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 has today unveiled ‘Shaped by Air,’ an installation by the acclaimed New York-based artist and architect Suchi Reddy, the founder of Reddymade Architecture and Design.  The work is being presented alongside the prototypes produced by the four winners of the Lexus Design Award 2023 in a public exhibition taking place at Milan’s Superstudio space until April 23^rd. Both the installation and the Lexus Design Award express an overarching theme of shaping the future.

The presentation is the latest in a series of compelling, immersive visitor experiences Lexus has brought to Milan Design Week, partnering with visionary creatives including Philippe Nigro, Neri Oxman, Sou Fujimoto, Rhizomatics and Germane Barnes, among others. Reddy’s ‘Shaped by Air’ maintains this tradition. Her work is inspired by the Lexus Electrified Sport, Lexus’ vision for a future all-electric sports coupe, and the quality it projects of being shaped by the air around it.

Reddy’s artwork was first presented at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Miami (ICA-Miami) during Miami Art & Design Week 2022. It has been reimagined for Milan Design Week as a multi-sensory experience which visitors can move through. The light and airy installation celebrates a commitment to human-centred, carbon-neutral and impeccably crafted design that is shared by both the artist and Lexus.

Brian Bolain, Lexus’ Global Head of Marketing, said: “We are thrilled to continue our collaboration with Suchi Reddy in Milan, a city that has inspired so much ground-breaking creativity. We hope that by placing her human-centred approach to design in dialogue with the innovation of our Lexus Design Award winners, we will inspire visitors to imagine new futures. The Lexus Electrified Sport and Reddy’s interpretation of it, together with these award-winning prototypes, represents forward-looking design and expresses our ongoing commitment to craftsmanship and sustainability.”

The site-specific installation inside Superstudio invites guests to discover a to-scale interpretation of the Lexus Electrified Sport after travelling through a forest-like collection of composite shapes, suspended from the ceiling. Set at varying heights and finished in a vibrant shade of green, these subtly call to mind the cut-outs of French painter Henri Matisse. The sculptural steel and aluminium elements are made partly from recycled or re-used consumer materials. Punctuated by dappled light, they create an absorbing environment that evokes the natural world. An accompanying soundscape inspired by the wind further helps bring visitors into harmony with nature.

Suchi Reddy commented: “I am excited to partner with Lexus – a brand committed to uplifting artists and designers – on a new iteration of ‘Shaped by Air’. This immersive interpretation in Milan makes use of repetition, multi-sensory elements and three-dimensionality to create an emotional environment that envelops the body like a car.”

Reflecting Lexus’ commitment to Omotenashi––a concept that encompasses both hospitality and mindfulness––the Superstudio space invites visitors to rest in an upstairs lounge, where they can observe ‘Shaped by Air’ from a different vantage point. The lounge’s air is purified by Panasonic’s nanoe™ X, a technology that helps create a healthier in-car atmosphere in many Lexus models.

Digital audiences will be able to engage with ‘Shaped by Air’ through a partnership with Diorama, a Milan and Paris-based digital creative agency. Diorama has imagined the installation as a metaverse experience that complements the physical installation, but has a life of its own. This virtual extension is realised as a dynamic digital forest. Users can explore an abstract natural world from a completely new perspective, one that is filled with the rustling of leaves, currents of air and diffusions of light. Diorama has also produced an augmented reality journey that visitors to the Milan exhibition will be able to discover on-site, using a custom Lexus Instagram filter.

Lexus Design Award 2023 winners’ prototypes

Lexus’ exhibition also includes the final prototypes created by the winners of the Lexus Design Award 2023. The competition invited designers to submit concepts that anticipate the challenge of the future, address it with an innovative solution and captivate the imagination with exceptional design, while seamlessly enhancing the happiness of all.

The works express Lexus’ belief that design has the power to deliver positive change. Now in its 11^th year, the award celebrates up-and-coming talent from around the world. The panel of judges – Paola Antonelli, Karim Rashid and Simon Humphries, all internationally respected figures in their creative fields – selected the concepts that best represented the theme of ‘Design for a Better Tomorrow’.

Simon Humphries, Toyota Motor Corporation Chief Branding Officer, said: “We as designers have a unique responsibility to create answers to challenges, whether that is through innovative ideas, beautiful aesthetics or any other method that could offer a better future. From this point of view, the winning ideas were a clear reminder of the ‘power of design’.”

Ahead of their showcase at Milan Design Week, the winners were given a unique opportunity to collaborate and share ideas with four world-class creators who served as this year’s Lexus Design Award mentors: Marjan van Aubel, Joe Doucet, Yuri Suzuki, and Sumayya Vally. 

The winners have significantly evolved their prototypes through the mentorship process, transforming already beautiful ideas into practical, scalable and ambitious designs.

●        Pavels Hedström (Sweden, based in Denmark), designer of Fog-X, a jacket that transforms into a tent/shelter and can catch fog that turns it into drinking water.

●        Jiaming Liu (China), designer of Print Clay Humidifier, a sustainable, 3D-printed humidifier made with recycled ceramic waste.

●        Temporary Office, [Singapore (Vincent Lai) and Canada (Douglas Lee), based in USA], designers of Touch the Valley, a 3D topographic puzzle that helps visually impaired people learn about the physical environment through touch.

●        Kyeongho Park and Yejin Heo (Republic of Korea), designers of Zero Bag, a new clothing package that dissolves in water and contains a detergent that can remove chemicals from products while reducing plastic waste.

Sumayya Vally commented: “It was incredible to witness the winners’ hard work manifested in the work they presented. I believe that each of the projects is poetically and pertinently posing meaningful and urgent questions about our present world, and bringing into being a more beautiful and responsive future.”

The final prototypes are on view for the first time in Milan. Visitors are invited to explore the works and learn about how the concepts evolved through the mentorship process.

The Lexus Design Award also welcomes the public to take part in the Your Choice Award and vote for the idea they feel best represents ‘Design for a Better Tomorrow’. The voting is open to those visiting in-person and also online here.

Lexus has been at the forefront of pioneering electrification in the luxury market since 2005. With the presentation of the Lexus Electrified Sport, it continues to push the boundaries of technology and craftsmanship with an unwavering commitment to sustainability and a consideration for the evolving needs of transportation and lifestyles worldwide.  Suchi Reddy’s installation highlights the potential of electrification and, together with the work of the Lexus Design Award winners, underscores Lexus’ vision for a future that is human-centred, carbon-neutral, and focused on craftsmanship and quality.

NOTES TO EDITORS

EVENT DETAILS

Dates

Press day: April 17^th, 3 pm to 9 pm

Public days: April 18^th to 22^nd, 11 am to 9 pm and April 23^rd, 11 am to 6 pm

Venue

Superstudio Più (Day Light)

Via Tortona, 27

20144 Milan, Italy

Exhibition details

‘Shaped by Air’ installation by Suchi Reddy

Prototype works by the winners of the Lexus Design Award 2023

Online experience

‘Shaped by Air’ Metaverse Experience : https://discoverlexus.com/stories/shaped-by-air-at-milan-design-week-2023/

Shaped by Air AR Filter: https://www.instagram.com/ar/1378144106301649/ 

Lexus Design Award ‘Your Choice Award’: http://lexusdesignaward.com/vote

ABOUT SUCHI REDDY

Suchi Reddy founded Reddymade in 2002 with an approach to design that privileges the emotional quality of human engagement with space. Guided by her mantra “form follows feeling,” Reddy’s architectural and artistic practice is informed by her research at the intersection of neuroscience and the arts. Working towards a larger idea of “design justice,” she is dedicated to expanding our notions of empathy, equity, and agency—where the importance of design is recognized as an asset for the benefit of all, not just for some.

Reddy teaches at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation, and Cooper Union’s Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture. She was the 2022 Walton Critic at the Catholic University of America, and the Plym Distinguished Professor at the University of Illinois School of Architecture, Champaign–Urbana in 2019, where her work focused on contemporary architectural experience through the lens of neuroaesthetics, neurophenomenology, and sensory design.

She sits on the board of the Design Trust for Public Space, Storefront for Art and Architecture, and Madame Architect; and she is a member of the Dean’s Board of Advisors at Detroit Mercy School of Architecture + Community Development.

ABOUT THE LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2023 WINNERS

Pavels Hedström　

Sweden, Based in Denmark

Pavels Hedström began his career as an architect after earning his Master of Architecture and Extreme Environments degree (architecture, design conservation) from the Royal Danish Academy. He explores how holistic approaches can be applied to existing ecosystems.

Fog-X　

Fog-X is a jacket that transforms into a tent/shelter that catches fog and turns it into drinking water. Through the mentorship programme, Fog-X has evolved significantly – both transforming from a heavy backpack to a light jacket/shelter and adding the creation of a mobile app for easy access to find fog. The idea became a solution incorporated in an everyday object.

Jiaming Liu

China

Jiaming Liu is an industrial designer who focuses on bringing fresh perspectives into people’s daily lives. He is currently exploring cross-cultural and sustainable design. He was born in China, where he completed his bachelor's degree, and recently graduated with a master's degree from Folkwang University of the Arts.

Print Clay Humidifier

Print Clay Humidifier is a 3D-printed humidifier made with recycled ceramic waste. After rounds of testing and prototyping with different materials and techniques, Jiaming landed on a 3D printing method and powdered ceramic (recycled from ceramic waste) that further improved water absorption efficiency. It is a non-electric, recycled and recyclable version of a common household device that is both functional and elegant.

Temporary Office

Vincent Lai (Singapore), Douglas Lee (Canada)

Based in USA

Temporary Office is a design team of Vincent Lai and Douglas Lee, graduates from University of California, Berkeley. They have worked on projects crossing the boundaries of architecture, public space, preservation and product design. With a strong focus on historical research and precedent, Temporary Office seeks to constructively respond to the ever-changing needs of our environment in a rational yet playful way.　

Touch the Valley

Touch the Valley is a 3D topographic puzzle that helps visually impaired people learn about the physical environment through the sense of touch. Taking feedback from user-testing, the puzzle’s playability was improved by the addition of small features, including magnet feedback, elevational grooves, and smoother edges – enabling people to enjoy immersing themselves in exploring and playing the puzzle without too much cognitive load.

Kyeongho Park & Yejin Heo　

Republic of Korea

Kyeongho Park & Yejin Heo are students majoring in industrial design at Hanyang University's ERICA campus in the Republic of Korea. They are concerned about social and environmental problems and explore user-centred solutions through design.

Zero Bag

Zero Bag is an eco-friendly packaging with paper detergent or baking soda film attached to an alginate water-soluble bag. Through the mentoring programme, Kyeongho and Yejin developed and articulated the potential use cases and target markets for this type of product. The idea for clothing packaging for the retail market evolved to include explorations for different industries, from clothes to food. The development process continues to evolve, as the designers embrace the myriad potential for their ideas.

This year, the four mentors are solar artist Marjan van Aubel, multidisciplinary designer Joe Doucet, sound artist Yuri Suzuki, and architect Sumayya Vally

In the past few weeks, the winners have worked individually with Vally, on research and narrative, and Suzuki, on design. All have commented positively on how their advice is helping them develop the potential of their concepts.

Pavels Hedström is preparing to travel to Chile’s Atacama Desert, one of the driest places on earth, for the first test of his Fog-X prototype. This is a portable device that collects fog to produce drinking water. His idea of Fog-X came from the simple fact that water shortage is an issue of human rights. Many companies and industries are addressing this problem, but he wanted to see what he could do as an individual.

Pavels said: “A lot of things have happened in the past few weeks, but now I think we’re going to be pressing the pedal as I have a clearer direction for my work, thanks to the great support from the mentors.”

Jiaming Liu is an award winner with the Print Clay Humidifier, a 3D-printed object made from recycled ceramic waste. He was inspired by his childhood experience living in a concrete and hard clay building during hot and dry summers, where they used to pour water on the highly absorbent walls. His project is now being tested for the quality of its texture and structure.

Jiaming commented: “Sumayya made many good suggestions and gave me a better direction. Yuri pointed out how I needed to improve my storytelling. This is necessary because this project is very complicated so I need to brush up the narrative to tell the story behind it. They both gave me a lot of confidence to continue my work.”

Entering the award as Temporary Office, designers Vincent Lai and Douglas Lee are winners with Touch the Valley, a 3D topographic puzzle. The project came from a combination of their professional experience in making models for clients that needed to be transported and their personal interest in playing board games.

Following their mentorship experience with Yuri, Vincent and Douglas were able to give their project a new focus, directing it specifically towards visually impaired people. They said: “The sessions with Sumayya and Yuri were like wake-up calls for us that reminded us of a lot of important things, and we really appreciate them. Marjan made a lot of good suggestions, but we need time to consider making variations of the puzzles and testing them. If it works well, we would like to talk to her about we can make the puzzles better.”

Kyeongho Park and Yejin Heo are further researching how their award-winning Zero Bag – clothing packaging that dissolves in water and acts as a detergent – might be used in real-world industries and what materials would be appropriate in each case. Their work was inspired by a desire to find new ways of reducing waste from packaging.

They commented: “After the session with Sumayya, we are sure about the three directions of how Zero Bag can be used, but are not sure if they will persuade consumers. We would like to see how other people react, especially professionals. Yuri pointed out it’s really important to show the identity of Zero Bag again. The concept is very different from what people are familiar with, so in the coming few weeks, we are going to work on how to tell people about its unique qualities, to give our work a strong identity.”

All four winners will have their prototype designs given a high-profile public display as part of Lexus’s activities at the 2023 Milan Design Week, from 17 to 23 April*.

The Lexus Design Award 2023 winners will be on view at Superstudio Più, Via Tortona 27, Milan. A private viewing for media and guests will take place on 17 April prior to public opening. The space will also be showing Shaped by Air, a new art installation by Suchi Reddy inspired by Lexus design and craftsmanship.

Lexus will return to Milan Design Week this year with a new installation by acclaimed New York artist and architect Suchi Reddy. ‘Shaped by Air’ will form the centrepiece of its presence at the world-leading celebration of international design. The occasion will also see the public unveiling of the prototypes created by the four winners in the 2023 Lexus Design Award.

Reddy, the founder of Reddymade Architecture and Design, drew inspiration from the curves and craftsmanship of the Lexus Electrified Sport coupe. She has produced an elegant and airy artwork that expresses the sustainability, innovation and design excellence that are fundamental to the Lexus brand ethos. ‘Shaped by Air’ celebrates the collaborators’ shared commitment to human-centred, carbon-neutral and impeccably crafted design. Its Milan unveiling follows its premiere at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami (ICA Miami), during Miami Art and Design Week 2022.

Reddy has re-imagined her installation specifically for the context of its appearance at Milan’s Superstudio from April 17 to 23. The work presents a to-scale interpretation of the Lexus Electrified Sport, shaped by light and with vibrant green leaf-like cut-out shapes that suggest movement through nature. For the Milan presentation, these forms will be suspended from the ceiling like a mobile, calling to mind shapes in the vehicle’s design and the cut-outs of Henri Matisse.

Reddy commented: “Lexus’ continued commitment to innovation – and its support of an artistic approach that is a confluence of art and design – led me to envision this immersive experience as both a sculpture and a multisensory spatial experience.”

The sculpture is partially made of recycled/re-used consumer materials and conveys a sense of movement. At first glance, the pieces appear abstract, but as the viewer moves closer, they reveal the outline of a car. Reddy, whose design ethos has been described as a “form follows feeling” approach, has carefully calibrated the installation’s environment to make it welcoming, contemplative and enveloping. The aim is to give visitors to the exhibition a sense of walking through a forest with rustling leaves underfoot. The event will also reflect Lexus’ famous Omotenashi hospitality with an elevated lounge for rest and reflection.

LEXUS DESIGN AWARD WINNERS’ PROTOTYPES

A gallery alongside the ‘Shaped by Air’ installation will display the prototype works created by the four winners in the Lexus Design Award 2023, design concepts which capture Lexus’ belief that design can help deliver positive change for the world. Now in its 11^th year, the award celebrates and nurtures new creative talent from around the globe. This year’s winners, selected from 2,068 entries from 63 different countries, are Pavels Hedström (Sweden, based in Denmark), Jiaming Liu (China), Temporary Office, (Vincent Lai, Singapore and Douglas Lee, Canada, based in USA) and Kyeongho Park and Yejin Heo (Republic of Korea). Further details about the winners and their design concepts are available at the Lexus Europe newsroom here.

The Lexus Design Award 2023 brief invited designers to submit concepts that anticipate the challenge of the future, while articulating the Lexus brand principles of Anticipate, Innovate and Captivate and enhancing people’s happiness. This year, Lexus is hosting a People’s Choice award, where members of the public can vote for their favourite among the design concepts. The voting will be open in April, both to visitors to the presentation and to those viewing the works online.

Brian Bolain, Lexus Head of Global Marketing, said: “We are thrilled to expand our collaboration with the inimitable Suchi Reddy and see the Lexus Electrified Sport come to life alongside the work of our Lexus Design Award winners. Suchi’s commitment to designing for a better tomorrow captures the innovative spirit of the award and we cannot imagine a more perfect synergy for this year’s presentation.”

Lexus has created compelling, immersive experience for visitors at Milan Design Week since 2005, partnering with such world-renowned creatives as Philippe Nigro, Neri Oxman, Sou Fujinoto, Rhizomatics and Germane Barnes, among others.

Notes to editors :

Event details

Dates:     Press Day April 17, 2pm to 9pm; Public Days April 18 to 23, 11am to 9pm

Venue:   Superstudio Più, Via Tortona, 27, 20144 Milan, Italy

Exhibits: ‘Shaped by Air’ installation by Suchi Reddy and prototype works by the winners of the Lexus Design Award 2023

About Suchi Reddy

Suchi Reddy founded Reddymade in 2002 with a human-centric approach to design, dedicated to celebrating diversity and equality, as well as addressing the economic, social, environmental and cultural impacts of her work on both the user and the planet.

Reddy is the 2022 Walton Critic at the Catholic University of America School of Architecture. In 2019, she was appointed the Plym Distinguished Professor at the University of Illinois School of Architecture, Champaign–Urbana, where her work focused on contemporary architectural experience through the lens of neuroaesthetics, neurophenomenology, and sensory design. Reddy has presented and lectured on the firm’s work at numerous venues including The Salk Institute for the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture’s annual conference, the University of Illinois, and the University of Wisconsin.  She sits on the board of the Design Trust for Public Space, Storefront for Art and Architecture and Madame Architect; and she is a member of the Dean’s Board of Advisors at Detroit Mercy School of Architecture + Community Development.

Reddymade has received numerous awards for design excellence, including being recognised by the American Institute of Architects and NYCxDesign. Regularly featured in print and online media, the work of Reddymade actively contributes to a social and cultural discourse that explores how neuroaesthetics and designing for wellbeing positively impact all people.

LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2023, an international design competition dedicated to empowering and encouraging the next generation of creators, is open for entries until October 16, 2022.

Last September, Lexus held an orientation webinar, providing interested designers an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the award’s purpose and features, and learn about how to participate. The webinar included a session in which past award winners talked about their personal journey to success.

The webinar is available here: LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2023 | Orientation Webinar - YouTube

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.

Lexus is pleased to announce the leading figures from the international design world who will serve on the judging panel and mentoring team for the 2023 Lexus Design Award. Once again, the award is being supported by some of the most accomplished and globally respected designers from across an impressive breadth of creative disciplines.

The team of judges sees the return of Paola Antonelli and Simon Humphries, who are joined for the first time by Karim Rashid. The Lexus Design Award also welcomes Marjan van Aubel, Yuri Suzuki and Sumayya Vally as new mentors, alongside the returning Joe Doucet. These seven judges and mentors will work together to help the award in its mission to support and nurture the next generation of creators to build a better tomorrow.

The Lexus Design Award 2023 judges

The global designer Karim Rashid's work crosses the spectrum from industrial design to interior design. With more than 4,000 designs in production in more than 35 countries, he is in high demand for collaboration with famous brands.

He said: "It is an honour to review such a vast body of work and ideas in the promotion of design as the definitive shaper of the future and culture. I encourage all designers entering the Lexus Design Award to find new languages, new semantics, new aesthetics, experiment with new material, and behavioural approaches. Competitions such as this were formative to my creative and professional growth, and I look forward to seeing the beautiful individuality and originality that will result.”

Paola Antonelli, senior curator of architecture and design at MoMA, New York, is a well-established figure in the Lexus Design Award story and someone with whom the programme’s goals resonate. Since the award was introduced in 2013, she has kept a watchful eye on its development while welcoming the stimulating experience of interacting with fresh talent. She will once again share her bold perspectives and insights as a member of the judging panel. Her deep concern with design's responsibilities and possibilities informs her perception of creative potential in the next generation of designers.

Simon Humphries, Head of Toyota and Lexus Global Design, will again serve as a judge, representing Lexus’ pursuit of Design for a Better Tomorrow.

The mentors and the mentorship programme

To achieve its goal, the Lexus Design Award has always put mentorship at the heart of its programme. This has evolved into a streamlined and expanded competition for 2023 that will begin with four award winners being selected by the judges to receive the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of being mentored in their work by world-renowned designers. They will receive personalised advice and guidance to help bring their project closer to maturity.

Joe Doucet, an award-winning multidisciplinary designer, has mentored emerging talent in the programme since the 2020 edition. He commented: “Being with the Lexus Design Award programme for three years as a mentor, I have gained some perspective on the unique benefits of its structure. From a mentor’s perspective, we get to watch the blossoming of talent before our eyes. I am so grateful to take this role in what is a truly rewarding experience where we all benefit by working and growing together.”

Doucet is joined as a mentor by Dutch solar artist Marjan van Aubel, whose innovative work integrates sunlight and technology for a sustainable future. Also new to the mentorship team are Yuri Suzuki, a Japanese sound artist and experience designer, and South African architect Sumayya Vally, whose current work is focused on expressions for African and Islamic hybrid identities.

Sumayya Vally commented: “I am honoured to be part of the Lexus Design Award team and to support and nurture the creative empowerment of the next generation. Listening to and drawing on voices of difference, to innovate design-led ideas, plays an important role in our future. Beauty and social justice are not mutually exclusive; beauty is social justice.”

Together, these creators will form a dynamic team to steer the next generation of creators. Their diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise will make the mentorship programme a deeper experience than ever. Lexus looks forward with confidence to collaboration between the mentors and the award finalists in pursuit of creating a better future. After three months of developing and reining their concept, the winners will present their work publicly in spring 2023.

Lexus Design Award 2023 orientation webinars

The Lexus Design Award 2023 is open for entries through to October 16, 2022. For those who are interested in entering, Lexus is holding an orientation webinar so they can gain a deeper understanding the award’s purpose and features, and learn about how to participate. The webinar will include a session in which past award winners talk about their personal journey to success.

Webinar dates and times are as follows: -

Friday 16 September, 17:00 CEST

Wednesday 21 September, 05:00 CEST

For details and registration, please visit https://forms.gle/UF4vipJrpW4YPsY39. For further information, please visit LEXUS DESIGN AWARD.com .

Official hashtag: #lexusdesignaward

LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2023 PANEL OF JUDGES

Paola Antonelli - Senior Curator, Department of Architecture and Design, MoMA, NY

Paola Antonelli is Senior Curator of Architecture & Design at The Museum of Modern Art, as well as MoMA’s founding Director of Research & Development. Her goal is to promote design’s understanding, until its positive influence on the world is universally acknowledged. Her work investigates design’s impact on everyday experience, often including overlooked objects and practices, and combining design, architecture, art, science, and technology. She has curated shows, written books, lectured worldwide, and taught in several schools, including Harvard and UCLA. Among her most recent exhibitions and books are Broken Nature, devoted to the idea of restorative design (conceived as the XXII Triennale di Milano); Material Ecology, on the groundbreaking work of architect Neri Oxman; and Never Alone, about interactive design and video games. She is currently working on several new sessions of her MoMA R&D Salons and on the Instagram series @design.emergency, conceived with design critic Alice Rawsthorn and devoted to the role of design in the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond. Alice and Paola’s book, Design Emergency, was published in May 2022.

Karim Rashid - Designer, Karim Rashid Inc.

Visionary and prolific, Karim Rashid is one of the most unique voices in design today. Over 4000 designs in production, over 400 awards, and operating in over 35 countries attest to Karim’s legend of design. His award-winning designs include democratic objects like the ubiquitous Garbo waste can and Oh! Chair for Umbra and interiors like the Morimoto restaurant, Philadelphia and Nhow hotel, Berlin. 

Karim has created noteworthy designs for clients Method and Pepsi, furniture for Artemide and Vondom, brand identity for Citibank and Hugo Boss, high-tech products for LaCie and Samsung, and luxury goods for Veuve Clicquot and Christofle, to name a few. Karim is a perennial winner of the Red Dot award, Chicago Athenaeum Good Design award, Interior Design Best of Year Award, and IDSA Industrial Design Excellence Award. Karim is a frequent guest lecturer at universities and conferences, globally disseminating the importance of design in everyday life.

Simon Humphries - Head of Toyota & Lexus Global Design

Born and educated in the UK, he started his career as a product designer in 1988 before joining Toyota Motor Corporation in 1994. At first, he worked in advanced design and in 2002 played a leading role in establishing and implementing the Toyota (Vibrant Clarity) and Lexus (L-finesse) design philosophies. After managing various projects in both advanced and production design, he was appointed president of ED2 (Toyota European Design Development), where his team spearheaded various projects to define Toyota’s transformation to a mobility company. In 2018, he was assigned to the role of head of design, overseeing both the Toyota and Lexus brands.

As Head of Lexus Global Design, he seeks to define Lexus' unique values in the form of a brand philosophy, incorporating a clear cultural reference to Lexus' Japanese heritage and building a design direction that is relevant to users around the world. In his spare time he enjoys carpentry and is restoring a 100-year-old Japanese farmhouse.

LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2023 PANEL OF MENTORS

Marjan van Aubel - Solar Designer, Marjan van Aubel Studio

Marjan van Aubel is a Dutch solar designer whose innovations integrate sunlight and technology for a sustainable future. Her studio, Marjan van Aubel Studio is an award-winning innovative solar design practice that brings solar energy into daily life. Designing for a positive future through combining the fields of sustainability, design and technology. 

The studio is creating lasting change through solar design, integrating solar power seamlessly into our environments such as in buildings and objects. With the goal to make solar power more accessible for everyone. Most notable works are Sunne, Current Table, Power Plant and the roof of the Netherlands Pavilion at the World Expo 2020 in Dubai. Marjan has collaborated with global brands such as Cos, Timberland, Swarovski with the aim of accelerating the global energy transition to solar. Graduating from the Royal College of Art (Design Products MA) in 2012 and the Rietveld Academy DesignLAB (BA) in 2009.

Joe Doucet - Designer/ Founder, Joe Doucet x Partners

A designer, entrepreneur, inventor and creative director, Joe Doucet is one of the most sought-after creative talents working in America today. His work deftly hybridizes function and visual appeal while conveying layers of meaning and message. Doucet believes that design and, more importantly, a designer’s thought process can play a larger role in innovation and problem solving, as well as aesthetics. He currently holds numerous patents for his designs and inventions.

Doucet’s work has been exhibited globally and has received numerous international awards, including a World Technology Award for Design Innovation and multiple Good Design Awards. Doucet was named the Winner of the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award as Product Designer—the highest honor in his field. He was also Designer of the Year finalist by Dezeen, and a recipient of Fast Company’s Most Important Companies in Design.

Yuri Suzuki - Artist and Designer/ Partner, Pentagram

Yuri Suzuki is an artist, designer and electronic musician. He explores sound and visual language through artworks and projects that examine the relationship between people and their environments, questioning how both visual art and sound evolve to create personal experiences. Suzuki has exhibited in solo and group exhibitions nationally and internationally, including at Tate Britain, V&A, the Barbican and MoMA New York.

Central to Suzuki's practice is collaboration – he has worked with various musicians including will.i.am and Jeff Mills, as well as commercial clients such as Google and Roland, creating music-based products and digital experiences that explore the relationship between sound and technology. As a Partner at Pentagram London, Suzuki and his team work internationally pushing the boundaries between art, design, technology and sound, crossing the fields of both low and high technology.

Sumayya Vally - Architect/ Principal, Counterspace

Sumayya Vally is the principal of the award-winning architecture and research studio Counterspace. Designer of the 20th Serpentine Pavilion, Vally is the youngest architect to win this internationally renowned commission. With the Serpentine, she has initiated and developed a new fellowship program, Support Structures, which assists artists and collectives working at the intersection of art with social justice, the archive, and ecology.

In 2022, Vally was selected by the World Economic Forum to be one of its Young Global Leaders, a community of the world’s most promising artists, researchers, entrepreneurs, activists, and political leaders, and, as a TIME100 Next list honouree, has been identified as someone who will shape the future of architectural practice and canon. Having recently joined the World Monuments Fund, Vally serves on several boards through her interest in dynamic forms of archive, embodied heritage and supporting new networks of knowledge in the arts. As Artistic Director, Vally is currently working on curating the first Islamic Arts Biennale taking place in Jeddah in 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.

This year’s event, Lexus: Sparks of Tomorrow, presents a trio of design explorations, all inspired by Lexus’ human-centered, future-oriented approach to design. Compelling and engaging, Lexus: Sparks of Tomorrow, includes an immersive installation by award-winning architect and designer Germane Barnes with lighting studio Aqua Creations, new prototypes from LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2022 finalists, and work by students at London’s Royal College of art envisioning a more sustainable future.

“We are excited to return to Milan Design Week with an incredible array of projects that highlight next generation design and our commitment at Lexus to forging a path towards a carbon-neutral future through technology, craftsmanship, and innovation,” commented Brian Bolain, Lexus’ global head of marketing. “We are especially thrilled to be able to present the work of the LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2022 finalists and Royal College of Arts students in the context of Germane Barnes’s ON/ installation, in its second iteration here with lighting design studio Aqua Creations. As Milan Design Week opens, we look forward to seeing how the public engages with the Lexus presentation, and makes our vision for the future their own”

Developed in partnership with Lexus and Germane Barnes, the ON/ installation gives a vision for an electrified, carbon-neutral and human-centred future. The display showcases the Lexus RZ, the first Lexus dedicated battery-electric model. Rendered in a wire frame that is suspended just above the ground, the vehicle’s interpretation embodies Lexus' vision of a more sustainable future coming into focus and embracing the ideas of electrification, technology, and bespoke design. The RZ is illuminated by Aqua Creations’ Code 130° silk collection of colorful pendant lights, which add a material quality to the immersive installation reflecting Lexus’ vision for a carbon-neutral future becoming a reality. The installation will be accompanied by a lounge area featuring the new ToTeM lighting collection by Aqua Creations.

“It is thrilling to revisit the ON/ installation with Lexus and bring the display to Milan,” said Germane Barnes, principal of Studio Barnes. “The original ON/ exhibit featured the LF-Z, a concept car that signaled a move toward carbon neutrality.  Now, with the RZ, we explored the evolution from concept to reality, partnering with Aqua Creations to create an environment that is infused with heightened sense of materiality.  Designing for a future that is collaborative, sustainable, equitable, and prioritizes the unique experiences of individuals is both a driving force of my practice and an exciting synergy with the designers showcased across Sparks of Tomorrow.”

Visitors will also have the opportunity to explore the work of the six finalists of the LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2022, promising talent. 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, by a panel of design luminaries. The finalists spent three months developing their original proposals and creating prototypes under the enthusiastic and highly skilled mentors. Mentoring by the world's leading creators was a once-in-a-lifetime learning experience for these up-and-coming talents and it is recognized as a feature of this Award.

Lexus’ presentation will also include work by students presenting radical new luxury transport concepts in a creative programme commissioned by Lexus, “2040: The Soul of Future Premium” for the Royal College of Art in London, UK.  The project challenged postgraduate students at the college’s Intelligent Mobility Design Centre (IMDC) to explore new vehicle architectures to meet changes in European city life and society and to re-imagine the role Lexus might play as a luxury mobility brand. The six-month programme included mentoring and assessment sessions with Ian Cartabiano and Lance Scott, respectively President and Senior Manager at Lexus’ European design studio, ED2, together with Prof Dale Harrow, Chair of the IMDC, and Dr Chris Thorpe, the RCA’s Intelligent Mobility Head of Programme.

Dates and opening hours

June 6 – 12, 11 am to 9 pm

Venue

Superstudio Più (Art Point)

Via Tortona, 27 20144 – Milano, Italy

Exhibits

• ON/ installation created by Germane Barnes with Aqua Creations
• Designs by the six finalists in the LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2022
• Designs by students at the Royal College of Art (RCA) in London

About Germane Barnes

Germane Barnes is the director of Studio Barnes, and Associate Professor at the University of Miami School of Architecture. Barnes’ practice investigates the connection between architecture and identity, examining architecture’s social and political agency through historical research and design speculation.  Believing strongly in design as a communal process, he approaches each condition imposed on a project as an opportunity for transformation.

He was a winner of the 2021 United States Artists Fellowship, 2021 Wheelwright Prize, 2021 Architectural League Prize for Young Architects and Designers, and is a 2021-2022 Rome Prize Fellow at the American Academy in Rome.

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

Today, Lexus announced details of this year’s participation in the world’s leading event for the vanguard of contemporary design event – Milan Design Week^*. Since its first participation in 2005, Lexus has created compelling, immersive experiences for visitors at Milan Design Week, partnering with leading talent which has included Philippe Nigro, Neri Oxman, Sou Fujimoto, and Rhizomatics among others to create new works of design inspired by Lexus’ values and vision. 

This year’s event, Lexus: Sparks of Tomorrow, will present a trio of design explorations, all inspired by Lexus’ human-centered, future-oriented approach to design.  Compelling and engaging, Lexus: Sparks of Tomorrow, will include an immersive installation by award-winning architect and designer Germane Barnes with lighting studio Aqua Creations, new prototypes from Lexus Design Award 2022 finalists, and work by students at London’s Royal College of art envisioning a more sustainable future. 

Lexus has partnered with Germane Barnes to create a new iteration of the ON/ installation unveiled for Design Miami/ 2021, this time collaborating with Aqua Creations to highlight a commitment to expert craftsmanship and high quality materiality that is central to Lexus’ ethos.  This version of the installation, debuting in Milan, takes the RZ as the central inspiration, the first dedicated battery-electric model in the Lexus line-up. The installation is centered around a precisely-to-scale, three-dimensional sculptural realization of the RZ, rendered in steel and illuminated; the frame of the car glows and is suspended just above the ground, a vision of a more sustainable future coming into focus. 

Building on this principle of a concept coming to life, the installation will feature Aqua Creations’ Code 130 ° collection of colourful pendant lights illuminating the vehicle, which add a delicate, material, and joyful quality to the immersive installation.  Shifting from the futuristic lighting scheme featured in Miami, the lighting from Aqua Creations creates an elegant, physical embodiment of electricity that exemplifies a shared commitment to principles of design excellence evident in the expertly crafted RZ.

ON/ creates an environment that is designed to engage viewers of all ages, providing an experience that is both visually dynamic and interactive while offering an inviting space to recharge and reflect. The installation will be accompanied by an adjacent lounge area featuring the new ToTeM lighting collection by Aqua Creations, providing discrete areas for rest, repose, and recharging--reflecting the brand's commitment to the principle of omotenashi (exceptional hospitality).

Visitors will also have the opportunity to explore the work of the six finalists in the Lexus Design Award 2022, 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. 

Finalists include Charlotte Böhning & Mary Lempres (Dual USA - Germany and Dual USA - Norway / Based in USA), Wondaleaf (Malaysia), Team Dunamis (Nigeria), Poh Yun Ru (Singapore), Kristil & Shamina (Russia), and Kou Mikuni (Japan). Now in its tenth year, the award celebrates up-and-coming creative talent from around the world. This year’s Grand Prix winner, selected by a panel comprising renowned creative visionaries Paola Antonelli, Anupama Kundoo, Bruce Mau and Simon Humphries, will be announced on May 12.

Lexus’ presentation will also include work by students, representing a future generation of international design talent, that present radical new luxury transport concepts in a creative programme commissioned by Lexus, “2040: The Soul of Future Premium”. This exploration of how luxury transport might evolve towards the middle of the 21st century was launched in September 2021 by Lexus in partnership with the Royal College of Art (RCA) in London, one of the world’s most prestigious and influential centres for art and design research and learning.

The challenge was to explore new vehicle architectures to meet changes in European city life, society and demographics and to re-imagine the role the Lexus brand might play in the region's mobility landscape beyond the next two decades. It inspired original work from 20 postgraduate students at the RCA’s Intelligent Mobility Design Centre, an interdisciplinary centre of design and research excellence.

Duration

June 6 – 12, 11 am to 9 pm

Venue

Superstudio Più (Art Point)

Via Tortona, 27 20144 – Milano, Italy

Exhibits

Installation created by Germane Barnes with Aqua Creations

Designs by the six finalists in the Lexus Design Award 2022

Designs by students at the Royal College of Art (RCA) in London

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.

Since the Lexus Design Award’s launch in 2013, up-and-coming creators have been given the once-in-a-lifetime experience of mentorship from some of the design world's most famous names. For the 2022 edition, Beijing-based architect Yosuke Hayano and France and Portugal-based designer Sam Baron will join designer Joe Doucet, now in his third year as a mentor, and designer Sabine Marcelis, who joined the mentor line-up in 2021.

The mentorship programme sets the Lexus Design Award apart from other competitions. It gives the finalists direct access to elite working professionals who guide them in exploring the potential of their ideas and finalising their prototypes and presentations.

Yosuke Hayano is a principal partner of MAD Architects, directing teams known for their fresh vision of Asian architecture, as expressed in major projects worldwide. Sam Baron, a visionary creative leader, creates products and experiences, mixing art and design, from concept to completion for some of the world’s leading brands.

“To be part of the mentor team is an honour, as the Lexus Design Award is about creative empowerment of the next generation,” said Baron. “To share explorations and experiences with the selected candidates is a unique opportunity to get to know young international talents who will challenge themselves to be among the finalists. I will enjoy my time with them on my mission of finding their key assets, making them grow and glow—to express their concept and also their personalities.”

The judging criteria for Lexus Design Award 2022 draw on the three key principles of the Lexus brand: Anticipate, Innovate, and Captivate. Entries are expected to anticipate global challenges facing future society and suggest 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 all-star judging committee will review the entries from around the globe, announcing the six finalists in early 2022. Lexus funds the finalists’ prototype development with a budget of up to JPY 3-million (more than USD 25,000) per design. In spring 2022, the finalists will present their completed proposals to the judges, who will then select one Grand Prix winner.

Entries for the Lexus Design Award 2022 will be accepted up to 10^th October.

* For more information, please visit LexusDesignAward.com

Official Hashtag: #LexusDesignAward

LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2022 PANEL OF MENTORS

SAM BARON

DESIGNER / CREATIVE DIRECTOR, SAM BARON & Co

A visionary creative leader, Sam Baron creates products and experiences, giving life to cross-over works mixing art and design that drive innovative ideas from concept to completion. His work touches many fields across hospitality, retail, design, fashion, and culture. From a global perspective, Baron leads sophisticated initiatives that create an experience for some of the world’s leading brands. For a decade, he has been a consultant as design director for Fabrica, an international communication research centre based in Italy.

In 2009 Baron received the "Grand Prix de la Creation de la Ville de Paris" in the design category, and in 2010 Philippe Starck selected him as one of the 10 important designers of the next decade. His work is constantly featured in the international press and included in international museum collections. Recently Baron has been awarded the special PAD Paris fair prize. He currently lives and works between Portugal and France.

JOE DOUCET

FOUNDER, JOE DOUCET X PARTNERS

A designer, entrepreneur, inventor and creative director, Joe Doucet is one of the most sought-after creative talents working in the USA today. His work deftly hybridises function and visual appeal while conveying layers of meaning and message. Doucet believes that design and, more importantly, a designer’s thought process can play a larger role in innovation and problem solving, as well as aesthetics. He currently holds numerous patents for his designs and inventions.

Doucet’s work has been exhibited globally and has received numerous international awards, including a World Technology Award for Design Innovation and multiple Good Design Awards. Doucet was named the 2017 Winner of the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award as Product Designer—the highest honour in his field. He was also a Designer of the Year 2019 finalist by Dezeen, and a recipient of Fast Company’s Most Important Design Companies of 2019.

YOSUKE HAYANO

 PRINCIPAL PARTNER, MAD ARCHITECTS

Yosuke Hayano, an architect from Japan, is principal partner of MAD Architects based in Beijing, China. MAD is led by Ma Yansong, Dang Qun, and Yosuke and is committed to developing futuristic, organic, technologically advanced designs that embody a contemporary interpretation of the Eastern affinity for nature. With a vision for the city of the future based on the spiritual and emotional needs of residents, MAD endeavours to create a balance between humanity, the city and the environment.

Yosuke has been the winner of several high-profile awards, including the Architecture League of New York Young Architects Award (2006), the Design for Asia Award (2011), and the Kumamoto Artpolis Award (2011). He served as a visiting lecturer at the Waseda Art and Architecture School from 2008 to 2012 and at Tokyo University from 2010 to 2012. In addition, he acted as an external examiner at the Architectural Association of London from 2015 to 2019.

SABINE MARCELIS

DESIGNER / FOUNDER, STUDIO SABINE MARCELIS

Sabine Marcelis is a Dutch designer who runs her practice from the harbour in Rotterdam. After graduating from the Design Academy of Eindhoven in 2011, she began working as an independent designer in the fields of product, installation and spatial design with a strong focus on materiality. Her work is characterised by pure forms which highlight material properties.

Marcelis applies a strong aesthetic point of view to her collaborations with industry specialists. This method of working allows her to intervene in the manufacturing process, using material research and experimentation to achieve new and surprising visual effects for projects both showcased in museums and commissioned by commercial clients and fashion houses. Sabine won the prestigious Wallpaper awards ‘Designer of the Year 2020,’ The Elle Deco International Design award 2019 'Young Designer of the Tear’ and ‘GQ Men of the year 2019’ International Artist of the Year.

Lexus believes that the innovative approach of Anupama Kundoo, whose many experimental community-centric projects blend craft traditions with modern architectural techniques, is vital for nurturing the potential of up-and-coming creators. Bruce Mau, who launched his career in graphic design, has championed his vision that "design can change the world,” for decades and his broad multi-disciplinary approach resonates with the Lexus Design Award's theme of Design for a Better Tomorrow.

Bruce Mau said, “I’m deeply honoured to be part of the Lexus Design Award competition because this program takes on the important responsibility of encouraging tomorrow’s designers and empowering them to make the world a better place for us all. Lexus recognizes the great value in leveraging the best in design talent and providing the six competition finalists with a solid foundation and financial support to advance their projects. The competition’s emphasis on mentorship is particularly meaningful to me, as many years ago a mentor helped define the direction of my life as a designer.”

This elite judging panel will select six finalists in early 2022, from the global entries. The judges will be seeking proposals that most effectively embody the Lexus brand’s three key principles of Anticipate, Innovate, and Captivate, while seamlessly bringing happiness to all. Finalists will then be mentored by four renowned creators, to develop prototypes and present their visions. In the spring of 2022, the four judges will review the designs presented by the finalists to decide on the Grand Prix winner.

Members of the mentor team will be announced this autumn.

Entries for the Lexus Design Award 2022 will be accepted until October 10^th, 2021.

For more information, please visit LexusDesignAward.com

Official Hashtag: #LexusDesignAward

CALL FOR ENTRIES TO THE LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2022 COMPETITION

PAOLA ANTONELLI

SENIOR CURATOR FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN AT MoMA, NYC

Paola Antonelli is Senior Curator of Architecture & Design at The Museum of Modern Art, as well as MoMA’s founding Director of Research & Development. Her goal is to promote the understanding of design, until its positive influence on the world is universally acknowledged. Her work investigates design’s impact on everyday experiences, often including overlooked objects and practices, and combining design, architecture, art, science, and technology.

She has curated shows, written books, lectured worldwide, and taught in several universities, including Harvard and UCLA. Among her most recent exhibitions are Broken Nature, devoted to the idea of restorative design (conceived as the XXII Triennale di Milano) and Material Ecology, on the ground-breaking work of architect Neri Oxman. She is currently working on several new sessions of her MoMA R&D Salons; and on the Instagram series @design.emergency, conceived with design critic Alice Rawsthorn and devoted to the role of design in the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond. Alice and Paola’s book, Design Emergency, will be published in 2022.

ANAUPAMA KUNDOO

ARCHITECT / FOUNDER OF ANUPAMA KUNDOO ARCHITECTS

Anupama Kundoo graduated from University of Mumbai in 1989 and received her PhD degree from the TU Berlin in 2008. Her research-oriented practice has generated people centric architecture based on spatial and material research for low environmental impact while being socio-economically beneficial. Her body of works was recently exhibited as a solo show 'Taking Time' at Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Denmark in Spring of 2021. She has taught Architecture and Urban Management at various international universities strengthening her expertise in rapid urbanization and climate change related development issues, and was the Davenport Visiting Professor at Yale University in Spring 2020.

She is currently a Professor at Potsdam School of Architecture, Germany and the winner of the 2021 Auguste Perret Prize for her contribution to architectural technologies and the 2021 recipient of the RIBA Charles Jencks Award.

BRUCE MAU

CO-FOUNDER & CEO, MASSIVE CHANGE NETWORK

Designer, author, educator, artist and entrepreneur Bruce Mau practices a holistic life-centred design approach grounded in empathy and fact-based optimism to help clients and collaborators envision and articulate their purpose and future. Across thirty years of design innovation, he’s worked with global brands and companies, leading organizations, heads of state, renowned artists and fellow optimists. He became an international figure with the publication of S,M,L,XL, designed and co-authored with Rem Koolhaas. His most recent book, Mau: MC24 – Bruce Mau’s 24 Principles for Designing Massive Change in Your Life and Work, offers readers a mindset and toolkit that can be applied to any type of challenge or at any scale to create impact and positive transformation.

SIMON HUMPHRIES

HEAD OF TOYOTA & LEXUS GLOBAL DESIGN

Simon Humphries is Head of Toyota & Lexus Global Design. He was appointed to oversee design for both brands in 2018. As Head of Lexus Global Design Humphries seeks to define Lexus' unique values in the form of a brand philosophy, incorporating a clear cultural reference to Lexus' Japanese heritage and building a design direction that is relevant to car owners around the world.

Humphries joined the company in 1994. His many roles in leadership and advanced design include defining the Lexus signature grille that has become an icon for the Lexus brand. In 2016, he became President of ED2 (Toyota Europe Design Development) where his team spearheaded development of mobility concepts such as the Toyota e-Palette concept as part of the brand’s transition from “automotive company” to “mobility company.” Humphries began his career in design in 1988 when he was awarded the Royal Society of Arts Bursary Prize for Product Design in the UK. The award gave him the opportunity to work for Sony, which jumpstarted his passion for living and working in Japan. In his spare time Humphries enjoys carpentry and is restoring a 100-year-old Japanese farmhouse.

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

The 2021 winning entry is the work of Henry Glogau, a New Zealander based in Denmark, who devised the Portable Solar Distiller. “Winning was not something that I was that focused on,” says Henry, “but to be named this year’s winner is a real honour.” He entered the Lexus Design Award competition primarily for the experience of working with world-class mentors, followed by the opportunity to make his design vision a reality. “To be part of this whole process, from the mentorship all the way through to the development of my final design, has been really incredible, not just for the design but also for me as a designer.”

Graduating from the Royal Danish Academy with a Master’s specialising in Architecture and Extreme Environments, Henry’s aim with his design was to provide drinking water, natural light and energy from leftover salt brine for informal coastal settlements. He looked at the challenges and importantly, where there was an opportunity to utilise what was already readily available in these environments. “What was quite important for me was thinking about how we could work with our ecosystems instead of against them,” he explains.

During Henry’s Master’s programme, he travelled to Chile where he spent time working with an NGO helping to fight extreme poverty with transitional housing. “I started to think about a design that was more focused around the humans who actually live in these environments. It was these communities who have no access to resources who were the real motivation for me to try to address some of these issues,” he says.

Rather than designing a solution for a single social issue, Henry updated his design after guidance from the award mentors and set about creating a Portable Solar Distiller, which desalinates water, making it safe to drink. The sustainable and passive design was selected by this year’s panel of judges who critiqued each of the finalists on their ability to anticipate, innovate and captivate with imaginative solutions. “Henry took a simple concept and made it viable for communities,” commented his fellow finalists Gayle Lee and Jessica Vea, who created Heartfelt, a long-distance device to combat loneliness. Henry’s Portable Solar Distiller not only provided a streamlined and functional user experience, but also demonstrated a benefit to society as a whole.

Along with Henry, each of the finalists was able to evolve their designs with expert guidance from mentors drawn from a range of design fields. “The best advice I received was to be flexible and not to be afraid of starting your design from scratch,” says finalist Alina Holovatiuk, whose project InTempo centred on human emotion with an app and phone cover to reduce stress levels. “During this process I learned to take courage in trying something new,” adds finalist Kenji Abe, who designed CY-BO, a new form of cytologically-inspired packaging material. “The essence of our design was simplicity and low technology. With input from each of the mentors, we were able to change the design details and make it better,” says Intsui Design, whose project Terracotta Valley Wind focused on a cooling system for subway stations. “I was encouraged to approach future design with boldness,” adds finalist Irmandy Wicaksono, who designed KnitX, a set of functional, electronic textiles.

For 2021 winner Henry Glogau, finding multiple solutions in one user-friendly, transportable design was the key to success. “A lot of these issues, such as water scarcity, will become more prevalent issues the world will face in the not-too-distant future,” he stresses. “I'm passionate about how we can design for a self-sustaining future.”

Lexus strives to work with emerging talent in the field of design who demonstrate a shared vision for a better tomorrow – both for people and the planet. Henry and all the design award finalists have fully demonstrated their passion to create solutions and their ability to adapt and innovate.

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.

“The most important aspect of design is to consider the feelings of the user”

Since joining the company in 1994, UK-born Simon Humphries has worked on a wide variety of vehicle designs. Today he leads his design teams with inventiveness and an ability to translate ideas into reality.

”In the UK I studied industrial design, so until I joined the company, I hadn’t worked in automotive design at all,” Humphries recalls. “Despite my lack of experience, I was welcomed into the team because of my experience in other fields. This kind of flexibility will be central to it becoming a ‘mobility company’.”

Explaining his design philosophy, he continues: “The most important aspect of design is to consider the feelings of the user. Next, after coming up with a design that incorporates these considerations, you must be able to explain it clearly in the form of a story. This is why it’s essential for designers to have communication skills. I am always trying to explain what our customers need, and how my design reflects those needs. No matter the design, if you show it to five people, each one will focus on different aspects. In other words, communication is the key to conveying the designer’s intention.

“At the design studio where I worked before joining the company, I was solely responsible for explaining the project and convincing the clients, and that experience still informs the way I work today.”

How will automotive design evolve in the future?

The designs Humphries produces are not simply illustrations; they have words and concepts: “What will the automobiles of the future be like? The answer no doubt lies in how we respond to the human desire to move freely. Unlike animals, whose movement is driven by basic needs such as food or shelter, humans have the freedom to follow their curiosity and seek out learnings. In this way, the human desire to move is very deep,” he says.

“Some people worry that if automated driving becomes mainstream, automotive design will become commodified. But I don’t agree; in fact, I believe the opposite is true.”

“No user wants the same thing from their vehicle all the time. For example, they might want to commute by car to work on their own; then, at another time, they may want to take the car shopping, or go on a drive with their family. So, it’s better if a vehicle can respond to individuals needs in the best way possible.”

Yet Humphries’ next words are: “But today is different to before. It is not possible to create cars using the same mindset as before. From a market-centric perspective, automotive design needs a revolution of ideas.”

“A long time ago, automotive design had identifiable ‘trends.’ This is no longer the case. Consumers have become incredibly diverse, and markets change with great speed. The key is this: how quickly can we incorporate user needs into our products?”

“The strength of the Lexus Design Award is that it provides all applicants with an equal opportunity”

In 2020 Humphries became a judge for the Lexus Design Award, an international design competition hosted by Lexus annually since 2013. The award seeks to discover, nurture and support up-and-coming designers and creators who are seeking to “Design for a Better Tomorrow.”

“The strength of the Lexus Design Award is that it gives all applicants an equal opportunity, regardless of whether they are professionals or students, or where they are in the world. Today, professional designers are constantly trying new things to make their voices heard. This is a public award, so the winners’ designs become widely known—it’s a huge opportunity for them.”

Six award finalists are selected from the design submissions received from around the world and they are given the chance to develop their ideas with mentorship from world-renowned creators over a six-month period. Traditionally the announcement of the ultimate Grand Prix winner takes place at a special event held during Milan Design Week in April. Due to the cancellation of this year’s design week, the result was revealed in an online event, together with presentations on all six finalists’ work.

Humphries comments: “For the finalists, this must have been a difficult experience. But often a time of crisis can be a spur for creativity”. He refers to the experience of grandparents to illustrate his point: “For long periods during the recent lockdowns, grandparents couldn’t meet their loved ones. When I heard about what was happening, I wondered if someone could develop apps that, for example, make use of haptic feedback, so that when you touch images of people on your tablet, it would feel as though you are actually touching the cheeks of the people on your screen. These kinds of new ideas to meet people’s desires are what designers require now. When it comes to cars, too, it is vital that we don’t focus excessively on the cars of the past. We are entering a time when we need to set aside preconceived notions—such as a car being just a means of transport —and move towards a more innovative future.”

According to Humphries, the automotive industry must adopt a broader perspective than ever before when making cars. He believes in the power of design— and his belief is inspiring others to do the same.

This year marks the ninth edition of the Lexus Design Award, which was established to support up-and-coming creators. The program recognizes fresh design talent and showcases their innovations on a prominent and respected international platform. In selecting this year’s six finalists, judges looked for innovative ideas that embodied the three key principles of the Lexus brand – Anticipate, Innovate, and Captivate – with an emphasis on design that leads to a better tomorrow.

Lexus Design Award 2021 Finalists

• CY-BO by Kenji Abe (Japan)

Sustainable, reusable packaging material that can be assembled like cells.

• Heartfelt by Gayle Lee and Jessica Vea (New Zealand & Tonga, based in New Zealand)

A device that enables virtual hugs.

• InTempo by Alina Holovatiuk (Ukraine)

Mitts that may help distract from stressful situations by novel usage of rhythm and music.

• KnitX by Irmandy Wicaksono (Indonesia, based in USA)

Digital 3D knitting of functional, electronic textiles for multi-modal visual, auditory, and tactile material interaction.

• Solar Desalination Skylight by Henry Glogau (Dual New Zealand & Austria, based in Denmark)

Device that uses seawater to create natural diffused light, drinking water, and leftover salt for energy creation.

• Terracotta Valley Wind by Intsui Design (China, based in Japan)

A terracotta evaporative cooling system for subway stations utilizing train-induced wind to function.

Lexus Design Award 2021 panel of judges and mentors was announced last September 2020: Leading figures in global design complete the judging and mentoring line-up for the Lexus Design Award 2021.

Judge Greg Lynn said, “In the middle of a changing climate and a global pandemic there was a predictable urgency to the problems being addressed by the designers. Across all the proposals we saw, there was also a humanity and intimate scale.”

In mid-January the six finalists participated in a five-day workshop with the four Lexus Design Award 2021 mentors: Joe Doucet, Sabine Marcelis, Mariam Kamara, and Sputniko!.Following the workshop, mentor Mariam Kamara said, "The mentoring sessions have been quite stimulating. I was struck by the level of optimism and commitment the finalists have shown in their designs. In this new COVID-19 reshaped world, their visions and sensitivity are a gift to us all. Each one of them was incredibly passionate about the projects and demonstrated a strong motivation to delve deeper and do the necessary research to strengthen the final result. Though the mentoring was remote, a combination of powerful online tools and well-prepared finalists made for a fluid, productive, and enjoyable process. I look forward to seeing where they take their designs in the coming months." The mentors’ passion for nurturing young talent combined with a richly challenging curriculum resulted in highly instructive and productive sessions that fully engaged the finalists and mentors.

Finalists will continue to work with the mentors as they develop their prototypes toward the Grand Prix selection. Judging panel of renowned design leaders: Paola Antonelli, Dong Gong, Greg Lynn and Simon Humphries will select Grand Prix Winner based on their final prototypes and presentations in April 2021.

For more information, please visit LexusDesignAward.com

Official Hashtag: #LexusDesignAward

CY-BO

CY-BO is a new form of cytologically-inspired packaging material that can transform into various shapes by combining the pieces together. Infinitely reusable and rearrangeable, it can be converted into all manner of products for different applications depending on the ideas of the user.

By Kenji Abe (Japan)

Kenji Abe is a graduate of the Tama Art University Product Design Department, who now works as a product designer based in Tokyo. While designing imaging products professionally, he also pursues personal design activities. He is curious about creating a better tomorrow for humans, nature, animals and theearth, and wishes to propose beautiful solutions to the problems we face.

Heartfelt

Heartfelt aims to explore what ‘being present’ might look like during the age of a pandemic, and seeks to assist with the anxiety and emotional stresses of being alone through simple long distance devices. "Small device, big heart."

By Gayle Lee (New Zealand) and Jessica Vea (Tonga, based in New Zealand)

Gayle Lee and Jessica Vea are recent Bachelor of Creative Technologies graduates from Auckland University of Technology. They are passionate about creating meaningful products that help others and promoting interdisciplinary collaboration between different fields and practices. They are hoping to start their Master of Creative Technologies degrees in 2021.

InTempo

InTempoare mitts to aid people facing emotional stress (e.g. Sociophobia ) inpublic spaces / during public actions. Touching certain spots on the mitts to the rhythm of music may help a person to calm themselves down.

By Alina Holovatiuk (Ukraine)

Alina Holovatiuk is a young architect from Kyiv, Ukraine. She is currently continuing her studies and research at Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture in the Information Technologies in Architecture Department. Her approach to design is based on special attention to human emotions and their perception of the world.

KnitX

KnitX is a set of functional textiles computationally-integrated with digital knitting. The use of active and electronic fibers in the design enables garment and interior fabrics that dynamically respond to gesture and sunlight, change their appearance, and provide thermoregulation.

By Irmandy Wicaksono (Indonesia, based in US)

Irmandy Wicaksono is an electrical and textile engineer and designer. He is currently a Ph.D. student in the Responsive Environments, MIT Media Lab. His research focuses on developing soft and textile based electronics for various applications ranging from health and well being, human-computer interaction to interactive media and environments.

Solar Desalination Skylight

A holistic approach to providing coastal informal settlements with water, energy and natural light. The design utilizes abundant solar energy and seawater to create a Solar Desalination Skylight. It emits a natural diffused light, produces drinking water, and utilizes leftover salt brine for energy creation.

By Henry Glogau (Dual New Zealand and Austria, based in Denmark)

Henry Glogau is a New Zealander who recently graduated from the Royal Danish Academy in Copenhagen, Denmark. His master’s degree specialized in Architecture and Extreme Environments, where he explored present and future global challenges in expeditions to diverse locations. Henry is now working as an Architect at GXN, the green innovation unit of 3XN.

Terracotta Valley Wind

A terracotta evaporative cooling system that cools subway stations during summer and reduces energy consumption. Terracotta is an inexpensive and accessible clay material. Its nature allows water to quickly evaporate, while utilizing the unused wind resource in subway stations, maximizing the value of train-induced wind.

By Intsui Design (China, based in Japan) Yilei Lyu, Chenkai Guo, Baohua Sheng, Yu Zhang

Intsui Design is a design group based in Tokyo. They are currently pursuing Master's degrees at Tama Art University in the Integrated Design department. They explore the relationship between subconscious human behaviors and design. Their design practice focuses on people’s intuition and natural responses to objects and the environment.

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

Lexus is pleased to welcome leading figures from the design world to the line-up of judges and mentors for the Lexus Design Award 2021. Their skills and experience will be central to the award’s mission to identify and nurture emerging creative talent to build a better tomorrow.

Architects Dong Gong, from China, and the American Greg Lynn complete the distinguished judging panel, while Japanese artist and designer Sputniko! joins the group of mentors who will be working with next year’s award finalists.

Dong Gong, who recently became a member of France’s Académie d’Architecture, has earned international acclaim for his work, including the famous Seashore Library in Eastern China.

Lynn, who is also the founder and CEO of the Piaggio Fast Forward robotics company, is recognised for his use of technology to reimagine the relationship of architecture and design with society. His wide-ranging work brings together different disciplines in interconnected spaces where he uses technology to experiment and innovate.

Dong and Lynn join the award’s returning judges: design influencer Paola Antonelli, senior curator in the Department of Architecture and Design of MoMA, the Museum of Modern Art in New York; and Simon Humphries, the head of Toyota and Lexus Global Design.

The judging panel will seek to identify the next generation of talent, evaluating the award entries on the basis of how well they apply Lexus’ three key design principles, Anticipate, Innovate and Captivate, to build a better tomorrow.

First-time judge Dong Gong commented: “I think the most exciting thing about being a juror will be having the chance to see designs by young designers, especially as they will not be limited to just architecture, but will include all other areas of design. It’s about a process of engagement and interaction.”

Greg Lynn added: “I am happy to join the jury as I am certain to learn a great deal from the vision and values of the participants, from the insight of the mentors and from the perspectives of the other jury members. I have followed the award in the past and am impressed by its ability to connect design with cultural challenges. It is exciting to be involved with a programme dedicated to discovering, mentoring and awarding talented young designers who focus on tomorrow. Now more than ever there are so many challenges for design to address, including social inequity, economic instability, climate crisis and a health pandemic, so I am sure to be inspired. This will be a case where the pleasure will be all mine.”

The award finalists will have the unique opportunity to receive direct, interactive guidance from world-renowned designers to bring their ideas to life and develop prototypes of their concepts for the final judging. Sputniko! is a new mentor for 2021, a designer and artist whose innovative video and multimedia installations address technology’s impact on society. She joins the team of Joe Doucet, Mariam Kamara and Sabine Marcelis who will mentor the six finalists chosen from the worldwide entries.

The prototypes of the six finalists’ design ideas will be displayed at the finale of the Lexus Design Award 2021, scheduled to be held in April 2021. Each finalist will present their prototypes and ideas to the judges, watched by an audience of global media and guests, before the selection of the single Grand Prix winner.

Entries for the Lexus Design Award will be accepted up until October 11, 2020.

For more information on Lexus Design Award 2021, please visit

https://discoverlexus.com/highlights/entries-open-for-lexus-design-award-2021　

Official Hashtag: #LexusDesignAward

CALL FOR ENTRIES TO THE LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2021 COMPETITION

LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2021 PANEL OF JUDGES

PAOLA ANTONELLI

SENIOR CURATOR FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN AT MoMA, NEW YORK

Paola Antonelli is Senior Curator of Architecture and Design at The Museum of Modern Art, as well as MoMA’s founding Director of Research and Development. Her goal is to promote design’s understanding, until its positive influence on the world is universally acknowledged. Her work investigates design’s impact on everyday experience, often including overlooked objects and practices, and combining design, architecture, art, science, and technology.

She has curated shows, written books, lectured worldwide, and taught in several schools, including Harvard and UCLA. Following the XXII Triennale di Milano in 2019 – Broken Nature, devoted to the idea of restorative design – she has opened the exhibition Material Ecology at MoMA, on the work of architect Neri Oxman. She is currently working on several new sessions of her MoMA R&D Salons, and on the Instagram series @design.emergency – conceived with design critic Alice Rawsthorn – devoted to the role of design in the Covid-19 pandemic.

DONG GONG

FOUNDER / DESIGN PRINCIPAL OF VECTOR ARCHITECTS

Dong Gong founded Vector Architects in 2008. He and Vector Architects have been invited to various exhibitions including 2018 FREESPACE Venice Biennale, and won awards internationally including "100+ Best Architecture Firms" selected by Domus (2019); nomination for the Swiss Architectural Award (2018); overall winner of the Italian Archmarathon Awards (2016); and "Design Vanguard" selected by Architectural Record (2014).

He has been invited as guest speaker and critic by universities, academic and professional institutions including Tsinghua University (China), University of Illinois (USA), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (Switzerland), Société Française des Architectes (France), etc. In 2019, the renowned architectural journal AV Monographs published a monograph of Vector Architects entitled "Cosmopolitan Vernacular" (vol.220).

His representative works include Seashore Library, Seashore Chapel, Alila Hotel in Yangshuo, the Renovation of the Captain’s House, Changjiang Art Museum, and Suzhou Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum.

GREG LYNN
ARCHITECT AND CEO PIAGGIO FAST FORWARD

Greg Lynn is the founder and owner of Greg Lynn FORM and cofounder and CEO at the robotics company Piaggio Fast Forward. In addition to buildings he has designed high performance sailboats, high technology robots, as well as furniture and consumer products for Vitra, Alessi, Swarovski, and Nike. He has served on numerous corporate executive and advisory boards and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Canadian Center for Architecture.

He won the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale of Architecture and represented the United States in the American Pavilion at the Venice Biennale of Architecture twice. He received the American Academy of Arts & Letters Architecture Award and was awarded a fellowship from United States Artists. He is currently o. Univ. Prof. Arch. at the angewandte Wien and Studio Professor at UCLA. He was the Davenport Professor at Yale University, Professor of Spatial Conception at the ETHZ, adjunct faculty at Columbia University and visiting faculty at Harvard GSD. He is the author of nine books.

SIMON HUMPHRIES

HEAD OF TOYOTA AND LEXUS GLOBAL DESIGN

Simon Humphries is Head of Toyota and Lexus Global Design. He was appointed to oversee design for both brands in 2018. As Head of Lexus Global Design Humphries seeks to define Lexus' unique values in the form of a brand philosophy, incorporating a clear cultural reference to Lexus' Japanese heritage and building a design direction that is relevant to users around the world.

Humphries joined the company in 1994. His many roles in leadership and advanced design include defining the signature spindle grille that has become an icon for the Lexus brand. In 2016 he became President of ED2 (Toyota Europe Design Development) where his team spearheaded development of mobility concepts such as the Toyota e-Palette concept as part of the brand’s transition from “automotive company” to “mobility company.” Humphries began his career in design in 1988 when he was awarded the Royal Society of Arts Bursary Prize for Product Design in the UK. The award gave him the opportunity to work for Sony, which jumpstarted his passion for living and working in Japan. In his spare time Humphries enjoys carpentry and is restoring a 100-year old Japanese farmhouse.

LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2021 PANEL OF MENTORS

JOE DOUCET

FOUNDER, JOE DOUCET X PARTNERS

A designer, entrepreneur, inventor and creative director, Joe Doucet is one of the most sought-after creative talents working in America today. His work deftly hybridises function and visual appeal while conveying layers of meaning and message. Doucet believes that design and, more importantly, a designer’s thought process, can play a larger role in innovation and problem solving, as well as aesthetics. He currently holds numerous patents for his designs and inventions.

Doucet’s work has been exhibited globally and has received numerous international awards, including a World Technology Award for Design Innovation and multiple Good Design Awards. Doucet was named the 2017 Winner of the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award as Product Designer – the highest honour in his field. He is also Designer of the Year 2019 finalist by Dezeen, and a recipient of Fast Company’s Most Important Design Companies of 2019.

MARIAM KAMARA

PRINCIPAL ARCHITECT, ATELIER MASOMI

Mariam Kamara is a Nigerien architect. In 2014, Kamara founded atelier masōmī, an architecture and research firm, tackling a wide variety of public, cultural, residential, commercial and urban design projects. Notably, The Religious-Secular Complex of Dandaji in Niger, a collaborative cultural project with Studio Chahar, won the 2017 Gold LafargeHolcim Award for Africa and Middle East, and the 2018 Silver Global LafargeHolcim Award for Sustainable Architecture. Kamara served as Adjunct Associate Professor at Brown University and is a recurring Architecture Critic at the Rhode Island School of Design (R.I.S.D.)

Kamara’s work is guided by the belief that architects have an important role to play in thinking spaces that have the power to elevate, dignify, and provide a better quality of life. Since 2018, Kamara has been Sir David Adjaye’s protégé under the Rolex Mentor Protégé programme, and is a 2019 Laureate of the Price Claus Award, recognising how creatives have a positive impact on their societies.

SABINE MARCELIS

DESIGNER / FOUNDER, STUDIO SABINE MARCELIS

Sabine Marcelis is a Dutch designer who runs her practice from the harbour in Rotterdam. After graduating from the Design Academy Eindhoven in 2011, Marcelis began working as an independent designer in the fields of product, installation and spatial design with a strong focus on materiality. Her work is characterised by pure forms which highlight material properties.

Marcelis applies a strong aesthetic point of view to her collaborations with industry specialists. This method of working allows her to intervene in the manufacturing process, using material research and experimentation to achieve new and surprising visual effects for projects both showcased in museums and commissioned by commercial clients and fashion houses.

Sabine recently won the prestigious Wallpaper* awards’ ‘Designer of the year 2020’, The Elle Deco International Design award 2019 'Young designer of the year’ and ‘GQ Men of the year 2019’ International Artist of the year.

SPUTNIKO!

ARTIST AND DESIGNER, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF TOKYO UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS DEPARTMENT OF DESIGN

Sputniko! is known for her film and multi-media installation works which explore the social and ethical implications of emerging technologies. She has presented her works in exhibitions such as the 2016 Setouchi Art Triennale, Milan International Design Triennale, Broken Nature (2019), Future and Arts at the Mori Art Museum (2019). From 2013 to 2017, Sputniko! was an Assistant Professor at the MIT Media Lab, where she founded and directed the Design Fiction research group. She is currently an Associate Professor of Design at Tokyo University of Arts. To date, she has had pieces included in the permanent collections of museums such as the V&A and the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa.

The winning design “Open Source Communities” addresses challenges often found in developing countries by using smart open-source planning to design affordable communities with sustainable clean water resources. Accepting the award, John Brian Kamau said "It was a great honor for us as BellTower, to be one of the 6 finalists and then win the Grand Prix of Lexus Design Award 2020. Our journey began with many challenges. However, we persevered to showcase our ambitious concept. Our experience has taught us invaluable lifelong lessons. All our future designs will be aligned with the key principles we learned as part of the Lexus family."

Considering this year’s unique circumstances, Lexus innovated to create its first ever virtual jury as part of this process that supports and nurtures the next generation of creative talent. The Grand Prix winner was announced after each of the six international finalists presented to our panel of esteemed judges explaining how they would create a Better Tomorrow. The program’s four mentors, who supported and guided the finalists for six months, were also on hand for the grand finale of the Lexus Design Award 2020.

Announcing the panel's decision, program judge and Studio Gang Founding Principal Jeanne Gang said, "At different moments in time, design has celebrated bold aesthetics, extreme functionality, and even humor and wit. But today, with our world plagued by the enormous issues of climate change and social inequality, there is a design imperative for systemic design solutions. The Grand-Prix winner expands our definition of design to include systems of finance for community projects and engages the critical role clean drinking water plays in citizens’ ability to thrive. By addressing the way that the project will come into being and be sustained economically, the designers broaden our thinking about what design is and could be. While the project is an apparatus to collect and store rainwater for safe drinking, it is also a financial game plan for empowering a community.”

Lexus sincerely thanks the six finalists of the Lexus Design Award 2020 for their hard work and is grateful for the passion and commitment of our judges; Paola Antonelli, Jeanne Gang, John Maeda, and Simon Humphries; and mentors; Joe Doucet, Bethan Gray, Philippe Malouin, and Shohei Shigematsu.

The trophy presented to the winner was designed by Hideki Yoshimoto, a winner of the Lexus Design Award 2013 and now an established professional designer himself based in London. In Yoshimoto's words, "This trophy will be the face of the Award for years to come, so I tried to create a simple, dignified form, free of affectation, in a design where boldness and subtlety coexist. Artisans carve the trophy from smoke-seasoned wood and lacquer it in the Japanese tradition. Handcrafting each trophy imbues it with heart and soul to resonate with the winner's creative passion."

For more information, please visit LexusDesignAward.com

Lexus Design Award 2021 is open for entries until October 11. Please note the details at our website, below.

https://discoverlexus.com/highlights/entries-open-for-lexus-design-award-2021

Official Hashtag: #LexusDesignAward

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 designers and creators whose works can help to shape a better future. It provides a unique opportunity for each finalist to work with a 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.

Each mentor carries a unique perspective and expertise, which they will bring directly to the program finalists. Nigerien architect Mariam Kamara creates spaces that elevate, dignify and provide a better quality of life in her projects worldwide. Sabine Marcelis, based in the Netherlands, works in material, installation and object design, seeking magical moments to create unexpected experiences. Joe Doucet, who is a designer, entrepreneur, inventor and creative director, focuses on finding solutions for daily societal challenges in product, furniture, environment and technology design.

Sabine Marcelis said: "As a new member of the mentor team, I am very excited to see the ideas of our future generation of designers. Now, more than ever, innovative design-led ideas will play an important role in shaping our future. I cannot wait to guide and help shape and realize these ideas with them, putting a focus on sustainable production processes and innovative and environmentally friendly material choices. Now is a time to think radically so I am hoping the submitted projects will be exactly that!"

The judging criteria of the Lexus Design Award are based on three key Lexus brand principles: Anticipate, Innovate and Captivate for a better tomorrow. From among the worldwide entries six finalists will be selected for mentoring by world-class creators at the forefront of their fields. Beginning with a direct mentoring workshop, this unique program also provides months of ongoing mentorship during prototype production until final presentation for Grand Prix judging. With their diverse backgrounds and disciplines mentors give upcoming creators a panoply of valuable advice and fresh perspectives.

In addition, we are pleased to announce that MoMA NY curator Paola Antonelli, a design authority who has served on the jury since the award's inception, and Simon Humphries, Head of Toyota & Lexus Global Design, Lexus International, will stay on as judges for the Lexus Design Award 2021 program.

The six finalists selected by the Judging Panel will bring their ideas to life as prototypes under their mentors, and exhibit and present their work at Milan Design Week in April 2021. On-site presentations and judging will climax with the announcement of the Grand Prix winner.

The final roster of judges and mentors will be announced this fall.

Entries for the Lexus Design Award 2021 will be accepted until October 11.

Lexus Design Award 2020 is still ongoing and will conclude with the Grand Prix Winner announcement on September 1^st.

For more information on Lexus Design Award 2021, please visit https://discoverlexus.com/highlights/entries-open-for-lexus-design-award-2021　

Official Hashtag: #LexusDesignAward

CALL FOR ENTRIES TO THE LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2021 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 designers and creators whose works can help to shape a better future. It provides a unique opportunity for each finalist to work with a 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.

Entries are now being invited for the 2021 Lexus Design Award. Even though the 2020 Lexus Design Award Winner will only be announced on September 1^st, Lexus already would like to invite submissions for the ninth edition of this prestigious international competition. The Award will once again seek to nurture and reward the best in emerging design and creative talent from around the world.

Lexus believes design has the power to change the world and wants to inspire creators to produce ideas that can improve people’s lives. The way in which each entry reflects the three core principles of the Lexus brand – Anticipate, Innovate and Captivate – will be considered in the judging process.

The judging panel for the 2021 award will be announced in the autumn and will again feature distinguished design practitioners, academics and commentators. Previous judges have included Paola Antonelli, a curator and director at New York’s Museum of Modern Art, design critic and curator Aric Chen and internationally acclaimed architect Sir David Adjaye.

Six finalists will be selected from the entries received. Each will be given funding to develop their idea into a prototype concept, with mentorship direction from well-known creators from the world of international design. The culmination of the award will be announcement of the Grand Prix winner, who will enjoy high-profile global exposure for their work and design talent.

The award is open to adult design professionals, students and enthusiasts worldwide. In past years, entries have covered a vast spectrum of concepts and design fields, including industrial design, architecture, technology and engineering, fashion and interior design. Entries can be submitted up to 11 October 2020. Full details on how to take part can be found at http://www.lexusdesignaward.com.

Out of 2,042 entries from 79 countries, a record for Lexus Design Award, only one Grand Prix winner will be selected. The Virtual Grand-Prix Selection will link the six finalists and the esteemed judging panel of Paola Antonelli, Jeanne Gang, John Maeda, and Simon Humphries. The judges' decision on the Grand Prix winner will be based on three key principles of the Lexus brand: Anticipate, Innovate, and Captivate, with an emphasis on design that leads to a better tomorrow.

“Great designers thrive in difficult situations, and help individuals and society deal with unexpected change,” said Paola Antonelli. “This year's finalists have already passed the first important test by continuing their good work despite complex circumstances. We will miss meeting them in person, but we look forward to their experiments and to the new wisdom that they will bring to the virtual Grand Prix Selection.”.

In January, the six finalists participated in a momentous workshop experience in New York City. The workshop put the finalists face-to-face with four acclaimed mentors: Joe Doucet, Bethan Gray, Philippe Malouin and Shohei Shigematsu, each of whom shared their own distinctive wisdom and expertise. INTERSECT BY LEXUS-NYC, the brand’s unique lifestyle space, served as the workshop venue. In the ensuing months, the finalists have benefited from their mentors’ ongoing guidance and support via one-on-one online mentoring sessions, which continue to stimulate their creative evolution in preparing their works for the final judging process. The four Mentors will also join the virtual Grand Prix selection.

LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2020 FINALISTS

• Biocraft by Sutherlin Santo (USA)
• Feltscape, by Théophile Peju & Salvatore Cicero (France, Italy / Based in United Kingdom)
• Flash Pak, by Yaokun Wu (China / Based in USA)
• L.I.C.K., by Irina Samoilova (Russia)
• Open Source Communities, by BellTower (Kenya)
• Pursewit, by Aqsa Ajmal (Pakistan)

A Grand Prix trophy, designed by Hideki Yoshimoto, will be unveiled when this year’s Grand Prix winner is announced in September. Yoshimoto was a winner of the first Lexus Design Award in 2013 and has become a successful designer based in London working with a number of global brands. The trophy design will incorporate his engineering background and commitment to Japanese takumi-craftsmanship and will continue to be used for all future Lexus Design Award events.

Call for Entries for Lexus Design Award 2021 begins today and will close on October 11^th. The Judges and Mentors will be announced this fall.

For more information, please visit LexusDesignAward.com

Official Hashtag: #LexusDesignAward

Biocraft

Biocraft materials combine natural biopolymers with emerging technology to produce materials with advanced capabilities that better our health and the environment. They are intended to replace the inert products in our daily lives with ones that actively engage with their surroundings by removing C02 from the air and disseminating nutrients.

Sutherlin Santo (USA)

Paul and Garrett Sutherlin Santo are designers from Downtown Los Angeles. Their work seeks to project a future where design’s connection to nature and technology are symmetrical by exploring the relationship of emerging digital processes, ecologically engaged materials, and traditional techniques.

Feltscape

Feltscape is a breathing cloud that fosters the philosophical idea of isolation. It is made of felt and recycled bio-plastic with an innovative robotic fabrication process. By the implementation of sensors and kinetic mechanisms, the cloud will follow the visitor's breath. The membrane rhythm gradually accelerates or decelerates guiding the occupant to inhale/exhale slower.

Théophile Peju (France) & Salvatore Cicero (Italy)

Théophile Peju & Salvatore Cicero are architectural designers based in London. They graduated from the Bartlett School of Architecture – UCL, where they pursued research on textile composite materials. Their design approach, through hands-on experience, combines traditional craftsmanship and innovative robotic fabrication techniques.

Flash Pak

Flash Pak, installed on the lamp posts, makes life jackets easily accessible and provides protection to people in high-risk flooding areas. By utilizing the natural buoyancy of the life jacket, it allows the life vest to rise up to the water’s surface for easy access regardless of how high the water is.

Yaokun Wu, China / Based in USA

Yaokun Wu is an industrial design student at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York. He feels grateful for everything he has and wishes to use design to help people who need it most. He believes design is everywhere, but only that which brings people warmth will never be forgotten.

L.I.C.K

L.I.C.K. is a portable body cleaner that will help people who are unable to use a bath. The device has a soft cleaning surface like a cat’s tongue similar to how cats clean their body from impurities. This cleaning surface has papillae with a U-shaped cavity and different hardness like cats' tongue.

Irina Samoilova, Russia

Irina Samoilova is a product & furniture designer. She is currently studying for a master's degree at Moscow State Stroganov Academy of Design and Applied Art in the furniture design department. Before starting a new design, she first studies animal shapes and how such forms already work in nature.

Open Source Communities

Open Source Communities is a proposal outlining an efficient way of designing communities in developing countries based on using smart open-source plans. The designer’s endeavor is to see how these designs may be refined to create a water resource center that is sustainable.

BellTower (John Brian Kamau, Joyce Wairimu Gachiri, Ian Githegi Kamau, Esther Wanjiku Kamau and Arvin Booker Kamau), Kenya

BellTower was established in 2014 with the vision of using open source systems and technologies to solve problems. They came together to create a team with skills in Risk Management, Information Technology, Design, Project Management and Strategy to build an open-source community model for personal, corporate and industrial needs.

Pursewit

The Pursewit has a sleek new design that just invites you to sew!

By simplifying sewing machine use for the visually impaired, the operation is made more intuitive and tactile, aiding in the cumbersome process of sewing.

Aqsa Ajmal, Pakistan

Aqsa Ajmal, Industrial Designer, graduated from National University of Sciences and Technology. She is steered by her belief in design as a problem-solving tool, devising relationships between ideas and reality. Through her tangible interaction and firsthand experiments in design, she looks forward to improving connections between people and products.

PAOLA ANTONELLI

SENIOR CURATOR FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN AT MoMA, NY

Paola Antonelli is Senior Curator of Architecture & Design at The Museum of Modern Art, as well as MoMA’s founding Director of Research & Development. Her goal is to promote design’s understanding, until its positive influence on the world is universally acknowledged. Her work investigates design’s impact on everyday experience, often including overlooked objects and practices, and combining design, architecture, art, science and technology. She has curated shows, written books, lectured worldwide, and taught in several schools, including Harvard and UCLA. Following the XXII Triennale di Milano––her 2019 Broken Nature, devoted to the idea of restorative design––she is working on Material Ecology, a show on the work of architect Neri Oxman that will open at MoMA in February 2020; on several new sessions of her MoMA R&D Salons; and on two books–– a collection of essays on contemporary design and Design Bites, a book about foods from all over the world as examples of design.

JEANNE GANG

ARCHITECT / FOUNDING PRINCIPAL, PARTNER OF STUDIO GANG

Jeanne Gang, FAIA, is the founding principal and partner of internationally renowned architecture and urban design practice Studio Gang. Recognized for an approach that expands beyond architecture’s conventional boundaries to foreground relationships between individuals, communities, and their environment. Jeanne has a diverse, award-winning portfolio of work throughout the Americas and Europe. These include Aqua Tower in Chicago, an expansion of the American Museum of Natural History in New York and the new United States Embassy in Brasilia. A MacArthur Fellow and Professor in Practice of Architecture at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, Jeanne this year was named one of the most influential people in the world by TIME Magazine and won her largest commission to date: the 2.2 million sf O’Hare Global Terminal.

JOHN MAEDA

TECHNOLOGIST / CHIEF EXPERIENCE OFFICER, PUBLICIS SAPIENT

John Maeda is an American technologist, designer, engineer, artist, investor, author, and teacher. He was recently appointed chief experience officer at Publicis Sapient, the technology consulting and delivery arm of communications and marketing conglomerate Publicis. He has held positions with Automattic, the parent company of WordPress.com; the venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins; led research at the MIT Media Lab; and served as president of the Rhode Island School of Design. Named as one of the “75 Most Influential People of the 21st Century” by Esquire, Maeda draws on his diverse background as an MIT-trained engineer, award-winning designer, and executive leader to bring people and ideas together at scale. He is the author of several celebrated books, including The Laws of Simplicity and Redesigning Leadership and his upcoming book How to Speak Machine will be available November 2019. He has appeared as a speaker all over the world, from Davos to Beijing to São Paulo to New York, and his talks for TED have received millions of views.

SIMON HUMPHRIES

HEAD OF TOYOTA & LEXUS GLOBAL DESIGN

Simon Humphries is Head of Toyota & Lexus Global Design. He was appointed to oversee design for both brands in 2018. As Head of Lexus Global Design Humphries seeks to define Lexus' unique values in the form of a brand philosophy, incorporating a clear cultural reference to Lexus' Japanese heritage and building a design direction that is relevant to users around the world.

Humphries joined the company in 1994. His many roles in leadership and advanced design include defining the signature spindle grille that has become an icon for the Lexus brand. In 2016 he became President of ED2 (Toyota Europe Design Development) where his team spearheaded development of mobility concepts such as the Toyota e-Palette concept as part of the brand’s transition from “automotive company” to “mobility company.” Humphries began his career in design in 1988 when he was awarded the Royal Society of Arts Bursary Prize for Product Design in the UK. The award gave him the opportunity to work for Sony, which jumpstarted his passion for living and working in Japan. In his spare time Humphries enjoys carpentry and is restoring a 100-year old Japanese farmhouse.

LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2020 PANEL OF MENTORS

JOE DOUCET

FOUNDER, JOE DOUCET X PARTNERS

A designer, entrepreneur, inventor and creative director, Joe Doucet is one of the most sought-after creative talents working in America today. After graduating from the Art Center College of Design, Doucet quickly began exporting his vision into product, furniture, environment, and technology to find solutions for daily and societal challenges through design. His work deftly hybridizes function and visual appeal while conveying layers of meaning and message. Doucet believes that design and, more importantly, a designer’s thought process can play a larger role in innovation and problem solving, as well as aesthetics. He currently holds numerous patents for his designs and inventions. Doucet’s work has been exhibited globally, including the London Design Museum and the Biennale International Design in Saint-Etienne. He has received numerous international awards, including a World Technology Award for Design Innovation and multiple Good Design Awards. He was also named the only ever AvantGuardian for Design by Surface Magazine. In 2017, Doucet was named the 2017 Winner of the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award as Product Designer—the highest honor in his field. As an entrepreneur, Doucet has created and launched a myriad of businesses aimed at making the world a better place though design, including OTHR and Citizen A.

BETHAN GRAY

CREATIVE DIRECTOR, BETHAN GRAY DESIGN

London-based Bethan Gray is one the UK’s most celebrated furniture and homeware designers, having been awarded four Elle Decoration British Design Awards including the coveted Best British Designer. Her work features extensively in global media; and she has exhibited in London, Milan, Paris, New York and Dubai.

Bethan’s ancestors went on an incredible journey across continents - Bethan has since visited many of the places they passed through, inspired by a love of travel, art and culture. Today, her mission is to bring contemporary relevance to the traditional techniques from these regions – keeping both cultural narratives and craft skills alive. She believes in the power to tell stories through craft and design and has formed joint ventures based on mutual trust and respect that support over 400 master crafts people globally.

Established in 2008, Bethan Gray Design creates luxury handcrafted collections of furniture and home accessories that are sold through global retailers such as Harrods, Liberty, Lane Crawford. Within her own practice in London, she nurtures, connects and encourages new design talent and mentors upcoming female designers. She has recently launched a Prize for Women in Craft with Cardiff Metropolitan University where she is an honorary fellow.

PHILIPPE MALOUIN

DIRECTOR, PHILIPPE MALOUIN STUDIO

British-Canadian Philippe Malouin holds a bachelor’s degree in Design from the Design Academy Eindhoven. He has also studied at the École Nationale Supérieure de Création Industrielle in Paris and the University of Montreal.

He set up his studio in 2008 after working for English designer Tom Dixon. Philippe has also taught at the Royal College of Art in London between 2012-2015. He is also the director of POST-OFFICE, the architectural and interior design practice.

His diverse portfolio includes tables, rugs, chairs, lights, art objects and installations. Philippe’s client list includes SCP, Marsotto Edizioni, Resident, OTHR, Hem, Ace hotel, Matter-Made, Established & Sons, Roll & Hill, 1882 ltd., Kvadrat, Umbra Shift, Caesarstone, IZÉ, Swarovski, Bloomberg, Aesop and Touch Digital.

Philippe is represented by Salon 94 Design gallery in New York City. He has recently won the Wallpaper* Magazine 'designer of the year' award. Philippe lives and works in London, where he operates his design studio.

SHOHEI SHIGEMATSU

PARTNER AND DIRECTOR OF OMA NEW YORK

Shohei Shigematsu joined OMA in 1998, has led the New York office since 2006, and became a partner in 2008. He has recently completed the renovation of Sotheby’s New York headquarters, luxury high-rise towers in San Francisco and Miami, and OMA’s first ground-up building in New York City, a residential complex at 121 East 22nd Street. Sho has successfully completed designs for cultural venues including the Quebec National Beaux Arts Museum and the Faena Arts Center in Miami Beach. Currently in progress are the expansion of Buffalo’s Albright-Knox-Gundlach Art Museum and a second building for the New Museum. Sho has also designed exhibitions for Prada, the Venice Architecture Biennale, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Park Avenue Armory, and Dior’s first US retrospective at the Denver Art Museum and Dallas Museum of Art. He oversees OMA’s projects in Japan, including a new business center in Fukuoka (2021) and OMA’s first mixed-use tower in Tokyo for Mori Building Co, Ltd. (2023).

A design critic at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, Sho has lectured at TED and Wired Japan conference, and at universities throughout the world.

LEXUS DESIGN AWARD TROPHY DESIGNER

HIDEKI YOSHIMOTO

Hideki Yoshimoto is a designer and engineer, working on a wide range of creative and technology projects. He studied aeronautics and astronautics at the University of Tokyo and carried out PhD research at the Royal College of Art, before founded TANGENT, his own lighting brand in 2015 in London. His projects and research have received several international awards in both of design and engineering, such as Lexus Design Award’s Grand Prix, Red Dot Design Concept’s Best of the Best Award, and Best Conference Award from Japanese Society of Artificial Intelligence. He was also appointed as a visiting associate professor at Osaka University of Arts in Japan in 2018.

We will continue to provide updates regarding "SENSES ELECTRIFIED" as further information becomes available.

EXHIBIT OVERVIEW

For more information, visit:

www.lexusdesignevent.com

Official hashtags:

#LexusDesignEvent

#LexusDesignAward

“SENSES ELECTRIFIED” will be held April 21st through April 26th, at Superstudio Più, in the Tortona district – at the heart of Milan Design Week.

Founder and Director of Loop.pH Mathias Gmachl says “We really enjoy working with the Lexus brand because it is both visionary and human centered. ‘LEXUS ELECTRIFIED’ aims to be an extension of your senses. The installation leads you on a journey through a series of immersive environments that reveal the perception-amplifying possibilities of electrification.”

In the same venue, the six finalists of the 2020 Lexus Design Award will exhibit their works in an interactive display. Now in its eighth year, the Lexus Design Award provides a unique platform for young creators to demonstrate and further develop their talents. On Press Day, April 20th, the Grand Prix winner will be selected by an international jury of renowned design leaders working at the cutting-edge of creative media.

EXHIBIT OVERVIEW

• Event Title LEXUS DESIGN EVENT 2020 – SENSES ELECTRIFIED
• Duration 21 -25 April, 10:00 - 21:00 / April 26, 10:00 – 18:00(Press preview: April 20, 10:00-17:30)
• Venue Superstudio Più (Art Point)Via Tortona, 27 20144 – Milano, Italy
• Exhibits - Installation created by Loop.pH- The 6 finalists’ designs for the Lexus Design Award 2020
• Organizer Lexus International

ABOUT LOOP.PH

Loop.pH is an experimental, London-based spatial laboratory working across the fields of design, architecture and the sciences. The studio was founded in 2003 by Mathias Gmachl and Rachel Wingfield to form a new creative practice that reaches beyond specialist boundaries. As a studio they create visionary experiences and environments that allow people to dream and re-imagine new visions for our future. Loop.pH explores the role of art and design in public space by working outside of the gallery, museum and laboratory. Their work speculates on near and far future scenarios as a way to probe at the social and environmental impact of emerging biological and technological futures. The environments they create often synthesise living materials with digital tools, whilst exploring a new role for designers working at an urban scale. Loop.pH works with a range of clients to create brand experiences and public engagement initiatives, as well as delivering talks and workshops internationally.

Notable works include Mind Pilot for the Design Museum London in 2018, OSMO at TED2015, and the Hybrid Art Project for Lexus Russia in 2010.

http://loop.ph/

#LexusDesignEvent

#LexusDesignAward

#LexusElectrified

Lexus Design Award 2020 Finalists

• Bio.Scales by Sutherlin Santo (USA)

A modular, carbon sequestering air filtration system assembled from robotically 3D printed biopolymer scales.

• Feltscape, by Théophile Peju & Salvatore Cicero (France, Italy / Based in United Kingdom)

A breathing felt cloud which interacts with people and space to enhance well-being.

• Flash Pak, by Yaokun Wu (China / Based in USA)

A smart survival apparatus that protects young students and helps them stay together in flash floods.

• Lick, by Irina Samoilova (Russia)

A portable body cleaner for humans with a unique surface similar to a cat’s tongue.

• Open Source Communities, by BellTower (Kenya)

A project exploring the future of smart sustainable communities in developing countries using open-source home plans.

• Pursewit, by Aqsa Ajmal (Pakistan)

An accessible sewing machine that incorporates sewing skills to assist in income generation for the visually impaired.

According to technologist and Lexus Design Award 2020 judge John Maeda, “this year’s Lexus Design Award finalists speak to two main themes: consciousness and the environment, which are increasingly relevant as technological progress impacts our world. As design projects they go beyond just asking questions to provide concrete answers based on innovative reasoning and practiced opinions on engineering. Narrowing the massive list of entries down to the small set of representative works was not a simple task. But working with jurors like Jeanne Gang and Paola Antonelli made the task easy given their broad range of knowledge about transformative design projects. I offered my technology and business perspective to question both engineering and financial viability. In the end I think we found the right set of captivating projects to represent the themes of mind and body that are critical to our future.”

In January the six finalists travelled to New York City for a life-changing workshop experience, engaging in a dialogue with four acclaimed mentors: Joe Doucet, Bethan Gray, Philippe Malouin and Shohei Shigematsu, each offering their own distinctive wisdom and expertise. The workshop had taken place at INTERSECT BY LEXUS-NYC, the brand’s unique lifestyle space.

This workshop kicks off an ongoing interaction between finalists and mentors leading up to the judging session in Italy, during Milan Design Week*. In the context of this major event on the global design calendar, finalists will present their completed prototypes to the world and one will be selected by the esteemed judging panel of Paola Antonelli, Jeanne Gang, John Maeda, and Simon Humphries during the competition’s Grand Prix event.

Please visit LexusDesignAward.com for additional information.

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.}

LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2020 FINALISTS 

Bio.Scales

Bio.Scales are biopolymer filters made from natural, ecologically engaged materials designed to remove carbon and other harmful compounds from the air. This modular, 3D printed system is reconfigurable and adaptable, providing improved air quality to any living space.

Sutherlin Santo, USA

Paul and Garrett Sutherlin Santo are designers from Downtown Los Angeles. Their work seeks to project a future where design’s connection to nature and technology are symmetrical by exploring the relationship of emerging digital processes, ecologically engaged materials, and traditional craft.

Feltscape

Feltscape is a breathing cloud made from felt and thermoplastic that captures noise and customizes interior acoustic and lighting qualities. Feltscape is the result of an innovative fabrication process that combines haute couture techniques and robotic additive manufacturing.

Théophile Peju (France) & Salvatore Cicero (Italy)

Based in United Kingdom

Théophile Peju & Salvatore Cicero are architectural designers based in London. They graduated from the Bartlett School of Architecture – UCL, where they pursued research on textile composite materials. Their design approach, through hands-on experience, combines traditional craftsmanship and innovative robotic fabrication techniques.

Flash Pak

Flash Pak is a smart survival apparatus like a life jacket that guides students to safety in flash floods via a haptic navigation system with LED lights. It inflates to become a flotation device alone but also can be strapped to other Flash Paks to keep the group together like a raft.

Yaokun Wu, China / Based in USA

Yaokun Wu is an industrial design student at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York. He feels grateful for everything he has and wishes to use design to help people who need it most. He believes design is everywhere, but only that which brings people warmth will never be forgotten.

Lick

Lick is a portable body cleaner which will help people who are unable to use a bath. The device has a cleaning surface like a cat’s tongue similar to how cats clean their body from impurities.

Irina Samoilova, Russia

Irina Samoilova is a product & furniture designer. She is currently studying for a master's degree at Moscow State Stroganov Academy of Design and Applied Art in the furniture design department. Before starting a new design, she first studies animal shapes and how such forms already work in nature.

Open Source Communities

Open Source Communities is a proposal outlining an efficient way of designing communities in developing countries based on using smart open-source plans. The designers endeavor to see how these designs may be refined for adaptability to create connected homes that are sustainable.

BellTower (John Brian Kamau, Joyce Wairimu Gachiri, Ian Githegi Kamau, Esther Wanjiku Kamau and Arvin Booker Kamau), Kenya

BellTower was established in 2014 with the vision of using open source systems and technologies to solve problems. They came together to create a team with skills in Risk Management, Information Technology, Design, Project Management and Strategy to build an open-source community model for personal, corporate and industrial needs.

Pursewit

The Pursewit has a sleek new design that just invites you to sew!

By simplifying sewing machine use for the visually impaired, operation is made more intuitive and tactile, enhancing the cumbersome process of sewing.

Aqsa Ajmal, Pakistan

Aqsa Ajmal, Industrial Designer, graduated from National University of Sciences and Technology. She is steered by her belief in design as a problem-solving tool, devising relationships between ideas and reality. Through her tangible interaction and firsthand experiments in design, she looks forward to improving connections between people and products.

PAOLA ANTONELLI

SENIOR CURATOR FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN AT MoMA, NY

Paola Antonelli is Senior Curator of Architecture & Design at The Museum of Modern Art, as well as MoMA’s founding Director of Research & Development. Her goal is to promote design’s understanding, until its positive influence on the world is universally acknowledged. Her work investigates design’s impact on everyday experience, often including overlooked objects and practices, and combining design, architecture, art, science and technology. She has curated shows, written books, lectured worldwide, and taught in several schools, including Harvard and UCLA. Following the XXII Triennale di Milano––her 2019 Broken Nature, devoted to the idea of restorative design––she is working on Material Ecology, a show on the work of architect Neri Oxman that will open at MoMA in February 2020; on several new sessions of her MoMA R&D Salons; and on two books–– a collection of essays on contemporary design and Design Bites, a book about foods from all over the world as examples of design.

JEANNE GANG

ARCHITECT / FOUNDING PRINCIPAL, PARTNER OF STUDIO GANG

Jeanne Gang, FAIA, is the founding principal and partner of internationally renowned architecture and urban design practice Studio Gang. Recognized for an approach that expands beyond architecture’s conventional boundaries to foreground relationships between individuals, communities, and their environment. Jeanne has a diverse, award-winning portfolio of work throughout the Americas and Europe. These include Aqua Tower in Chicago, an expansion of the American Museum of Natural History in New York and the new United States Embassy in Brasilia. A MacArthur Fellow and Professor in Practice of Architecture at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, Jeanne this year was named one of the most influential people in the world by TIME Magazine and won her largest commission to date: the 2.2 million sf O’Hare Global Terminal.

JOHN MAEDA

TECHNOLOGIST / CHIEF EXPERIENCE OFFICER, PUBLICIS SAPIENT

John Maeda is an American technologist, designer, engineer, artist, investor, author, and teacher. He was recently appointed chief experience officer at Publicis Sapient, the technology consulting and delivery arm of communications and marketing conglomerate Publicis. He has held positions with Automattic, the parent company of WordPress.com; the venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins; led research at the MIT Media Lab; and served as president of the Rhode Island School of Design. Named as one of the “75 Most Influential People of the 21st Century” by Esquire, Maeda draws on his diverse background as an MIT-trained engineer, award-winning designer, and executive leader to bring people and ideas together at scale. He is the author of several celebrated books, including The Laws of Simplicity and Redesigning Leadership and his upcoming book How to Speak Machine will be available November 2019. He has appeared as a speaker all over the world, from Davos to Beijing to São Paulo to New York, and his talks for TED have received millions of views.

SIMON HUMPHRIES

HEAD OF TOYOTA & LEXUS GLOBAL DESIGN

Simon Humphries is Head of Toyota & Lexus Global Design. He was appointed to oversee design for both brands in 2018. As Head of Lexus Global Design Humphries seeks to define Lexus' unique values in the form of a brand philosophy, incorporating a clear cultural reference to Lexus' Japanese heritage and building a design direction that is relevant to users around the world.

Humphries joined the company in 1994. His many roles in leadership and advanced design include defining the signature spindle grille that has become an icon for the Lexus brand. In 2016 he became President of ED2 (Toyota Europe Design Development) where his team spearheaded development of mobility concepts such as the Toyota e-Palette concept as part of the brand’s transition from “automotive company” to “mobility company.” Humphries began his career in design in 1988 when he was awarded the Royal Society of Arts Bursary Prize for Product Design in the UK. The award gave him the opportunity to work for Sony, which jumpstarted his passion for living and working in Japan. In his spare time Humphries enjoys carpentry and is restoring a 100-year old Japanese farmhouse.

LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2020 PANEL OF MENTORS

JOE DOUCET

FOUNDER, JOE DOUCET X PARTNERS

A designer, entrepreneur, inventor and creative director, Joe Doucet is one of the most sought-after creative talents working in America today. After graduating from the Art Center College of Design, Doucet quickly began exporting his vision into product, furniture, environment, and technology to find solutions for daily and societal challenges through design. His work deftly hybridizes function and visual appeal while conveying layers of meaning and message. Doucet believes that design and, more importantly, a designer’s thought process can play a larger role in innovation and problem solving, as well as aesthetics. He currently holds numerous patents for his designs and inventions. Doucet’s work has been exhibited globally, including the London Design Museum and the Biennale International Design in Saint-Etienne. He has received numerous international awards, including a World Technology Award for Design Innovation and multiple Good Design Awards. He was also named the only ever AvantGuardian for Design by Surface Magazine. In 2017, Doucet was named the 2017 Winner of the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award as Product Designer—the highest honor in his field. As an entrepreneur, Doucet has created and launched a myriad of businesses aimed at making the world a better place though design, including OTHR and Citizen A.

BETHAN GRAY

CREATIVE DIRECTOR, BETHAN GRAY DESIGN

London-based Bethan Gray is one the UK’s most celebrated furniture and homeware designers, having been awarded four Elle Decoration British Design Awards including the coveted Best British Designer. Her work features extensively in global media; and she has exhibited in London, Milan, Paris, New York and Dubai.

Bethan’s ancestors went on an incredible journey across continents - Bethan has since visited many of the places they passed through, inspired by a love of travel, art and culture. Today, her mission is to bring contemporary relevance to the traditional techniques from these regions – keeping both cultural narratives and craft skills alive. She believes in the power to tell stories through craft and design and has formed joint ventures based on mutual trust and respect that support over 400 master crafts people globally.

Established in 2008, Bethan Gray Design creates luxury handcrafted collections of furniture and home accessories that are sold through global retailers such as Harrods, Liberty, Lane Crawford. Within her own practice in London, she nurtures, connects and encourages new design talent and mentors upcoming female designers. She has recently launched a Prize for Women in Craft with Cardiff Metropolitan University where she is an honorary fellow.

PHILIPPE MALOUIN

DIRECTOR, PHILIPPE MALOUIN STUDIO

British-Canadian Philippe Malouin holds a bachelor’s degree in Design from the Design Academy Eindhoven. He has also studied at the École Nationale Supérieure de Création Industrielle in Paris and the University of Montreal.

He set up his studio in 2008 after working for English designer Tom Dixon. Philippe has also taught at the Royal College of Art in London between 2012-2015. He is also the director of POST-OFFICE, the architectural and interior design practice.

His diverse portfolio includes tables, rugs, chairs, lights, art objects and installations. Philippe’s client list includes SCP, Marsotto Edizioni, Resident, OTHR, Hem, Ace hotel, Matter-Made, Established & Sons, Roll & Hill, 1882 ltd., Kvadrat, Umbra Shift, Caesarstone, IZÉ, Swarovski, Bloomberg, Aesop and Touch Digital.

Philippe is represented by Salon 94 Design gallery in New York City. He has recently won the Wallpaper* Magazine 'designer of the year' award. Philippe lives and works in London, where he operates his design studio.

SHOHEI SHIGEMATSU

PARTNER AND DIRECTOR OF OMA NEW YORK

Shohei Shigematsu joined OMA in 1998, has led the New York office since 2006, and became a partner in 2008. He has recently completed the renovation of Sotheby’s New York headquarters, luxury high-rise towers in San Francisco and Miami, and OMA’s first ground-up building in New York City, a residential complex at 121 East 22nd Street. Sho has successfully completed designs for cultural venues including the Quebec National Beaux Arts Museum and the Faena Arts Center in Miami Beach. Currently in progress are the expansion of Buffalo’s Albright-Knox-Gundlach Art Museum and a second building for the New Museum. Sho has also designed exhibitions for Prada, the Venice Architecture Biennale, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Park Avenue Armory, and Dior’s first US retrospective at the Denver Art Museum and Dallas Museum of Art. He oversees OMA’s projects in Japan, including a new business center in Fukuoka (2020) and OMA’s first mixed-use tower in Tokyo for Mori Building Co, Ltd. (2022).

A design critic at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, Sho has lectured at TED and Wired Japan conference, and at universities throughout the world.

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 announced the list of judges and mentors for the Lexus Design Award 2020. Now on its eight year, the international design competition aims to continuously nurture and support the up-and-coming designers who use design to build a better future.

This year, Jeanne Gang joins other esteemed design leaders to form this year’s panel of judges and that exemplifies Lexus Design Award’s goal of “Design for a Better Tomorrow.” Gang adds new perspective to the already richly diverse panel that includes luminaries Paola Antonelli, Senior Curator of Architecture & Design at The Museum of Modern Art, John Maeda, Technologist and Chief Experience Officer at Publicis Sapient, and Yoshihiro Sawa, President of Lexus International.

To mentor the six finalists who will be announced in January 2020, Lexus welcomes a stellar ensemble of creative pioneers from around the globe. Joe Doucet, designer, artist, entrepreneur, inventor and creative director, exhibits globally and has been honored with numerous international awards. Celebrated British designer Bethan Gray's distinctive furniture and furnishings are inspired by world cultures and made in collaboration with master craftspeople. British-Canadian Philippe Malouin is an award winning architectural, interior, and product designer also known for his art objects and installations. Architect Shohei Shigematsu, who heads OMA New York, will again be bringing out the creative potential of young designers, as he did at last year's Lexus Design Award.

Inspired by these four world-renowned designers, the finalists will create prototypes of their design concepts. Prototyping begins with an intensive mentoring workshop at one of the world's most dynamic cultural hubs, Intersect by Lexus, NYC. Finalists will continue to enjoy interactive access to mentors as they work to prepare their prototypes for display and judging at Milan Design Week^* on April 20, 2020.

Following prototype presentations by each finalist, Lexus Design Award 2020 culminates with the announcement of the Grand Prix winner on Milan Design Week’s Press Day.

Lexus Design Award 2020 is currently accepting entries through October 14, 2019.

Please visit LexusDesignAward.com for additional information.

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.

LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2020 PANEL OF JUDGES

PAOLA ANTONELLI

SENIOR CURATOR FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN AT MoMA, NY

Paola Antonelli is Senior Curator of Architecture & Design at The Museum of Modern Art, as well as MoMA’s founding Director of Research & Development. Her goal is to promote design’s understanding, until its positive influence on the world is universally acknowledged. Her work investigates design’s impact on everyday experience, often including overlooked objects and practices, and combining design, architecture, art, science and technology. She has curated shows, written books, lectured worldwide, and taught in several schools, including Harvard and UCLA. Following the XXII Triennale di Milano––her 2019 Broken Nature, devoted to the idea of restorative design––she is working on Material Ecology, a show on the work of architect Neri Oxman that will open at MoMA in February 2020; on several new sessions of her MoMA R&D Salons; and on two books–– a collection of essays on contemporary design and Design Bites, a book about foods from all over the world as examples of design.

JEANNE GANG

ARCHITECT / FOUNDING PRINCIPAL, PARTNER OF STUDIO GANG

Jeanne Gang, FAIA, is the founding principal and partner of internationally renowned architecture and urban design practice Studio Gang. Recognized for an approach that expands beyond architecture’s conventional boundaries to foreground relationships between individuals, communities, and their environment. Jeanne has a diverse, award-winning portfolio of work throughout the Americas and Europe. These include Aqua Tower in Chicago, an expansion of the American Museum of Natural History in New York and the new United States Embassy in Brasilia. A MacArthur Fellow and Professor in Practice of Architecture at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, Jeanne this year was named one of the most influential people in the world by TIME Magazine and won her largest commission to date: the 2.2 million sf O’Hare Global Terminal.

JOHN MAEDA

TECHNOLOGIST / CHIEF EXPERIENCE OFFICER, PUBLICIS SAPIENT

John Maeda is an American technologist, designer, engineer, artist, investor, author, and teacher. He was recently appointed chief experience officer at Publicis Sapient, the technology consulting and delivery arm of communications and marketing conglomerate Publicis. He has held positions with Automattic, the parent company of WordPress.com; the venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins; led research at the MIT Media Lab; and served as president of the Rhode Island School of Design. Named as one of the “75 Most Influential People of the 21st Century” by Esquire, Maeda draws on his diverse background as an MIT-trained engineer, award-winning designer, and executive leader to bring people and ideas together at scale. He is the author of several celebrated books, including The Laws of Simplicity and Redesigning Leadership and his upcoming book How to Speak Machine will be available November 2019. He has appeared as a speaker all over the world, from Davos to Beijing to São Paulo to New York, and his talks for TED have received millions of views.

YOSHIHIRO SAWA

PRESIDENT, LEXUS INTERNATIONAL

Yoshihiro Sawa has been innovating automobile design and engineering for over thirty years. A visionary anchored in the practical, he is acknowledged as a global leader in his field. Sawa has been involved in building better, more beautiful vehicles for decades, applying his unique perspective to the harmony of form and function. This has seen him lead various aspects of the business from engineering to design to product development, giving him a particularly holistic view of the art of building automobiles. Sawa applies this to his role at Lexus, guiding the brand in delivering on its promise of amazing experiences through inspired design, relentless innovation, and uninhibited performance.

LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2020 PANEL OF MENTORS

JOE DOUCET

FOUNDER, JOE DOUCET X PARTNERS

A designer, entrepreneur, inventor and creative director, Joe Doucet is one of the most sought-after creative talents working in America today. After graduating from the Art Center College of Design, Doucet quickly began exporting his vision into product, furniture, environment, and technology to find solutions for daily and societal challenges through design. His work deftly hybridizes function and visual appeal while conveying layers of meaning and message. Doucet believes that design and, more importantly, a designer’s thought process can play a larger role in innovation and problem solving, as well as aesthetics. He currently holds numerous patents for his designs and inventions. Doucet’s work has been exhibited globally, including the London Design Museum and the Biennale International Design in Saint-Etienne. He has received numerous international awards, including a World Technology Award for Design Innovation and multiple Good Design Awards. He was also named the only ever AvantGuardian for Design by Surface Magazine. In 2017, Doucet was named the 2017 Winner of the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award as Product Designer—the highest honor in his field. As an entrepreneur, Doucet has created and launched a myriad of businesses aimed at making the world a better place though design, including OTHR and Citizen A.

BETHAN GRAY

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

London-based Bethan Gray is one the UK’s most celebrated furniture and homeware designers, having been awarded four Elle Decoration British Design Awards including the coveted Best British Designer. Her work features extensively in global media; and she has exhibited in London, Milan, Paris, New York and Dubai.

Bethan’s ancestors went on an incredible journey across continents - Bethan has since visited many of the places they passed through, inspired by a love of travel, art and culture. Today, her mission is to bring contemporary relevance to the traditional techniques from these regions – keeping both cultural narratives and craft skills alive. She believes in the power to tell stories through craft and design and has formed joint ventures based on mutual trust and respect that support over 400 master crafts people globally.

Established in 2008, Bethan Gray Design creates luxury handcrafted collections of furniture and home accessories that are sold through global retailers such as Harrods, Liberty, Lane Crawford. Within her own practice in London, she nurtures, connects and encourages new design talent and mentors upcoming female designers. She has recently launched a Prize for Women in Craft with Cardiff Metropolitan University where she is an honorary fellow.

PHILIPPE MALOUIN

DIRECTOR, PHILIPPE MALOUIN STUDIO

British-Canadian Philippe Malouin holds a bachelor’s degree in Design from the Design Academy Eindhoven. He has also studied at the École Nationale Supérieure de Création Industrielle in Paris and the University of Montreal.

He set up his studio in 2008 after working for English designer Tom Dixon. Philippe has also taught at the Royal College of Art in London between 2012-2015. He is also the director of POST-OFFICE, the architectural and interior design practice.

His diverse portfolio includes tables, rugs, chairs, lights, art objects and installations. Philippe’s client list includes SCP, Marsotto Edizioni, Resident, OTHR, Hem, Ace hotel, Matter-Made, Established & Sons, Roll & Hill, 1882 ltd., Kvadrat, Umbra Shift, Caesarstone, IZÉ, Swarovski, Bloomberg, Aesop, Touch Digital.

Philippe is represented by Salon 94 Design gallery in New York City. He has recently won the Wallpaper* Magazine 'designer of the year' award. Philippe lives and works in London, where he operates his design studio.

SHOHEI SHIGEMATSU

PARTNER AND DIRECTOR OF OMA NEW YORK

Shohei Shigematsu joined OMA in 1998, has led the New York office since 2006, and became a partner in 2008. He has recently completed the renovation of Sotheby’s New York headquarters, luxury high-rise towers in San Francisco and Miami, and OMA’s first ground-up building in New York City, a residential complex at 121 East 22nd Street. Sho has successfully completed designs for cultural venues including the Quebec National Beaux Arts Museum and the Faena Arts Center in Miami Beach. Currently in progress are the expansion of Buffalo’s Albright-Knox-Gundlach Art Museum and a second building for the New Museum. Sho has also designed exhibitions for Prada, the Venice Architecture Biennale, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Park Avenue Armory, and Dior’s first US retrospective at the Denver Art Museum and Dallas Museum of Art. He oversees OMA’s projects in Japan, including a new business center in Fukuoka (2020) and OMA’s first mixed-use tower in Tokyo for Mori Building Co, Ltd. (2022).

A design critic at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, Sho has lectured at TED and Wired Japan conference, and at universities throughout the world.

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 designers and creators whose works can help to shape a better future. It provides a unique opportunity for each finalists to work with a 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.

The show is a landmark occasion for Tangent, the winner of the inaugural Lexus Design Award Grand Prix in 2013. An interpretation of Inaho, the interactive lighting concept that earned the team of Hideki Yoshimoto and Yoshinaka Ono the prestigious international prize, will be among the works on view.

Inspired by the subtle motion of golden ears of rice in the wind, Inaho casts luminous dots of light through perforated tubes. Motion sensors embedded in the base of the unit cause the light stems to sway as a person passes by. Inaho is also commercially available as part of the Crafted for Lexus line of exclusive products and forms part of the innovative interior design of THE LOFT, an award-winning lounge concept presented by Lexus and Brussels Airlines at Brussels Airport.

Hideki Yoshimoto, founder and director of Tangent, said: “It is an honour to collaborate with Lexus during the London Design Festival and present a solo show of Tangent. Winning the Lexus Design Award in 2013 was the catalyst for the start of my career as a designer, and since then, Tangent and Lexus have developed a close working relationship. This exhibition will be another great example of our collaboration and I hope it will be enjoyed by many people.”

Other works in Tangent’s festival show include Here (2019), a sculpture of planet Earth measuring 3.5 metres in diameter and covered in more than 20,000 triangular tiles made from recycled solar cells. The cells create a complex distribution of blue shades – an appropriate metaphor for the “blue planet”. The work was originally commissioned from Tangent by the luxury brand Hermès for its booth at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, one of the most prestigious trade fairs for the international watch-making industry.

Signalling Lexus’s passion for design and continuing support for Tangent’s creative excellence, the exhibits will also include the Lexus LC 500h self-charging hybrid electric coupe. This flagship model has its own distinguished design history, having won prestigious EyesOn Design Awards at the North American International Auto Show, when presented both in original concept form and as a production-ready model. Finished in Sonic Red, the LC hybrid makes a strong visual statement with luxury coupe proportions that project an avant-garde elegance. Its styling is remarkably faithful to the original design concept that inspired it, presenting an evocative and fluid interpretation of Lexus’s contemporary design language.

Spiros Fotinos, Lexus Global Head of Brand Management and Marketing, said: “The Lexus LC embodies our passion for exceptional design and craftsmanship that differentiates us in the luxury market. Our commitment to great design is reflected in the annual Lexus Design Award, which, as it enters its eighth year, continues to nurture emerging talent and gives up-and-coming designers the opportunity to develop their concepts with internationally renowned design leaders. We are delighted to see how much Hideki Yoshimoto and Tangent have prospered since winning the first Lexus Design Award and are pleased to support their excellent contribution to the London Design Festival.”

Entries are now being accepted for the Lexus Design Award 2020. Entrants from around the world are invited to submit design concept ideas that capture the three key principles of the Lexus brand – Anticipate, Innovate and Captivate – and how they help meet the needs of both individuals and society. The closing date for entries is 14 October; in early 2020, six finalists will be announced who will enter a mentorship programme in New York City, working with esteemed designers to develop their concepts into prototypes. Each finalist will have up to three million yen (more than £22,000) to develop their prototypes. Their work will be included in the Lexus design installation at Milan Design Week in 2020, where the Grand Prix winner will be announced. More details about the award can be found at LexusDesignAward.Com.

Paddington Central is a vibrant development of offices, apartments, leisure facilities and open space, adjacent to Paddington Station in central west London, created on an 11-acre former railway goods yard. This is its second year as an official Design Route, featuring exhibits and activities as part of the London Design Festival.

The festival was founded in 2003 and is an annual event celebrating and promoting the city’s creativity and status as a global design capital, drawing on the work of the UK’s greatest thinkers, practitioners, retailers and educators. In 2018, the festival welcomed a record-breaking 588,200 individual visitors from more than 75 countries, while almost 600,000 passers-by had the opportunity to see four landmark projects in public spaces. More information can be found at londondesignfestival.com and #LDF19.

Lexus International is now accepting entries to its annual design competition. Now in its eighth year, Lexus Design Award provides a unique platform for young creators to demonstrate and further develop their talents. Founded in 2013 to support and foster up-and-coming creators, the program continues to evolve to inspire innovations in design that lead to a better tomorrow, and each year has seen a steady increase in number of entries from across the world. Last year, creators from 65 countries submitted 1,548 design proposals, many of which leveraged the power of technology.

As was the case last year, entrants will need to demonstrate how their creative ideas express three key principles of the Lexus brand: Anticipate, Innovate, and Captivate, with an emphasis on how their design anticipates the needs individuals and society.

In early 2020, Lexus will announce the six finalists who will go on to participate in an extraordinary and exclusive mentorship program in New York City, under the guidance of prominent design leaders from a variety of design fields. Each finalist can use up to 3,000,000 yen (over $25,000 US) to create a prototype of their design concept, which will be exhibited at the Lexus design installation at Milan Design Week^* 2020.

The Lexus Design Award culminates in the announcement of the Grand Prix winner following prototype presentations by each of the six finalists. Prototype presentations and announcement of the Grand Prix winner will happen on a world stage during Press Day at Milan Design Week. The complete list of Lexus Design Award 2020 judges and mentors will be announced in fall of 2019.

Entries to the Lexus Design Award 2020 competition will be accepted from August 1 through October 14, 2019. Please visit LexusDesignAward.com for additional information.

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.

CALL FOR ENTRIES TO THE LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2020 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 designers and creators whose works can help to shape a better future. It provides a unique opportunity for each of six finalists to work with a 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.

• Lexus Design Award 2019’s elite judging panel has selected the Grand Prix winner from 1,548 entries from 65 countries, in an exciting culmination of this prestigious international event which supports the next generation of designers.
• Prototypes of the six finalists’ ideas created with the support of world-class creators through mentorship are on display at the Lexus Milan Design Week venue.
• The competition called for innovative ideas and transformative solutions, leveraging technology to build a better tomorrow.

Lexus International announced today the Grand Prix winner of Lexus Design Award 2019. Lisa Marks won the prestigious award for her design of “Algorithmic Lace” from a total of 1,548 idea submissions from 65 countries across the globe.

Through this program, and since its inception in 2013, Lexus puts into practice its commitment to support and nurture the next generation of designers who share Lexus’ belief in the power of design and innovation to shape a brighter future. The prototypes from all of this year’s finalists make creative use of technology to design practical solutions that have the power to change lives.

Joining the judging panel for the first time, internationally recognized designer and technologist John Maeda had this to say: “When we think of algorithms, we usually think of computers and the high-tech industry. But the textile industry is where algorithms were first deployed as a means to realize new aesthetic choices in fabrics during the 19th century. Lisa Marks “Algorithmic Lace” project not only feeds on that rich history, but goes even further back in time to incorporate a 16th century technique for weaving complex lace patterns. Marks uses this ancient process together with advanced three-dimensional modelling to handcraft bespoke bras for breast cancer survivors who have undergone mastectomy surgery. The result is a combination of function and beauty that positively impacts the survivor’s body aesthetic while also providing fully customized structural comfort.”

Grand Prix winner Lisa Marks said, as she accepted her award, “Lexus doesn’t have to do this. They could be a successful brand without it. But it shows their commitment to design and to a better world.”

The Grand Prix winning prototype along with prototypes created by the other five Lexus Design Award 2019 finalists will be on display at the Lexus exhibition entitled “Leading with Light,” from 09 - 13 April 2019 at Milan Design Week’s Superstudio Più in the Tortona district, the hub of Milan’s international design event.

The “LEADING WITH LIGHT” exhibition, inspired by Lexus’ latest illumination technology and produced in collaboration with new media design studio, Rhizomatiks, is an immersive and emotional experience. By combining playful and dynamic lighting with human dance and advanced robotics, this highly choreographed exhibition uses countless beams of light as robots interact with the movements of a single performer. Within the exhibition, an area called “LEXUS LIGHTS TOMORROW” showcases Lexus’ human-centered approach through cutting-edge vehicle lighting technology that can help shape a better and brighter future.

ABOUT LEXUS

Lexus launched in 1989 with a flagship sedan and a guest experience that helped define the premium automotive industry. In 1998, Lexus introduced the luxury crossover category with the launch of the Lexus RX. The luxury hybrid sales leader, Lexus delivered the world’s first luxury hybrid and has since sold over 1 million hybrid vehicles.

A global luxury automotive brand with an unwavering commitment to bold, uncompromising design, exceptional craftsmanship, and exhilarating performance, Lexus has developed its lineup to meet the needs of the next generation of global luxury guests and is currently available in over 90 countries worldwide.

Lexus associates/team members across the world are dedicated to crafting amazing experiences that are uniquely Lexus, and that excite and change the world.

ABOUT LEXUS DESIGN AWARD

First launched in 2013, in cooperation with designboom, 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 designers and creators whose works can help to shape a better future. It provides a unique opportunity for six finalists to work with a world-class team of established design and innovation talent as mentors to create prototypes of their designs, and then exhibit them at one of the design calendar's most important events.

TOKYO, Japan, 21 February 2019 – Today Lexus announced details of its 12^th annual participation in the world’s premier design event – Milan Design Week^*. For more than a decade, the Lexus Design Event has delivered amazing experiences for visitors, created in collaboration with some of the world’s most celebrated designers and inspired by Lexus’ design philosophy.

For this year’s event, “Leading with Light”, Lexus has partnered with the globally renowned design firm Rhizomatiks. Known for their imaginative use of technology to captivate audiences, Rhizomatiks previously worked with Lexus in 2014 for the art and technology exhibition Media Ambition Tokyo.

Inspired by Lexus’ future illumination technology, ”Leading with Light” is an immersive display featuring playful and dynamic lighting in which seemingly countless beams of light are manipulated to interact with the human form. Intelligent mobile companions intuitively lead the way towards an open portal that represents a future of endless imagination and innovation.

Visitors will also have the opportunity to view the work of the six finalists in the 2019 Lexus Design Award. Now in its seventh year, the award celebrates up-and-coming creative talent from around the world. This year’s Grand Prix winner, selected by a panel of world-renowned designers and commentators, will be announced to the world’s media on the show’s press day, 8 April.

^{* 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.}

EXHIBIT OVERVIEW

COLLABORATION DESIGNER PROFILE

RHIZOMATIKS

Established in 2006, Rhizomatiks is a collective of creators and producers with rich personalities and backgrounds in diverse areas such as media, art and engineering. Rhizomatiks has previously handled numerous creative projects combining technical knowledge with high ability of expression. Collaborating with notable artists such as Björk, Rhizomatiks has created performances for numerous festivals including the Sónar Festival, MUTEK, and other events, both domestic and international.

https://rhizomatiks.com/

The following six finalists were selected from a total of 1,548 entries and will now enter the prototype creation stage with continued support from Lexus:

• Algorithmic Lace, Lisa Marks (USA); A 3D-custom lace bra for breast cancer survivors.
• Arenophile, Rezzan Hasoglu (Turkey / Country of Residence: UK); A project exploring desert sand with different binding materials to create products.
• Baluto, Jeffrey E. Dela Cruz (Philippines); A modular housing system designed to withstand earthquakes and high floods.
• Green Blast Jet Energy, Dmitriy Balashov (Russia); A turbine that collects and converts aircraft jet blast to energy during take-off.
• Hydrus, Shuzhan Yuan (China); An emergency treatment equipment offshore oil spills that increase work efficiency.
• Solgami, Prevalent (Ben Berwick) (Australia); A window blind that generates electricity and increases internal illumination.

In preparation for prototype creation, a Lexus-sponsored 2-day mentoring workshop was held at the newly-opened Intersect by Lexus in New York City, where finalists received hands-on guidance with four globally acclaimed creators: Jessica Rosenkrantz, Shohei Shigematsu, Sebastian Wrong and Jaime Hayon.

According to technologist and 2019 LDA judge, John Maeda, “This year’s submissions revealed a strong awareness of the connectedness of our world and the need for increased social consciousness.” Speaking more on the transformation happening in the area of design thinking, he said, “It’s clear that the fusion of classical design and computational design is now happening especially in the minds of designers looking to solve our world’s biggest problems. I'm optimistic that as we continue to nurture and embrace this new generation of designers we'll see a better tomorrow.”

2019 L.DA Mentor Jaime Hayon said: “The finalist’s ideas are very interesting, and some are truly breaking boundaries. Through the mentoring workshop, I myself was also inspired by interacting with a different generation who looks at technology for the 21st century from a fresh angle. Further the varied backgrounds of the mentors made the whole project richer.”

Finalists will have ongoing access to each mentor as they develop their prototypes during the months leading up to Milan Design Week in April. Their prototypes will then be displayed at the Lexus event space at the 2019 Milan Design Week. Four world-renowned design leaders will select the Lexus Design Award 2019 Grand Prix winner on April 8.

Further details on the Lexus presence at the 2019 Milan Design Week will be announced in mid-February.

First launched in 2013, in cooperation with designboom, 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 designers and creators whose works can help to shape a better future. It provides a unique opportunity for six 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.

LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2019 FINALISTS

Algorithmic Lace

This bra, made for post-mastectomy women, is custom crafted using a new methodology using algorithmic patterning to make three-dimensional lace. This avoids aspects of the bra that create discomfort after surgery, and give each woman a confidence in her new beginning.

Lisa Marks, USA

Lisa Marks is an Industrial Designer specializing in combining craft research with algorithmic design in order to promote sustainable methods to help craft communities. Lisa has an MFA from Parsons School of Design and is currently faculty at Georgia Institute of Technology.

Arenophile

This project seeks a new purpose for desert sand, a naturally abundant material which has not been widely used. By creating composite materials using desert sand and non-toxic binders, this project proposes new products through experimentation and research.

Rezzan Hasoglu, Turkey / Country of Residence: UK

Rezzan Hasoglu is a product designer based in London. She graduated from Royal College of Art. Her design approach is very hands-on whilst combining digital tools. Focused on research and experimentation inspired from natural phenomena, she seeks ways of translating cultural nuances into tangible objects through exploring processes and materials.

Baluto

The Baluto project seeks a solution in low-lying areas where the main concern is flood mitigation. This housing strategy provides a habitable space on land that can withstand a sudden rise in flood water level.

Jeffrey E. Dela Cruz, Philippines

Jeffrey Dela Cruz is an Architecture Graduate from Saint Louis University, Baguio City, Philippines. He interprets Filipino architectural designs and is often inspired by indigenous forms, materials and constructions. He hopes his work will eventually have an impact in the research field.

Green Blast Jet Energy

Green Blast Jet Energy makes it possible to collect the energy of the jet blast of an aircraft taking off and to return it for different needs of airports.

Dmitriy Balashov, Russia

Dmitriy Balashov specializes in Industrial Design. He studied at the Bauman Moscow State Technical University. He is inspired by unique and innovative ideas that offer comfort and rationality.

Hydrus

Hydrus is an emergency treatment equipment for offshore oil spills. This equipment does not only try to solve one problem, but also encourages people to deal with the changes in our earth's environment.

Shuzhan Yuan, China

Shuzhan Yuan is a product designer and graduated from Xiamen University of Technology. He tries to encourage deep thinking about meaningful things in our life through design. He compares design with the study and interpretation of this unknown world.

Solgami

Solgami utilizes origami geometry to give apartment residents a closer connection to their external environment. Formed as a window blind, this geometry provides privacy, and puts the user in charge of deciding between greater internal illumination, or electricity generation.

Prevalent (Ben Berwick), Australia

Ben Berwick runs Prevalent, an architectural startup focusing on social spaces and spatial technology. He specializes in advanced design, and received a Master’s degree in engineering whilst a Fellow at the University of Tokyo. He has a background in Architecture from the University of Sydney, where he now teaches.

MENTORS PROFILES

Jaime Hayon, Artist – Designer, Hayon Studio

Spanish artist-designer Jaime Hayon was born in Madrid in 1974. His artistic vision was first fully exposed in the ‘Mediterranean Digital Baroque’ and ‘Mon Cirque’ installations. These collections put Jaime at the forefront a new wave that blurred the lines between art, decoration and design and a renaissance in finely-crafted, intricate objects within the context of contemporary design culture.

Jaime further defined his vision in subsequent solo exhibitions and shows at major galleries, and design and art fairs all over the globe. After founding Hayon Studio in 2001, his wide client base has spanned diverse functions and mediums, including domestic furniture for b.d. barcelona, Cassina, Fritz Hansen, &Tradition, and Magis; lighting fixtures for Parachilna, Metalarte and Swarovski; and sophisticated objects for Bisazza, Lladró and Baccarat. He has also executed complete interiors for leading hotels, restaurants, museums, and retail establishments worldwide.

Jessica Rosenkrantz, Co-Founder and Creative Director, Nervous System

Jessica Rosenkrantz is an artist, designer, and programmer. In 2007 she co-founded Nervous System, where she currently works as Creative Director. Her work explores how simulations of natural processes can be used in design and coupled with digital fabrication to create one-of-a-kind, customized products. She studied biology and architecture at MIT and the Harvard Graduate School of Design. Since 2016, she has been teaching design at MIT.

Her designs have been featured in a wide range of publications, including WIRED, the New York Times, and the Guardian and are part of the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Cooper–Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, and Museum of Fine Arts Boston.

Shohei Shigematsu, Partner and Director of OMA New York

Shohei Shigematsu is a Partner at OMA and the Director of the New York office. Sho has completed a number of cultural projects including Milstein Hall for Cornell University, extension for the Quebec National Art Museum, Faena Forum in Miami Beach and the Costume Institute exhibition at the Met. He is currently engaged in a diverse range of projects across typologies: from cultural projects such as the extension to the Albright Knox Art Gallery, a museum expansion for the New Museum in New York City and the Dior retrospective at Denver Art Museum; to two office towers in Japan and three residential towers across North America—in New York, San Francisco and Miami.

Sebastian Wrong, Design Director, Established & Sons

Design Director of Established & Sons and an award-winning product designer, London-born Sebastian Wrong has more than 18 years of experience in manufacturing. Sebastian originally studied sculpture at Norwich School of Art, before founding his first production company in 2001. Spanning both the creative and production side of the design business, he has accumulated an impressive array of technical skills. Sebastian has taught on the postgraduate diploma platforms at the Royal College of Art, London, and ECAL, Switzerland. As a designer, he has created commercially and critically successful products for some of the world’s leading brands, and his portfolio of work spans furniture, lighting, accessories and gallery projects. As a manufacturer, he has collaborated with many of the preeminent names in contemporary design.

JUDGES’ PROFILES

Sir David Adjaye, Architect / Principal and Founder of Adjaye Associates, London and New York

Sir David Adjaye OBE is the principal and founder of Adjaye Associates. Born in Tanzania to Ghanaian parents, his broadly ranging influences, ingenious use of materials and sculptural ability have established him as an architect with an artist’s sensibility and vision. His largest project to date, the Smithsonian Institute National Museum of African American History and Culture, opened on the National Mall in Washington DC in fall of 2016 and was named Cultural Event of the Year by the New York Times. In 2017, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II and was recognized as one of the 100 most influential people of the year by TIME magazine.

Paola Antonelli, Senior Curator for the Department of Architecture and Design at MoMA, New York

Paola Antonelli is Senior Curator of Architecture & Design at The Museum of Modern Art, as well as MoMA’s founding Director of Research & Development. Her goal is to promote design’s understanding, until its positive influence on the world is universally acknowledged. Her work investigates design’s impact on everyday experience, often including overlooked objects and practices, and combining design, architecture, art, science and technology. She has curated numerous shows, written several books, and lectured worldwide. She has taught at the University of California, Los Angeles; the Harvard Graduate School of Design; and the MFA programs of the School of Visual Arts in New York. She is currently working on the XXII Triennale di Milano, Broken Nature, devoted to examples of design and architecture that aim at repairing humans’ relationship with nature; on the reinstallation of the contemporary design galleries in the new, expanded MoMA; and on a video and VR series entitled __&Design.

John Maeda, Technologist / Global Head of Computational Design + Inclusion, Automattic

John Maeda is an American executive spearheading a new convergence across the design + technology industries. He joined Automattic in 2016 as Global Head of Computational Design +Inclusion and previously served as Design Partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (KPCB), a world-leading venture capital firm. An internationally recognized speaker and author, his books include The Laws of Simplicity, Creative Code and Redesigning Leadership. He holds degrees in Electrical Engineering + Computer Science from MIT, an MBA from Arizona State U, and a PhD from University of Tsukuba in Japan. He was also a member of the Technical Advisory Board for Google’s Advanced Technology + Projects Group and the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on New Growth Models. He previously served as advisor to John Donahoe, CEO of eBay Inc. Prior to his work in industry, Maeda was a tenured research professor at the MIT Media Laboratory and 16th President of the Rhode Island School of Design.

Yoshihiro Sawa, President Of Lexus International

Yoshihiro Sawa has been innovating automobile design and engineering for over thirty years. A visionary anchored in the practical, he is acknowledged as a global leader in his field. Sawa has been involved in building better, more beautiful vehicles for decades, applying his unique perspective to the harmony of form and function. This has seen him lead various aspects of the business from engineering to design to product development, giving him a particularly holistic view of the art of building automobiles. Sawa applies this to his role at Lexus, guiding the brand in delivering on its promise of amazing experiences through inspired design, relentless innovation, and uninhibited performance.

Lexus International is pleased to welcome technologist John Maeda, to the panel of judges for the Lexus Design Award 2019. Maeda leads a new convergence across the fields of design and technology as Global Head of Computational Design and Inclusion at Automattic, a publishing platform development company. Maeda will join three judges who have served on the panel in the past, eminent architect Sir David Adjaye, Senior Curator of Architecture & Design at The Museum of Modern Art, Paola Antonelli, and President of Lexus International, Yoshihiro Sawa.

Also, recently-announced mentor Sebastian Wrong has been joined by three new mentors: pioneer of generative design and co-founder of Nervous System design studio, Jessica Rosenkrantz, and partner of world-leading architectural firm OMA, Shohei Shigematsu.  

Established in 2013, the Lexus Design Award in cooperation with designboom 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. Finalists will be judged on how well their prototype anticipates the needs of people and tomorrow’s society. The designs also must showcase innovation and originality while at the same time captivate and engage the public.

By participating in a series of workshops and 1-on-1 instruction with the four mentors, the finalists will be able to experience what it takes to emerge as an accomplished designer on the world stage. Whether receiving tips on design or on the business of transforming inspiration into reality, the mentors’ global experience and success shared at the workshops will provide valuable insights to these creative representatives of the next generation of designers.

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

More information can be found on:

Lexus Design Award website: LexusDesignAward.com

Official hashtags: #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.}

JUDGES’ PROFILES

SIR DAVID ADJAYE, ARCHITECT / PRINCIPAL AND FOUNDER OF ADJAYE ASSOCIATES, LONDON AND NEW YORK

Sir David Adjaye OBE is the principal and founder of Adjaye Associates. Born in Tanzania to Ghanaian parents, his broadly ranging influences, ingenious use of materials and sculptural ability have established him as an architect with an artist’s sensibility and vision. His largest project to date, the Smithsonian Institute National Museum of African American History and Culture, opened on the National Mall in Washington DC in fall of 2016 and was named Cultural Event of the Year by the New York Times. In 2017, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II and was recognized as one of the 100 most influential people of the year by TIME magazine.

PAOLA ANTONELLI, SENIOR CURATOR FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN AT MoMA, NY

Paola Antonelli is Senior Curator of Architecture & Design at The Museum of Modern Art, as well as MoMA’s founding Director of Research & Development. Her goal is to promote design’s understanding, until its positive influence on the world is universally acknowledged. Her work investigates design’s impact on everyday experience, often including overlooked objects and practices, and combining design, architecture, art, science and technology. She has curated numerous shows, written several books, and lectured worldwide. She has taught at the University of California, Los Angeles; the Harvard Graduate School of Design; and the MFA programs of the School of Visual Arts in New York. She is currently working on the XXII Triennale di Milano, Broken Nature, devoted to examples of design and architecture that aim at repairing humans’ relationship with nature; on the reinstallation of the contemporary design galleries in the new, expanded MoMA; and on a video and VR series entitled __&Design.

JOHN MAEDA, TECHNOLOGIST / GLOBAL HEAD OF COMPUTATIONAL DESIGN + INCLUSION, AUTOMATTIC

John Maeda is an American executive spearheading a new convergence across the design + technology industries. He joined Automattic in 2016 as Global Head of Computational Design +Inclusion and previously served as Design Partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (KPCB), a world-leading venture capital firm. An internationally recognized speaker and author, his books include The Laws of Simplicity, Creative Code and Redesigning Leadership. He holds degrees in Electrical Engineering + Computer Science from MIT, an MBA from Arizona State U, and a PhD from University of Tsukuba in Japan. He was also a member of the Technical Advisory Board for Google’s Advanced Technology + Projects Group and the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on New Growth Models. He previously served as advisor to John Donahoe, CEO of eBay Inc. Prior to his work in industry, Maeda was a tenured research professor at the MIT Media Laboratory and 16th President of the Rhode Island School of Design.

YOSHIHIRO SAWA, PRESIDENT OF LEXUS INTERNATIONAL

Yoshihiro Sawa has been innovating automobile design and engineering for over thirty years. A visionary anchored in the practical, he is acknowledged as a global leader in his field. Sawa has been involved in building better, more beautiful vehicles for decades, applying his unique perspective to the harmony of form and function. This has seen him lead various aspects of the business from engineering to design to product development, giving him a particularly holistic view of the art of building automobiles. Sawa applies this to his role at Lexus, guiding the brand in delivering on its promise of amazing experiences through inspired design, relentless innovation, and uninhibited performance.

MENTORS PROFILES

JESSICA ROSENKRANTZ, CO-FOUNDER AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR, NERVOUS SYSTEM

Jessica Rosenkrantz is an artist, designer, and programmer. In 2007 she co-founded Nervous System, where she currently works as Creative Director. Her work explores how simulations of natural processes can be used in design and coupled with digital fabrication to create one-of-a-kind, customized products. She studied biology and architecture at MIT and the Harvard Graduate School of Design. Since 2016, she has been teaching design at MIT.

Her designs have been featured in a wide range of publications, including WIRED, the New York Times, and the Guardian and are part of the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Cooper–Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, and Museum of Fine Arts Boston.

SHOHEI SHIGEMATSU, PARTNER AND DIRECTOR OF OMA NEW YORK

Shohei Shigematsu is a Partner at OMA and the Director of the New York office. Sho has completed a number of cultural projects including Milstein Hall for Cornell University, extension for the Quebec National Art Museum, Faena Forum in Miami Beach and the Costume Institute exhibition at the Met. He is currently engaged in a diverse range of projects across typologies: from cultural projects such as the extension to the Albright Knox Art Gallery, a museum expansion for the New Museum in New York City and the Dior retrospective at Denver Art Museum; to two office towers in Japan and three residential towers across North America—in New York, San Francisco and Miami.

SEBASTIAN WRONG, DESIGN DIRECTOR, ESTABLISHED & SONS

Design Director of Established & Sons and an award-winning product designer, London-born Sebastian Wrong has more than 18 years of experience in manufacturing. Sebastian originally studied sculpture at Norwich School of Art, before founding his first production company in 2001. Spanning both the creative and production side of the design business, he has accumulated an impressive array of technical skills. Sebastian has taught on the postgraduate diploma platforms at the Royal College of Art, London, and ECAL, Switzerland. As a designer, he has created commercially and critically successful products for some of the world’s leading brands, and his portfolio of work spans furniture, lighting, accessories and gallery projects. As a manufacturer, he has collaborated with many of the preeminent names in contemporary design.

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.}

Making the world a better place through design has always been the program’s purpose and now, in its seventh year, the 2019 award makes that objective clearer than ever under the directive of “Design for a Better Tomorrow”.

The next-generation of designers will need to consider how their creative ideas incorporate three fundamental principles from the Lexus brand: “Anticipate,” “Innovate,” and “Captivate,” as well as how their design anticipates the needs of tomorrow’s society. They will need to develop innovative designs that bring fresh imaginative solutions. At the same time, their ideas and designs should be captivating and engaging to the audience and more importantly, of the esteemed judging panel.

The six finalists will be announced in early 2019. The judges and the mentors for the award will be disclosed in the fall 2018. Past LDA judges and mentors include such luminaries such as Sir David Adjaye, Snarkitecture, and Formafantasma.

The judges will select the six best ideas to be developed into functional prototypes with a production budget up to 3 million JPY (over $25K USD) each and with the support of world renowned mentors. The prototypes will be displayed at the prestigious Milan Design Week 2019* where they will compete for the Grand Prix prize.

To prepare the finalists for Milan, Lexus will also provide a once-in-a-lifetime mentorship that gives each finalist an exclusive opportunity to receive direct hands-on guidance from acclaimed professionals who share their priceless knowledge and experience for creating the prototype and beyond.

Entries to the Lexus Design Award 2019 competition will be accepted from August 9 through October 28, 2018. More information can be found on:

Lexus Design Award website: LexusDesignAward.com

Official hashtags: #LexusDesignAward; #MilanDesignWeek

^{* 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.}

CALL FOR ENTRIES TO THE LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2019 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 designers and creators whose works can help to shape a better future. It provides a unique opportunity for six 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

Lexus launched in 1989 with a flagship sedan and a guest experience that helped define the premium automotive industry. In 1998, Lexus introduced the luxury crossover category with the launch of the Lexus RX. The luxury hybrid sales leader, Lexus delivered the world’s first luxury hybrid and has since sold over 1 million hybrid vehicles.*

A global luxury automotive brand with an unwavering commitment to bold, uncompromising design, exceptional craftsmanship, and exhilarating performance, Lexus has developed its lineup to meet the needs of the next generation of global luxury guests, and is currently available in over 90 countries worldwide.

Lexus associates/team members across the world are dedicated to crafting amazing experiences that are uniquely Lexus, and that excite and change the world.

^{*(1,263,055 units as of December 2017)}

For the first time, visitors of Lexus Design Event exhibition or its website could choose their favourite design. The winning design “Honest Egg” was determined by votes cast from 16th to 21st April.

About Honest Egg

Honest egg is an intuitive and simple indicator when an egg has reached its recommended consumption date. To overcome the problem of ambiguous dating or whether the egg is safe to consume, the user can observe a graphical image or word on the egg shell to determine the egg's edibility. Honest Egg goes through a process of eggs being printed with an intelligent ink pigment that have the capability to change color in response to a pre-calibrated time period. If a cracked egg-shell or a sudden change in CO2 levels or temperature is detected, the Honest Egg indicator can reduce the edibility date period significantly.

Honest Egg is also a form of collaboration, to better inform, provoke emotions and encourages end-users to consume the egg before it reaches the expiration date, therefore solving food wastage problem.

Designers Paul Yong Rit Fui and Jaihar Jailani Bin Ismail commented:

“We are honored to be the 1st recipient for the Lexus Design Award 2018 People's Choice. We like to thank the Honest people for voting Honest Egg to be their favorite design. We also like to thank Jessica Walsh for her mentorship and guidance. Last but not least, we like to thank Lexus for an amazing experience throughout the entire competition.

Good design is Honest design!”

About aesthetid

Malaysia-based industrial designers, Paul Yong Rit Fui and Jaihar Jailani Bin Ismail co-founded aesthetid, a design consultancy based in Johor Bahru, specializing in Product Design, Graphics and Design Language services. They believe in making technology, business and design a natural symbiotic experience, uncovering user needs, behavior and desires.

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 designers and creators whose works can help to shape a better future. It provides a 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.

From left to right: Simone Farresin of Formafantasma (Mentor), Yoshihiro Sawa (President, Lexus International), Elliott P. Montgomery of Extrapolation Factory (Grand Prix Winner), Andrea Trimarchi of Formafantasma (Mentor)

‘Testing Hypotheticals’ is a collaboratively imagined test site that explores speculative relationships between society, technology and the environment. This project has been submitted by Extrapolation Factory, a design-based research studio for participatory futures studies, founded by Elliott P. Montgomery (USA) and Chris Woebken (Germany). The studio develops experimental methods for collaboratively prototyping, experiencing and impacting future scenarios.

“This year’s winner permeates the current thinking about the role of design in our evolving and technologically shifting societies. Products played less of a role, and design education/teaching and thinking are at the forefront. How citizens and designers interact with products, processes and future is increasingly critical to mediating this influence of design in our increasingly future-orientated and technologically evolving world. The chosen design shows methods and techniques for engaging the public and designers in role playing possible futures and negotiating the influences of our technological world.” said David Adjaye, Lexus Design Award 2018 judge and architect.

Elliott P. Montgomery of Extrapolation Factory commented, “It was truly fantastic, and the experience was incredible to have worked with our mentors Formafantasma. We could not have done this without the support of Lexus.”

Lexus passionately believes in the power of design to change the world. This is why Lexus nurtures and celebrates up-and-coming designers who harness the power to shift perspectives, communicate ideas and stimulate the imagination to shape a better future.

Since 2013, the Lexus Design Award has supported the next generation of designers from around the world. For our sixth year, 2018, the Award’s theme is “CO-”, a Latin prefix meaning with or together. Lexus believes that great design can ensure the harmonious coexistence of nature and society. In that sense, “CO-" is an approach that allows the brand to explore its true potential and that of the environment by creating new possibilities through collaboration, coordination and connection.

Lexus Design Award 2018 drew a record 1319 entries from 68 countries.

From among the wealth of “CO-” design submissions, the judging committee has selected 12 finalists, four to be prototyped and eight to be shown as display panels. These are displayed to the international design community at Lexus’ “LIMITLESS CO-EXISTENCE” exhibition at the 2018 Milan Design Week.

LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2018 PEOPLE’S CHOICE

As a new initiative for 2018, Lexus has created the LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2018 PEOPLE’S CHOICE. The public is invited to vote for its favourite design submission among the 12 finalists displayed in Milan. Anyone can vote on the Design Award website (www.lexusdesignaward.com) between April 16 and 21. The winner will be announced on April 23.

The Lexus exhibit at the 2018 Milan Design Week, ‘LIMITLESS CO-EXISTENCE’ is open to the public from April 17 to 22, 10:00 to 20:00, at Cavallerizze, Museo Nationale della Scienza e della Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci, Via Olona 6, 20123 Milan, Italy.

Official hashtags: #LexusDesignAward; #LexusDesignEvent.

We can.

Let us harness the power of design and innovation to shine the light on everyone, so that not a single person is left in the shadow and remove the barriers to exploring our true potential.

At Lexus, we believe design is a catalyst for change, for empowerment and for inclusiveness.

It is a powerful force that can transform the ordinary into the extraordinary, and reveal to humanity that with “CO-” the possibilities are limitless.

EVENT SUMMARY

THEME

”CO-” is a Latin prefix meaning with or together in harmony.

At Lexus, we seek the harmonious coexistence of nature and society through sustainable design.

“CO-” is an approach that allows us to explore our potential and that of our environment by creating new possibilities through collaboration, coordination, connection, and the like.

Let “CO-” inspire you to conceive a better world.

For more information see the attached press kit 

Visitors to the event will engage in imaginative and thought-provoking design that contemplates a limitless future for society. Lexus sees design as a catalyst for continuous change, for empowerment and for inclusiveness. Design can transform the ordinary into the extraordinary, and reveal to humanity that, with “CO-“, as in cooperation, collaboration and coexistence – our possibilities are limitless.

The event’s sensational main installation created by Japanese architect Sota Ichikawa of doubleNegatives Architecture brings visitors face-to-face with “CO-” represented in a dynamic artwork existing in four dimensions. Ichikawa, known for combining information technology with design to re-imagine the physical space, creates an installation that intersects digital and analog. Built on an imaginative ideology that everyone is the center of the world, a visually infinite number of hanging vertical strings are used to represent the world’s individuals. Each hanging vertical string is simultaneously illuminated by a single light source and yet not one is in the shadows; a representation that each individual perspective is its own center. Through the use of technology and innovative design thinking, the seemingly impossible is achieved.

Lexus’ passion for design has fueled the growing appeal of the brand in recent years and in Milan, Lexus will be showcasing its newest concept - the innovative Lexus LF-1 Limitless that hints at future design thinking from Lexus.

The Lexus Design Event can be experienced in the newly restored Cavallerizze in Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci. This one-time monastery and horse stables from the 19^th century underwent a recent restoration as part of an architectural recovery and urban redevelopment project.

To further excite guests, a unique culinary experience has been created by the trio of innovative young chefs that are Milan’s ALTATTO. They will hone the senses through taste and vision, transporting LIMITLESS CO-EXISTENCE into another dimension. In addition, visitors will have the opportunity to view the works from the 12 Finalists from the 2018 Lexus Design Award which celebrates up and coming creative talent from around the world and on the Press Day of April 16th, the Grand Prix winner will be chosen by the world renowned Jury in front of the world’s media.

More information can be found on:

https://www.lexus-int.com/design/lexus-event-of-innovation

Official hashtags: #LexusDesignAward; #MilanDesignWeek; #LexusDesignEvent;

^{* 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}

EXHIBIT OVERVIEW 

SPACE DESIGNER PROFILE

SOTA ICHIKAWA

Japanese architect Sota Ichikawa of dNA (doubleNegatives Architecture) believes that architecture’s potential is restricted by conventional methods of measuring space. By programming computers to interpret space from an omnidirectional perspective, he frees his imagination to explore new dimensions. Ichikawa’s awards include the Algorithmic Design Quest (ALGODeQC) Architecture Vanguard Prize and ALGODeQC Programming Vanguard Prize, an ARS Electronica 05 and 09 Honorary Mentions, and the Wonders in Annual Development and Architecture Award (WADA). As a key contributor, Takatoshi Arai, a member of hclab. supports this project. Ichikawa is also a member of hclab., the urban research and design group.

CULINARY DESIGNER PROFILE

ALTATTO

The Altatto catering service uses fine Italian produce to create vegetarian and vegan cuisine that values the environment, manual work, seasonality and tradition. Altatto comprises three cooks – Giulia Scialanga, Sara Nicolosi and Cinzia De Lauri – pursuing flavor and beauty as an expression of their skills and passion. They met at Joia, the only starred vegetarian restaurant in Italy, and have deepened their understanding and technique under the guidance of Pietro Leemann, Joia’s founder.

ABOUT LEXUS

Lexus launched in 1989 with a flagship sedan and a guest experience that helped define the premium automotive industry. In 1998, Lexus introduced the luxury crossover category with the launch of the Lexus RX. The luxury hybrid sales leader, Lexus delivered the world’s first luxury hybrid and has since sold over 1 million hybrid vehicles.*

A global luxury automotive brand with an unwavering commitment to bold, uncompromising design, exceptional craftsmanship, and exhilarating performance, Lexus has developed its lineup to meet the needs of the next generation of global luxury guests, and is currently available in over 90 countries worldwide.

Lexus associates/team members across the world are dedicated to crafting amazing experiences that are uniquely Lexus, and that excite and change the world.

*(1,263,055 units as of December 2017)

This year’s Lexus Design Award involved an unprecedented level of participation attracting over 1300 entries from 68 countries. Sir David Adjaye, one of the judges remarked “It has been thrilling to gain insight into how the next generation of designers translate new concepts and philosophies into innovative solutions to the fundamental concerns of today.” Past Lexus Design Award finalists and winners have garnered further success including 2014’s “Iris” by Sebastian Scherer that won the German Design Award 2016 and 2015’s “Sense-Wear” by Caravan that won Venice Design Week’s Wearable Technologies Contest in 2016.

Twelve finalists were chosen after considerable deliberation by a panel of prestigious judges which was further strengthened this year with the addition of world renowned architects David Adjaye and Shigeru Ban. Among the 12 finalists, four, listed below, were selected to prototype their designs under the guidance and mentorship of an elite team of established creators: Lindsey Adelman, Jessica Walsh, Sou Fujimoto and Formafantasma.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

• CO-RKs, DIGITALAB {Brimet Fernandes da Silva(Portugal), Ana Trindade Fonseca (Portugal)}:

Mentored by Lindsey Adelman

A system connecting cork thread, a sustainable material and computational process that generates design products.

• Honest Egg, aesthetid {Paul Yong Rit Fui(Malaysia), Jaihar Jailani Bin Ismail (Malaysia)}:

Mentored by Jessica Walsh

Connecting Technology (Intelligent Ink Pigment) and Design (Indicator) to show egg’s edibility.

• Recycled Fiber Planter, Eriko Yokoi(Japan):

Mentored by Sou Fujimoto

Co-fusion textile and green design to repurpose used clothes.

• Testing Hypotheticals, Extrapolation Factory {Christopher Woebken(Germany), Elliott P. Montgomery (USA)}:

Mentored by Formafantasma

A collaboratively imagined test site that explores speculative relationships between society, technology and the environment.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

The four prototypes and detailed presentation boards from the other eight finalists’ designs will be showcased as part of the Lexus Design Event at this year’s Milan Design Week* in April. The 12 finalists will present their work to the judging panel and international media. Following the presentation, a Grand Prix Winner will be selected.

More information and high-resolution pictures can be found on:

Lexus Design Award website: www.lexusdesignaward.com

Official hashtags: #LexusDesignAward; #MilanDesignWeek;

Further details on the Lexus presence at 2018 Milan Design Week* will be announced in mid-February on the Lexus Design Event website.

Lexus Design Award 2018 Entries Selected for Prototype Development:Lexus Design Award 2018 Entries Selected for Prototype Development:

Lexus Design Award 2018 Panel Exhibits:

JUDGES

Sir David Adjaye / Architect

Sir David Adjaye OBE is the principal and founder of Adjaye Associates. Born in Tanzania to Ghanian parents, his broadly ranging influences, ingenious use of materials and sculptural ability have established him as an architect with an artist’s sensibility and vision. His largest project to date, the $540 million Smithsonian Institute National Museum of African American History and Culture, opened on the National Mall in Washington DC in fall of 2016 and was named Cultural Event of the Year by the New York Times. In 2017, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II and was recognized as one of the 100 most influential people of the year by TIME magazine.

Shigeru Ban ／Architect

Born in Tokyo in 1957. Graduated from the Cooper Union. Started working for Arata Isozaki & Associates in 1982. Founded Shigeru Ban Architects in 1985. Became consultant to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in 1995. Established the NGO, Voluntary Architects' Network (VAN) in the same year to support disaster relief. Selected works include Nicolas G. Hayek Center, Centre Pompidou- Metz, and Oita Prefecture Art Museum. Recipient of multiple awards, including Grande Médaille d’or de l’Académie d’architecture (2004), Arnold W. Brunner Memorial Prize in Architecture (2005), Grand Prize of AIJ (2009), Honorary Doctorate from Technische Universität München (2009), L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, France (le grade d’officier) (2010), Auguste Perret Prize (2011), Art Prize from the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs (2012), L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, France (le grade de commandeur) (2014) and JIA Gran Prix (2016). Served as Professor at Keio University (2001-2008), Visiting Professor of Harvard University GSD and Cornell University (2010), and currently Professor at Kyoto University of Art and Design (2011-), Guest Professor at Keio University (2015-). Laureate of the 2014 Pritzker Architecture Prize.

Paola Antonelli / Senior Curator MoMA

Paola Antonelli is Senior Curator of Architecture & Design at The Museum of Modern Art, as well as MoMA’s founding Director of Research & Development. Her goal is to promote design’s understanding, until its positive influence on the world is universally acknowledged. Her work investigates design’s impact on everyday experience, often including overlooked objects and practices, and combining design, architecture, art, science and technology. She has curated numerous shows, written several books, and lectured worldwide. She has taught at the University of California, Los Angeles; the Harvard Graduate School of Design; and the MFA programs of the School of Visual Arts in New York. She is currently working on an exhibition on the 111 garments that changed the world; on Design Bites, a book about foods from all over the world appreciated as examples of design; and on a book collecting her essays on the different fields of contemporary design.

Birgit Lohmann / Chief Editor of designboom

Born in Hamburg, Lohmann studied industrial design in Florence before moving to Milan, where she has lived and worked since 1987. She worked as a designer and product development manager for a number of Italian architects and master designers. She has also worked as a design historian for justice departments and international auction houses. As a researcher and lecturer, she has conducted seminars on industrial design at a number of prestigious international universities. In 1999, she co-founded designboom, where she is currently the Chief Editor, Head of Educational Programming and Curator for International Exhibitions.

Alice Rawsthorn / Design Commentator

Alice Rawsthorn is an award-winning design critic, who has written about design for the New York Times for over a decade. Her latest book Hello World: Where Design Meets Life explores design’s impact on our lives. Her next book, A Field Guide to Design, is to be published in spring 2018 as a survey of design today. Alice speaks on design at important global events including TED and the World Economic Forum’s annual meetings at Davos, Switzerland. Based in London, she is chair of trustees of the Chisenhale Gallery and the contemporary dance group Michael Clark Company, and a trustee of the Whitechapel Gallery. Alice was awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to design and the arts.

Yoshihiro Sawa / President of Lexus International

Yoshihiro Sawa graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering and Design from Kyoto Institute of Technology. He has held a number of design-related positions since joining Toyota Motor Corporation in 1980, including Chief Officer of Global Design, Planning Division. He became President of Lexus International in April 2017.

MENTORS 

Lindsey Adelman / Designer

Decades before founding her eponymous studio, Lindsey Adelman was already designer — just not publicly so. First, she was simply a precarious, curious child, building endlessly in the backyards of suburban New York, uncertain of how to make a career of it; then, an English student at Kenyon College; then, on the editorial staff at The Smithsonian Institution. Fortunately, there, her accidental discovery of industrial design — in the literal form of a fabricated foam French fry — propelled her off to RISD to make a life of that childhood passion. Today, from her studios in New York and Los Angeles, she manipulates light to create fixtures that are as emotive as they are physically transformative — objects imbibed with their own history and meaning, often unselfconsciously so, that give color and texture and depth to the world around them.

Formafantasma / Designer

Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin are Studio Formafantasma, Italian designer duo based in Amsterdam, Netherlands. They have developed a coherent body of work characterized by experimental material investigations and explored issues such as the relationship between tradition and local culture, critical approaches to sustainability and the significance of objects as cultural conduits. Their work has been presented and published internationally and museums such as New York's MoMA, London’s Victoria and Albert, New York's Metropolitan Museum, the Chicago Art Institute, the Textiel Museum in Tilburg, the Stedelijk’s-Hertogenbosch, MUDAC Lausanne, the Mint Museum of Craft and Design in North Carolina and the MAK Museum in Vienna have all acquired Formafantasma’s designs for their permanent collections. Andrea and Simone are lecturing and heading workshops in various Universities and Institutions. Currently teaching at the ‘Well Being’ and 'Contextual Design' Departments of the Design Academy Eindhoven and they are at the head of the Design bachelor at MADE Program in Siracusa, Italy.

Sou Fujimoto / Architect

Sou Fujimoto was born in Hokkaido in 1971. Graduated from the Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering at Tokyo University, he established Sou Fujimoto Architectsin 2000. In 2016, he has won the 1st prize for“Pershing”, one of the sites in the French competition called 'Réinventer Paris', following the victories in the Invited International Competition for the New Learning Center at Paris-Saclay's Ecole Polytechnique and the International Competition for the Second Folly of Montpellierin 2014. In 2013, he became the youngest architect to design the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion in London. His notable works include; “Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2013” (2013), “House NA” (2011), “Musashino Art University Museum & Library” (2010), “Final Wooden House” (2008), “House N” (2008) and many more.

Jessica Walsh / Designer

Jessica Walsh is a designer & art director working as a partner at NYC based design firm Sagmeister & Walsh. She lectures about design at creative conferences and universities internationally and teaches design at The School of Visual Arts in NYC. Her work has won numerous awards from most major design competitions including Type Director’s Club, Art Director’s Club, SPD, Print, New York Festivals, D&AD, TDC Tokyo, and Graphis, among many others. She has been awarded Forbes “30 under 30 top creatives designing the future” and Ad Age’s “Top 10 Visual Creatives". Her work has been featured in numerous books & magazines. Clients include the Museum of Modern Art, The Jewish Museum, Jay-Z, Snapchat, Barneys, The New York Times, Levis, Adobe, and The School of Visual Arts. She hosts mentorship programs for creative women through her initiative Ladies, Wine & Design; which has spread to over 110 chapters around the world. Her blog & book “40 Days of Dating” received over 10 million readers and is currently being turned into a movie by Warner Brothers.

Each year, thousands of young creative talent from around the world aspire to be selected to participate in Lexus Design Award, where they have an opportunity to receive mentorship from established global designers, prototype funding, and an invitation to exhibit at the Lexus Design Event during Milan Design Week. Sir David Adjaye and the other judges will select the 12 finalists that best embody this year’s theme, “CO-“ and reflect the Lexus brand belief that great design can make the world a better place. At Milan Design Week 2018, Adjaye and his fellow judges will award the coveted grand prix award to one of the finalists.

“The Lexus Design Award provides an incredible platform for young designers from around the globe to help craft a more inclusive future. I’m honored to be part of this panel helping to elevate these voices. This year’s theme particularly resonated with me. As we negotiate the challenges of the 21st century, thinking collaboratively and across disciplines is more important than ever before.” – Sir David Adjaye.

Named as one of the world’s 100 Most Influential People by Time Magazine, the Ghanaian-British architect was knighted in 2017 for services to architecture. In 2016, he received the Panerai London Design Medal. Among his recent accomplishments, Sir Adjaye, designed the National Museum of African American History and Culture — a Smithsonian Institution museum, on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. — featuring a crown motif from Yoruba (native Nigerian) sculpture.

Entries to the Lexus Design Award 2018 competition are accepted from July 24 through October 08. The 12 finalists will be announced in January 2018 and the Grand Prix winner will be announced during Milan Design Week — April 16th 2018. For more information on Lexus Design Award 2018, see LexusDesignAward.com

Entries to the Lexus Design Award 2018 competition accepted from July 24 through October 08. The 12 finalists will be announced in January 2018 and the Grand Prix winner will be announced during Milan Design Week — April 16th 2018.

INTRODUCING NEW JUDGES FOR 2018

Lexus is excited to announce a new judge for the 2018 competition, Shigeru Ban. Renowned for his ingenious use of lightweight, unconventional and environmentally responsible materials — in particular, paper and bamboo — Shigeru is changing ideas about architecture.

Returning to help judge the 2018 competition are a number of leading innovators from around the globe. Paola Antonelli is Curator of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Birgit Lohmann is Chief Editor of designboom and has worked as a designer and product developer for a number of Italian architects and master designers. Alice Rawsthorn writes about design in the International New York Times and frieze. Yoshihiro Sawa, President of Lexus International, started his own career in the automotive industry working on production and design.

TOP GLOBAL CREATIVES WILL MENTOR WINNING FINALISTS

The four prototype finalists will enjoy a hands-on experience working with pioneers and well-known creators in a number of exciting fields. One of the best-known Japanese architects today, Sou Fujimoto, creates futuristic structures incorporating natural and architectural elements. The Italian design duo, Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin, make up Amsterdam-based Studio Formafantasma. Their work has been presented and published internationally at museums such as New York's MoMA and London’s Victoria and Albert, and they teach design in various universities and institutions in Europe. Contemporary lighting designer Lindsey Adelman skyrocketed to fame with her branching chandelier designs, and now leads a team of designers, glass artists and craftspeople in her studios in New York and Los Angeles. New York-based designer and art director Jessica Walsh has won awards from most major design competitions, and she was awarded Forbes Magazine’s “30 under 30 top creatives designing the future.”

JUDGE AND MENTOR PROFILES

JUDGES:

SHIGERU BAN ／ARCHITECT

Born in Tokyo in 1957. Graduated from the Cooper Union. Started working for Arata Isozaki & Associates in 1982. Founded Shigeru Ban Architects in 1985. Became consultant to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in 1995. Established the NGO, Voluntary Architects' Network (VAN) in the same year to support disaster relief. Selected works include Nicolas G. Hayek Center, Centre Pompidou- Metz, and Oita Prefecture Art Museum. Recipient of multiple awards, including Grande Médaille d’or de l’Académie d’architecture (2004), Arnold W. Brunner Memorial Prize in Architecture (2005), Grand Prize of AIJ (2009), Honorary Doctorate from Technische Universität München (2009), L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, France (le grade d’officier) (2010), Auguste Perret Prize (2011), Art Prize from the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs (2012), L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, France (le grade de commandeur) (2014) and JIA Gran Prix (2016). Served as Professor at Keio University (2001-2008), Visiting Professor of Harvard University GSD and Cornell University (2010), and currently Professor at Kyoto University of Art and Design (2011-), Guest Professor at Keio University (2015-). Laureate of the 2014 Pritzker Architecture Prize.

PAOLA ANTONELLI / SENIOR CURATOR MOMA

Paola Antonelli is Senior Curator of Architecture & Design at The Museum of Modern Art, as well as MoMA’s founding Director of Research & Development. Her goal is to promote design’s understanding, until its positive influence on the world is universally acknowledged. Her work investigates design’s impact on everyday experience, often including overlooked objects and practices, and combining design, architecture, art, science and technology. She has curated numerous shows, written several books, and lectured worldwide. She has taught at the University of California, Los Angeles; the Harvard Graduate School of Design; and the MFA programs of the School of Visual Arts in New York. She is currently working on an exhibition on the 111 garments that changed the world; on Design Bites, a book about foods from all over the world appreciated as examples of design; and on a book collecting her essays on the different fields of contemporary design.

BIRGIT LOHMANN / CHIEF EDITOR OF DESIGNBOOM

Born in Hamburg, Lohmann studied industrial design in Florence before moving to Milan, where she has lived and worked since 1987. She worked as a designer and product development manager for a number of Italian architects and master designers. She has also worked as a design historian for justice departments and international auction houses. As a researcher and lecturer, she has conducted seminars on industrial design at a number of prestigious international universities. In 1999, she co-founded designboom, where she is currently the Chief Editor, Head of Educational Programming and Curator for International Exhibitions.

ALICE RAWSTHORN / DESIGN COMMENTATOR

Alice Rawsthorn is an award-winning design critic, who has written about design for the New York Times for over a decade. Her latest book Hello World: Where Design Meets Life explores design’s impact on our lives. Her next book, A Field Guide to Design, is to be published in spring 2018 as a survey of design today. Alice speaks on design at important global events including TED and the World Economic Forum’s annual meetings at Davos, Switzerland. Based in London, she is chair of trustees of the Chisenhale Gallery and the contemporary dance group Michael Clark Company, and a trustee of the Whitechapel Gallery. Alice was awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to design and the arts.

YOSHIHIRO SAWA / PRESIDENT OF LEXUS INTERNATIONAL

Yoshihiro Sawa graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering and Design from Kyoto Institute of Technology. He has held a number of design-related positions since joining Toyota Motor Corporation in 1980, including Chief Officer of Global Design, Planning Division. He became President of Lexus International in April 2017.

MENTORS:

FORMAFANTASMA / DESIGNER

Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin are Studio Formafantasma, Italian designer duo based in Amsterdam, Netherlands. They have developed a coherent body of work characterized by experimental material investigations and explored issues such as the relationship between tradition and local culture, critical approaches to sustainability and the significance of objects as cultural conduits. Their work has been presented and published internationally and museums such as New York's MoMA, London’s Victoria and Albert, New York's Metropolitan Museum, the Chicago Art Institute, the Textiel Museum in Tilburg, the Stedelijk’s-Hertogenbosch, MUDAC Lausanne, the Mint Museum of Craft and Design in North Carolina and the MAK Museum in Vienna have all acquired Formafantasma’s designs for their permanent collections. Andrea and Simone are lecturing and heading workshops in various Universities and Institutions. Currently teaching at the ‘Well Being’ and 'Contextual Design' Departments of the Design Academy Eindhoven and they are at the head of the Design bachelor at MADE Program in Siracusa, Italy.

SOU FUJIMOTO / ARCHITECT

Sou Fujimoto was born in Hokkaido in 1971. Graduated from the Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering at Tokyo University, he established Sou Fujimoto Architectsin 2000. In 2016, he has won the 1st prize for“Pershing”, one of the sites in the French competition called 'Réinventer Paris', following the victories in the Invited International Competition for the New Learning Center at Paris-Saclay's Ecole Polytechnique and the International Competition for the Second Folly of Montpellierin 2014. In 2013, he became the youngest architect to design the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion in London. His notable works include; “Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2013” (2013), “House NA” (2011), “Musashino Art University Museum & Library” (2010), “Final Wooden House” (2008), “House N” (2008) and many more.

LINDSEY ADELMAN / DESIGNER

Decades before founding her eponymous studio, Lindsey Adelman was already designer — just not publicly so. First, she was simply a precarious, curious child, building endlessly in the backyards of suburban New York, uncertain of how to make a career of it; then, an English student at Kenyon College; then, on the editorial staff at The Smithsonian Institutione. Fortunately, there, her accidental discovery of industrial design — in the literal form of a fabricated foam French fry — propelled her off to RISD to make a life of that childhood passion. Today, from her studios in New York and Los Angeles, she manipulates light to create fixtures that are as emotive as they are physically transformative — objects imbibed with their own history and meaning, often unselfconsciously so, that give color and texture and depth to the world around them.

JESSICA WALSH / GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Jessica Walsh is a designer & art director working as a partner at NYC based design firm Sagmeister & Walsh. She lectures about design at creative conferences and universities internationally and teaches design at The School of Visual Arts in NYC. Her work has won numerous awards from most major design competitions including Type Director’s Club, Art Director’s Club, SPD, Print, New York Festivals, D&AD, TDC Tokyo, and Graphis, among many others. She has been awarded Forbes “30 under 30 top creatives designing the future” and Ad Age’s “Top 10 Visual Creatives". Her work has been featured in numerous books & magazines. Clients include the Museum of Modern Art, The Jewish Museum, Jay-Z, Snapchat, Barneys, The New York Times, Levis, Adobe, and Her blog & book “40 Days of Dating” received over 10 million readers and is currently being turned into a movie by Warner Brothers.

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 designers and creators whose works can help to shape a better future. It provides a 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.

In addition to the unique mentorship opportunity and global exposure, young designers are drawn to the Lexus Design Award by the inspiring theme that provides endless possibilities from a design perspective. This year’s creative theme for the Lexus Design Award 2018 is "CO-," a Latin prefix meaning with or together in harmony. Lexus believes that great design can ensure the harmonious coexistence of nature and society. In that sense, “CO-" is an approach that allows the brand to explore its true potential and that of the environment by creating new possibilities through collaboration, coordination and connection. Now, young designers get their turn for "CO-" to inspire them to conceive a better world.

The Judges who assess the designs are globally recognized illustrious creators active in diverse design genres. Additionally, mentorship is provided by esteemed designers who share their know-how and provide hands-on support. They guide the selected candidates to express their full potential through the development of working prototypes of their innovative ideas.

The Judges and Mentors for the Lexus Design Award 2018 will be announced in August. As in previous years, Lexus will be partnering with a select group of renowned professionals who embody design excellence at the front lines of creativity around the world and who share the brand’s belief that great design can make the world a better place.

During Milan Design Week*, all the finalists’ works will be displayed at the Lexus experiential space. Judges will then assess the four prototypes to choose the Grand Prix winner for 2018. Previous winners have gone on to enjoy success and further develop their ideas into viable products.

Entries to the Lexus Design Award 2018 competition will be accepted from July 24 through October 08. For more information on the application process, please visit LexusDesignAward.com. The twelve finalists will be announced in early 2018.

^{*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.