the Superstudio Più, from April 8 to 13.

 “A-Un” is an interactive installation that connects intuitively with the viewer, combining the principles of the Black Butterfly with the traditional Japanese concept of Aun no kokyo – breathing in harmony. It has been developed by Lexus in collaboration with the Tokyo-based creative agency SIX and the STUDEO design studio. It presents a new dimension in seamless communication between humans and mobility and captures a spirit of mutual understanding through perfectly synchronised interactions.

Lexus’ Milan Design Week presence also includes “Discover Together”, produced by up-and-coming creative talents from Bascule Inc. in Japan, Northeastern University in the USA and the Lexus Designer Team, from Japan. For more than a decade, Lexus has supported innovative creators striving to help shape a better future world and society through the Lexus Design Award. Building on this legacy, Lexus has launched the “Discover Together” initiative. This project emphasises co-creation and reinterprets and expresses the new possibilities presented by the Black Butterfly cockpit control interfaces.  Through their original works, the creators demonstrate the different chemistry and experience that can occur when humans interact with the Black Butterfly.

Lexus has been an active participant in Milan Design Week over many years, using the opportunity to demonstrate its challenge to the status quo in the luxury automotive space, pushing boundaries in both products and services to create amazing experiences for its customers.

Exhibition information

“A-Un” creator profiles

Takeshi Nozoe (SIX Inc.)

Takeshi Nozoe founded the creative company SIX Inc. in 2013. As creative director, Nozoe takes on the challenge of creating new forms of communication and real-world experiences with brands both in Japan and overseas, including Toyota GR and Lexus. He has worked on a number of projects that have expanded the boundaries of expression through the fusion of technology, including spatial expression using 1,000 drones; the music video “Obsession for Smoothness”, created in collaboration with OK Go; and the Space Balloon Project, a real-time interaction with the stratosphere. To date, he has received more than 100 international creative awards, including a Cannes Lions Gold Award and a New York Festival Gold Awards. SIX’s original product, the COTODAMA Lyric speaker, is sold in 44 countries worldwide, demonstrating high recognition for its innovation in product development.

https://sixinc.jp/

Tatsuki Ikezawa (STUDEO)

A graduate of the Department of Design Informatics at Musashino Art University, Ikezawa founded the creative studio, STUDEO in 2020. Approaching brand strategy from the perspective of art direction, he seamlessly integrates concept development, product design including packaging and logo design, and the planning of communication tools such as commercials, graphics, and spatial design to create a cohesive brand world. In 2018, Ikezawa held a solo exhibition BEYOND THE CRAFT in New York and, in 2024, participated as a designer in The Trio Asia Posters at the Mexico International Poster Biennial.

His works have been recognised with numerous awards, including the Tokyo ADC Award, JAGDA New Designer Award, Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, ONE SHOW, and New York ADC. He is a member of the Tokyo Art Directors Club and the Japan Graphic Designers Association.

https://www.studeo.co.jp/

“Discover Together” creator profiles

Bascule Inc. (Japan)

Members pictured (from left) Tomoyuki Iwabuchi, Masayoshi Boku, Sakiko Osawa

Bascule Inc. is a creative team based in Tokyo, known for extracting reality and stories hidden in various data to create emotional experiences. Centred on their unique approach called DATA-TAINMENT, they engage in a wide array of fields including advertising, events, sports, art, urban development, and outer space, aiming to create new experiential values in which everyone can participate.

https://bascule.co.jp/

Northeastern University (USA)

Members pictured (from left) Chloe Prock, Paolo Ciuccarelli, Jasmine Yiming Sun, Elizabeth McCaffrey

Under the direction of Paolo Ciuccarelli, head of Northeastern University’s Center for Design, Chloe Prock, Jasmine Yiming Sun, and Elizabeth McCaffrey form a team of designers and researchers exploring the wide intersections of data visualisation, experience design, and creative practice. With expertise spanning immersive media, computational data visualisation, UI/UX design, and design research, their work bridges the gaps between emerging technologies, human-centred design, and poetic computation to create engaging and thought-provoking experiences.

https://camd.northeastern.edu/center-for-design/

Lexus Designer Team (Japan)

Members pictured (from left) Moto Takabatake and Yuri Tamura

Members of the Design Team at Toyota Motor Corporation have challenged new expressions and experiences by reinterpreting the Black Butterfly. As a mentor, Takabatake works as a Concept and Vision Designer, planning future visions and concepts targeting all products, including experiences for both Lexus and Toyota brands. Designer Yuri Tamura began her career as a CMF designer and now explores innovative designs that challenge existing concepts across all genres. She focuses on capturing human emotions and experiences from new perspectives, aiming to deliver inspiration to many.

A multi-function jacket that could provide valuable help to travellers in remote and arid locations has won the first Lexus Your Choice Award. The ingenious concept by Denmark-based Swedish designer Pavel Hedström was one of four winners in the Lexus Design Award 2023. It subsequently collected the most votes cast by members of the public who visited Lexus’ presentation of the winning prototypes at Milan Design Week in April.  Both those who viewed the exhibition in person and those who visited online were eligible to nominate their favourite.

Fog-X captured the award’s defining principles of design that can help secure a better future. It is a jacket that converts into a one-person shelter and has a section that can be raised to catch fog and turn it into drinking water. During the award’s mentorship phase, Hedström was able to expand the concept to include a mobile app to help users locate areas of fog. More details about Fog-X and the other winning design concepts are available at https://discoverlexus.com/stories/lexus-design-award-2023/

Lexus is seeking innovative ideas that contribute to a thriving and a better future for all through the power of design and technology. Applicants will explain how their creative concept puts into practice the Lexus brand's three key principles: Anticipate, Innovate and Captivate. The design must anticipate global challenges to societies, envision inventive ways to reach a sustainable future, and seamlessly enhance the happiness of all. Lexus seeks engaging, insightful, and original designs that honor both form and function while offering actionable solutions to hasten the arrival of a brighter future for humanity in a variety of scenarios and situations.

"Over the past decade, environmental and other issues have ballooned along with the need for solutions. With the LEXUS DESIGN AWARD, we have welcomed and recognized emerging creators of foresight and creative brilliance who apply the power of design to the challenges of building a better tomorrow for all. I eagerly await the fresh talent and impactful ideas that debut at LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2023." Said Simon Humphries, Head of Toyota & Lexus Global Design.

A judging committee of elite, internationally recognized design experts will select four winners from among the entries based on the judging criteria. Winners will be mentored by leading creators in diverse design disciplines. Each winner will be allocated a research and development budget of up to 3 million Japanese yen as a design grant to cover not only prototype construction, but also other relevant expenses involved in refining their concept and design and supporting the individual’s creative development. This once-in-a-lifetime mentoring experience is at the heart of the LEXUS DESIGN AWARD's reputation for excellence. In the spring of 2023, the four winners will reveal their progress to judges and mentors by presenting their finished work for review.

After revealing their work, the award winners will have the priceless opportunity to consult one-on-one with the judging panel. In addition to receiving feedback on their work, the winners share their visions and receive advice on the career path and aspirational goals that would further their success as creators.

Mentors and judging committee members will be announced this fall.

For more information, please visit LexusDesignAward.com.   

Official Hashtag: #lexusdesignaward

CALL FOR ENTRIES TO THE LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2023 COMPETITION

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. Four winners 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.

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 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.

Following her nomination, Poh Yun Ru commented:

"I feel immensely grateful that Rewind is now a step closer to improving the lives of more people. This couldn't have happened without the unwavering support of my mentors, my team of dedicated engineers, programmers, healthcare experts, and users. This opportunity from LEXUS DESIGN AWARD to turn a project into a real-world product felt nothing short of amazing, and I feel heartened to have met and learned from so many passionate designers from around the world. It has been such a rewarding and inspiring journey, and I am excited to continue designing for a better world and a better tomorrow for all."

“Rewind” was selected among the 6 Finalists during an online event, where each of them presented their work in front of a panel of judges. At the end of the session, Paola Antonelli told of the overall importance of design in today’s world: “The LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2022 finalists offer a wide range of products in different fields of design, employing different types of technology, but they all have one thing in common: care. Care for the environment, care for the elderly and differently able, care for the needs of families and communities, and more. They demonstrate that at a time of emergency in the world, design can offer suggestions that are poetic and beautiful, and also feasible and scalable. In the hands of great designers, doing the right thing—by society, the environment, the world—also becomes inspiring and elating.”

Anupama Kundoo and Bruce Mau commented on the Award's feature of mentorship: “I particularly enjoyed the unique feature of the LEXUS DESIGN AWARD, namely, that the talented visionary designers are first identified, and then supported personally in their further development through dedicated mentorship.”  Kundoo said, while Mau commented, “The LEXUS DESIGN AWARD’s process, where the finalists are connected to design mentors, is absolutely brilliant. And the impact was plainly evident in the final submissions.”

Simon Humphries praised all finalists for their creativity and imagination in addressing the judging criteria: “The power of creativity and its ability to enrich people’s lives never ceases to amaze me and this year’s entries only reinforced this further. Congratulations to all the finalists who showed such imaginative insights into challenging problems that many just take for granted.”

The six LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2022 finalists' projects will be presented at the Lexus exhibit at Milan Design Week 2022, the world's largest design event, to be held in early June.

* For more information, please visit LEXUS DESIGN AWARD.com 

Official Hashtag: #lexusdesignaward

| 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.

#lexusdesignaward

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 (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.

The Lexus Design Award is an international design competition launched in 2013 to nurture and support the next generation of creators. Now in its 10th year, the Lexus Design Award continues to evolve as a platform for design innovation that leads to a better tomorrow.

Entrants will need to demonstrate how their creative ideas express three key principles of the Lexus brand: Anticipate, Innovate, and Captivate.

Their design should anticipate global challenges facing future society and imagine engaging and innovative ways to contribute to a sustainable future, while seamlessly enhancing the happiness of all. Lexus is looking for captivating designs that intersect with thoughtful solutions, designs that can truly make a brighter future for people and societies in diverse circumstances.

An elite judging committee will review the entries from around the globe, choosing six finalists to be announced in early 2022. These finalists will have the opportunity to enter in dialogue with four of the world’s foremost creators, who will provide them a priceless, once-in-a-lifetime learning and mentoring experience. Personal guidance from these mentors of varied backgrounds and specializations will help the finalists to build prototypes that bring out the potential of their ideas.

The finalists’ prototype development will be funded by Lexus with a budget of up to JPY 3 million (about EUR 23,000) per finalist. In the spring of 2022, the six finalists will present their final proposals to the judges, who will then select one Grand Prix winner.

Lexus will announce the names of the Lexus Design Award 2022 judging committee members and mentors in the fall of this year.

Official Hashtag: #lexusdesignaward

Chosen as the project that best encompasses “Design for a Better Tomorrow,” based on the three key principles of the Lexus brand -- Anticipate, Innovate and Captivate -- the Portable Solar Distiller uses sunlight to produce clean drinking water from polluted or sea water. Merging local resource production with community architecture, this low-tech solution also serves as a shaded gathering place.

Receiving the award, Henry Glogau, said: "It’s a great honour to be selected as this year’s Grand Prix winner and I’d like to say thank you to the judges. When you look at the level and quality of the finalists and their projects and the progress that has been made throughout, any one of us could have been the winner this year.

“I’d also like to thank the Mentors. Their expertise in a variety of fields really strengthened not only our designs but also us as designers. We finalists will cherish the thought-provoking questions and conversations we had, and we were so fortunate to experience them. And lastly, a massive thank you to Lexus. It’s incredible to be part of a prestigious award with a company that is truly passionate about Design for a Better Tomorrow, and which gives up-and-coming designers a solid foundation to build their design futures on.”

After the selection of the Grand Prix winner, Judge Greg Lynn commented: “Congratulations to the winner. The competition format worked so well and provided mentorship and resources that let great ideas flourish. The winner was one of the designers who surprised me the most, from the original application to the final submission. The winner’s consistent mission persisted, while the transformation in scale and social function was exemplary. The design became more refined, more functional and more open source during the process. The ability to produce working prototypes was important to all the participants but to the winner it pointed towards the manifold potential of the system that became much more than just a product or appliance but instead a portable, deployable infrastructure.”

The six finalists, selected in January this year, were mentored by Joe Doucet, Sabine Marcelis, Mariam Kamara, and Sputniko!. These four world-class creators guided them through the challenges on the way to producing refined prototypes of their design submissions. The mentoring process was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that is certain to have a positive impact on each finalist’s career on the international design stage.

The finalists, including the Grand Prix winner Henry Glogau, honoured Lexus with their lively curiosity, professional attitude to their work and the impressive proposals that their creativity produced.

For more information, please visit LexusDesignAward.com

Official Hashtag: #LexusDesignAward

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.

Mentorship is a uniquely attractive core element of the Lexus Design Award. Six finalists are given the irreplaceable once-in-a-lifetime experience of being mentored directly by world class creators. Mentors provide diverse perspectives and help finalists refine their ideas through continued discussion. Nurtured by the synergy of the finalists' insatiable curiosity and the mentors' passion, each idea has evolved into an even more innovative proposal within the limited period of about three months.

Mentor Mariam Kamara said, “I'm impressed by the amount of work the finalists have been able to do in such a short time. They have really taken the advice and feedback we have given them in their stride and showed a lot of passion and dedication into pushing their ideas to be all that they can be. It is obvious they care about the effect and impact their works can have, and it definitely comes across. The deep level of compassion they all show is absolutely commendable. I'm really staggered by everything they've been able to achieve.”

The six finalists will present their final proposals to a jury of renowned design leaders: Paola Antonelli, Dong Gong, Greg Lynn and Simon Humphries. One Grand Prix winning design will be announced on April 27^th, marking the climax of this edition of the Lexus Design Award.

For more information, please visit LexusDesignAward.com

Official Hashtag: #LexusDesignAward

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.

As more emerging designers focus their lens on sustainable practices to overcome local and global issues, the Lexus Design Award calls upon young creative talent from around the world to “Design for a Better Tomorrow”. By providing crucial funding for finalists to build their dream prototypes, and in providing the expert guidance of world class mentors, Lexus hopes to encourage designs that go beyond form and function — finding solutions that anticipate, innovate, and captivate. This year, as one of four mentors, artist and designer Sputniko! is guiding the designers of tomorrow in developing their own imaginative solutions.

With the expertise of Sputniko! and the other mentors, six finalists, each seeking to impact the world in a positive, forward-thinking way are building prototypes to tackle a variety of pressing issues, from water, energy and waste to mental healthcare, through the power of design.

“I'm very impressed with the finalists and their projects and I love the direction they are taking. But I hope they can add an element of punk-ness or craziness in their work,” says Sputniko!. “As a mentor, I give them advice and I see that they really listen – that’s a good thing – but I also want them to surprise me,” she adds.

With a degree in Mathematics and Computer Science from Imperial College, London, plus a Master's degree in Design from the Royal College of Art, Sputniko!, whose real name is Hiromi Marissa Ozaki, has over 15 years of experience both studying design interactions and working as an artist. Her education and experience leaves Sputniko! well poised to guide each finalist in pushing the boundaries of their designs.

In her own work, Sputniko! combines art and technology to create works which raise questions in society and incite change. She has worked as an assistant professor at MIT Media Lab, presented her film and multimedia installations in exhibitions around the world including at MoMA in New York and the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo and is currently Associate Professor of Design at Tokyo University of the Arts. Working in speculative and critical design, she challenges what the future looks like by exploring topics ranging from gender issues and female health to global concerns including the human impact on nature. Known for working in the mediums of music, performance and film installations, Sputniko! channels pop culture to highlight critical and sometimes uncomfortable questions describing her own work as part-activism-part art. “If I want to design for debate, if I want to design to create discussions, then why not use this amazing media tool where people can see the work and talk about it? Because I'm an activist-artist, I always think about how I can spread my message most efficiently, or how can I impact society in a more meaningful way,” she says.

Designing for a better future is the premise of Lexus Design Award and something Sputniko! is keen to instill in each of the finalists. “I completely feel that designers should really be responsible and think about the best tomorrow in all their designs,” she says. Each of the six designers is trying to tackle an important social or environmental issue from their own world view and Sputniko! believes it takes courage to highlight these problems and find viable solutions. “If your design solution doesn't work, then it's just a glorified, beautiful-looking thing that only pretends it solves something,” she says. “I'm very impressed by the finalists. If they see a problem, they are all able to change direction very fast.”

For Sputniko! the future of design should impact the way society sees things and further investigate the possible consequences of different kinds of technology. “Get technology wrong and what could be utopia for one community might be dystopia for another community, so I have always felt that perspectives on different futures are very important,” she says. Sputniko! believes that platforms, such as Lexus Design Award and the innovators who create the work, open up the conversation to new viewpoints. “It’s a good experience for me, seeing how they view things and how they try to solve the world’s issues right now,” she explains. “The most important thing that we should be challenging is for design to open people's minds and shift people's perceptions.”

To learn more about the Lexus Design Awards, and Lexus’ commitment to designing a better tomorrow, visit Lexus Design Award 2021.

Many young designers from around the world have been able to use the experience of participating in the Lexus Design Award as a springboard for developing their craft and building their profile. As entries continue to be welcomed for the 2020 edition of the competition, its first winner is using the example of his success to encourage others to seize the opportunities the award offers.

Designer and engineer Hideki Yoshimoto was the Lexus Design Award Grand Prix winner in 2013 for Inaho, an imaginative lighting concept designed to reflect the elegant swaying motion of rice in a paddy field (inaho means ‘golden ear of rice’ in Japanese). Today he is the founding director of Tangent, a London-based studio that has collaborated with major luxury global brands all over the world.

Inaho itself has been developed from a concept into a fully marketed product, included in the Crafted for Lexus collection of luxury items and featured in The LOFT, the award-winning airport lounge presented by Lexus and Brussels Airlines at Brussels’ international airport.

Yoshimoto’s achievements exemplify the aims of the Lexus Design Award to nurture up-and-coming talent and promote the way in which good design can improve people’s lives – the goal of ‘Design for a Better Tomorrow’.

“The theme for the 2013 award as ‘motion,’ and that is what first caught my attention,” Yoshimoto explained. “When the call for entries started, I was a doctoral student at the Royal College of Art in the UK and was writing my thesis on ‘Pulse and Rhythm’. Since my research revolved around how to incorporate reciprocating motion and repeated movements as design elements, the theme was perfect.”

He added that the fact the award finalists have their work on public display, hosted by Lexus at Milan Design Week – one of the most prestigious dates in the international design calendar – was another significant attraction. “As a student, the possibility of being endorsed by a well-known global brand offered a huge opportunity. But what was especially meaningful was the fact that the things Lexus believes in as a brand, I value as a designer as well,” he said.

The distinguished mentorship provided for the award finalists is an important element in the Lexus Design Award and in 2013 Yoshimoto was able to develop his ideas for Inaho into a working prototype under the guidance of the world-renowned designer Sam Hecht.

“This was my first experience of interacting with a designer in a practical way, so it was a truly invaluable opportunity. He worked with us less like a teacher or famous designer, but more like a member of the project team. He was constantly pushing and challenging us to explore ideas and wider possibilities. There were quite a few passionate discussions, and all this made for a huge growth experience for both the team and Inaho.”

His advice to any young designers thinking about entering the Lexus Design Award is emphatic: “Just do it, look what it has done for me! It has unlocked possibilities, driven my personal and professional growth in so many ways and boosted my career. And my relationship with Lexus is strong and ongoing.

“If anything, it offers you an unbelievable opportunity to showcase your brand on a world stage. What you do with that opportunity is up to you.”

Looking ahead, Yoshimoto sees immense possibilities and no limits to materials or scale in his future work and he is particularly keen to use his engineering background to explore how hidden technologies can be used to unlock new design potential. “Taking the seed, crafting a concept and a narrative around it and collaborating to bring the concept to life, that’s what excites me,” he said.

Entries for the Lexus Design Award 2020 are being accepted through to 14 October 2019; for more information and details of how to take part visit LexusDesignAward.com.

Lexus International today announced that this year’s Lexus Design Awards (LDA) finalists will get the rare opportunity to take their creative skills to the next level as Sebastian Wrong, Co-Founder and Design Director of leading UK-based design brand Established & Sons, joins the roster of prestigious LDA 2019 mentors, bringing his expertise in product design, manufacturing, and creative skills to the program. Additional mentors will be announced in October.

Established in 2013, the Lexus Design Award is an international design competition that seeks to nurture up-and-coming designers who use design thinking to solve everyday problems and build a better future for individuals and for society.

This year, six finalists will be selected from around the world to receive mentorship and a production budget of up to 3 million JPY (over $25K USD) to build a functional prototype to display at Lexus’s exhibition at Milan Design Week 2019*. A prototype will be selected to win the prestigious Lexus Design Award Grand Prix prize based on how the work integrates three fundamental principles from the Lexus brand: “Anticipate”, “Innovate”, and “Captivate”.

”Sebastian shares Lexus’ goal of addressing tomorrow’s challenges today and making the world a better place. Lexus proudly welcomes him to the design mentorship program,” stated Spiros Fotinos, Global Head of Brand Management and Marketing for Lexus International.

Sebastian Wrong, Design Director of Established & Sons, has designed iconic furniture including the Heidi stool which mixes modernity with nostalgia and the Wrongwoods collection praised for its unexpected colors and designs reminiscent of wood-plank block prints. Wrong’s work with the newest generation of design talent as well as his collaboration with industry veterans make him the perfect talent to join Lexus Design Award’s panel of mentors.

Past Lexus Design Award mentoring featured some of today’s most respected creators such as Snarkitecture and Formafantasma and the format had each finalist receive tutelage at the mentors’ location. This year, Lexus brings all the finalists to one of the most important design capitals of the world, New York City, in January where they will receive guidance from all the mentors across multiple design disciplines. Under expert supervision, the finalists will experience what it takes to emerge as an accomplished designer on the world stage. Whether tips on design or on the business of making inspiration into reality, the mentors’ global experience and success shared at the workshops will provide valuable insight to leading creative minds of the next generation of designers.

The judges of the Lexus Design Award 2019 returning from last year are: Sir David Adjaye, eminent architect of such innovative works as the Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (named Cultural Event of the Year by the New York Times) and SPYSCAPE, an interactive experience museum with a unique intrigue and espionage theme; Paola Antonelli, Senior Curator of Architecture & Design at The Museum of Modern Art who is also curator of the XXII Triennale di Milano, Broken Nature: Design Takes on Human Survival; and Yoshihiro Sawa, President of Lexus International, whose vision for the competition encompasses the brand’s passion to foster a new-generation of creativity. Their judging criteria for the finalists will be how well the prototype works anticipate the needs of people and tomorrow’s society. The designs will also need to showcase innovation and originality while at the same time be captivating and engaging to the public.

Deadline for entries to the Lexus Design Award 2019 competition is October 28, 2018. Finalists will be selected December by the elite panel of judges and the six up-and-coming designers will be announced January 2019.

More information can be found on:

Lexus Design Award website: LexusDesignAward.com

Official hashtag: #LexusDesignAward

^{* The world’s largest design exhibition, also known as Salone Del Mobile, presents events and exhibits by brands and designers in many categories including furniture, fashion and textiles.}

Brussels, Belgium - Lexus will present its “Lexus – An Encounter with Anticipation” exhibit as part of Milan Design Week 2016, the world’s largest design exhibition, also known as Salone Del Mobile. The exhibit, which will take place at Spazio Lexus - Torneria in Tortona from April 12 to 17, features a unique collaboration between the widely acclaimed design team from Studio Formafantasma and Michelin Star winning chef Yoji Tokuyoshi.

Lexus will offer an unexpected and unmatched encounter that invites visitors to a unique world full of Anticipation. Visitors will discover the essence of Lexus craftsmanship, and behold how Lexus technology and design philosophy translate into an aesthetic and emotional experience. Anticipating societal needs and desires, this exhibit conveys how Lexus imagines what is yet unseen and delivers new forms of surprise and enchantment. Visitors will understand how the brand embraces anticipation to create amazing experiences.

Formafantasma will design and install the exhibit space. The young designers behind the success of this Amsterdam based studio have already earned wide acclaim for their product designs, receiving a nomination for Designer of the Year in the Wallpaper* Design Awards 2014. Similarly, Chef Yoji Tokuyoshi is a rising star in the culinary world, renowned for his creativity and innovation. His new restaurant in Milan, Ristorante Tokuyoshi, was awarded a Michelin star just 10 months after opening. The collaboration of these Europe-based, acclaimed creative geniuses is perfectly paired with the aspirations of the “Lexus – An Encounter with Anticipation” exhibit to explore new design possibilities.

Formafantasma spoke of the inspiration found when they visited Lexus in Japan. “We were impressed by how Lexus is committed to excellence in craftsmanship, integrity in its production and responsibility in its use of technology. We felt the openness and honesty of the brand come alive as the foundation of anticipation. This led us to the design concept of transparency. Transparency anticipates a future that is open and honest, and that engages society to reach common goals of sustainable behavior and a progressive lifestyle.”

On the subject of transparency, Chef Yoji Tokuyoshi said the following: “Transparency is not just about being clear and lucent. Being transparent is sometimes an invisible thing and makes you think. This builds anticipation, and increases the joy of the reveal. I would like to express this concept through the tasting experience.”

Anticipation is also the theme for this year’s Lexus Design Award; an international design competition to foster the growth of ideas that contribute to society and support up-and-coming creators whose work can contribute to shaping a better future. Creative works by the 12 finalists of the Lexus Design Award 2016 will also be displayed at the same venue during Milan Design Week.

More information and pictures can be found on:

Lexus – An Encounter with Anticipation: http://www.lexus-int.com/lexus-design/

Lexus Design Award website: www.lexusdesignaward.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lexusdesignaward/ @lexusdesignaward

Official hashtags: #MilanDesignWeek; #LDAnticipate; #LexusDesignEvent; #LDEncounters

EXHIBIT OVERVIEW

Title

Lexus – An Encounter with Anticipation

Duration

April 12 –April 17 10:00 – 20:00 (Press preview: April 11 10:00 – 18:00)

Venue

Spazio Lexus - Torneria, Via Tortona 32, Milan, Italy

Theme

Anticipation

Exhibits

Ø Lexus – An Encounter with Anticipation created by featured designers

Ø The 12 finalist designs of the Lexus Design Award 2016

Organizer

Lexus International

DESIGNER PROFILES

Formafantasma - Designer

Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin, Italian designers based in Amsterdam, are Formafantasma, an innovative design team with work characterized by experimental materials investigations. Formafantasma explores the relationship between traditional and local culture, critical approaches to sustainability and the significance of objects as cultural conduits.

Bridging craft, industry, object and user, they have forged links between their research-based practice and a wider design industry, and have received commissions from a wide range of renowned fashion and retail brands. Their work has also been published internationally and been acquired to be in the permanent collections in major museums, including the MoMA in New York and London's Victoria and Albert Museum.

Yoji Tokuyoshi - Chef

Chef Yoji Tokuyoshi is recognized as one of Milan’s most innovative chefs. During almost a decade at Osteria Francescana under the tutelage of Chef Massimo Bottura, Tokuyoshi rapidly rose to the position of sous chef and helped that celebrated restaurant earn its second and third Michelin stars. Setting out on his own in early 2014 he established his own restaurant in Milan featuring uniquely re-interpreted Italian cuisine that Tokuyoshi termed “Cucina Italiana Contaminata”. In just 10 months the new restaurant was awarded a Michelin star. With technique and creativity Tokuyoshi offers an entirely new dining experience that serves very personal food to each individual diner.

ABOUT MILAN DESIGN WEEK

The world's largest design exhibition, also known as Salone Del Mobile, with numerous events including furniture, fashion and many world-renowned brands. The "Lexus – A Journey of the Senses" exhibit in 2015 earned high acclaim and won the “Best Entertaining” award at the “Milano Design Award” competition.

ABOUT LEXUS DESIGN AWARD

First launched in 2013, the Lexus Design Award is an international design competition that targets up-and-coming creators from around the world. The award seeks to foster the growth of ideas that contribute to society by supporting creators whose works can help to shape a better future. It provides an unique opportunity for four finalists to work with globally recognized designer as a mentor to create prototypes of their designs, and then exhibit them at one of the design calendar's most important events.

ABOUT LEXUS

Since its debut in 1989, Lexus has earned a worldwide reputation for high-quality products and exemplary customer service. Lexus is the hybrid leader among luxury brands, offering hybrids that provide the best in innovative technology and premier luxury. The evolution of Lexus is reflected in the progressive designs of its new vehicles. The signature spindle grille, dynamic light treatments and sculptured lines create a distinctive look of luxury for Lexus.