Design on Stage-The Red Dot Design Award

The professionalization of design or, more precisely, industrial design started in the 1930s when a number of studios were established and grew in a relatively short time into small or even medium-size businesses. There is no doubt that despite a long design tradition and at least 50 years of design promotion, defining the word itself is still difficult. The red dot design award has grown from its origins in the 1950s to become one of the largest and most renowned design competitions in the world. Staged annually by the Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen, the award is threefold -- given to the best product design, communication design, and design concept. Each year, an international jury reviews and evaluates the submitted products according to criteria such as degree of innovation, functionality, and formal quality. Companies submit their products to design competitions because garnering awards gives them a competitive advantage. Design competitions also facilitate a kind of objectification of design decisions.