NUS ID master student, Wei Hangshuai’s work “Secret of light” won the first prize of Zhenhai Cup: The 3rd International Industrial Design Competition (镇海杯”第三届国际工业设计大赛), Cultural and Daily necessities group.

The theme this year is “protection of natural, love life”. This competition is endorsed by ICSID, titled and hosted by Zhenhai District People’s Government of Ningbo City and also hosted by committee, Industrial Design Branch of China Mechanics Engineering Society and etc. This competition includes 3 main design categories: Cultural and daily necessities group, Consumer Electronics Group; Reconstruction of the earthquake relief products group, 1276 entries were received including the submission from China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Germany and Singapore. The works will be exhibited at 2008 World Industrial Design Fair Ningbo China,  between 20-24 September.  Below is his winning entry.

For more detailed information about the competition, please visit http://www.cmes.org/cmes_en/pages/academic/3rdInternationalIndustrialDesignCompetition.htm and http://www.dolcn.com/data/cns_1/news_21/icn_211/cind_2111/2008-09/1221832688.html

Deadline: 3 Nov 2008

Dwell presents the 2008 CaesarStone Competition

Here’s your challenge: design and build a modern table using CaesarStone – the rest is up to you. We are looking for designs that are sustainable, innovative and challenge conventional thinking about how CaesarStone can be used.

If your design is selected, we will give you the CaesarStone material you need and commission a fabricator to help you build the final piece. This final built piece will be judged by a special panel of experts and we will name the winner and two competition finalists. So, in addition to the glory, our competition winner will receive a $5,000 prize and the finalists get $1,000. It’s time to get inspired

For more information, please refer to http://www.dwell.com/daily/blog/27554604.html

deadline: 21 Nov. 2008

Theme: Nomadism

There is a daily nomadism that affects everyone, consisting of travelling either long or short distances.
Every day, when moving through the space separating us from the environments in which we study, work or spend our free time, we feel the need to take with us objects that represent and improve the quality of our time. Making each journey, however short, a unique experience.

The competition wants you to design extraordinary objects, elements and accessories that can be used, transported, utilized during those everyday activities which take place on a journey.
“Take an Extraordinary Object with You on your Daily Journey”
As well as those mentioned above, the criteria to follow are:

1. To create and design an extraordinary accessory that can be touched or experienced every day whilst travelling, during ajourney/transfer;
2. To create and design an extraordinary accessory that is made using Alcantara® materials;
3. To create and design an extraordinary accessory that perfectly embodies the four characteristics that demonstrate Alcantara®’s uniqueness:
   1. Sensoriality: shown through softness, comfort and warmth, which mean physical well-being.
   2. Aesthetics: shown through beauty and elegance, and therefore style.
   3. Functionality: made concrete in durability, breathability and easy care, which mean freedom of use.
   4. Exclusivity: referring to the lifestyle of those who love enjoying deeply the products they use every day.

For more information, please refer to http://www.alcantaralab.com/eng/design2008/pdf/BandoTravelContestEn.pdf

Deadline: October 20, 2008.

International Design Show 2009 invites independent designers and studios to submit creative concepts not currently in production for furniture, lighting, textiles, products and accessories to the Prototype Competition / Exhibition.

Successful Prototype participants will be promoted in an exhibit display in the centre of Studio North during the Interior Design Show at the Direct Energy Centre in Toronto, February 5-8, 2009.

Selected participants will be listed in the IDS show guide and website and promoted to Canadian and international media.

IDS is Canada’s leading design show and event, attended by 53,000 members of the professional design trade, affluent consumers, and hundreds of media.  For more information, please refer to http://www.interiordesignshow.com/2008/userfiles/file/IDS%20PROTOTYPE%20FINAL.pdf

Deadline: January 6, 2009

The heritage of tea is laden with ritual and meaning. You’re invited to translate this heritage into an icon of contemporary life, with form that functions at all levels of the experience. There are 3 categories: Glass. Metal and Ceramic

3 Winners will receive:
$5,000 USD cash
$1,000 USD award to a faculty advisor if a winner is a student.
And an Expense-paid trip to attend the International Housewares show in Chicago, March 22-24, 2009.

For more information, please refer to http://www.tea-off.com/

Microsoft is preparing to release a new mouse, with a futuristic design and really portable. Called the Arc Mouse, it will be priced at $59.95 and should be available as of this summer. The revolutionary design of the Arc™ Mouse combines the comfort of a desktop mouse and the portability of a notebook mouse. Arc Mouse folds to 60% of its fully expanded size when you’re on the go. Two color options to match your personal style. The two-part wireless Arc Mouse isn’t just pure fashion — the folding design allows it to flip closed for easy storage and portability, and unfolds to full size when in use. For more information, please visit Microsoft: http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/mouseandkeyboard/productdetails.aspx?pid=112

“red dot trend report” just introduced 5 of most important trends in furniture design 2008:

• All in white: the clearest trend is: white – it is not new, but very dominant and nowhere near its peak yet. The opposing trend to the colour white consists of bright, shining colours.
• All in gloss: Clearly dominant is also the trend towards high-gloss, lacquered fronts. Smooth, shiny surfaces dominate – regardless of whether its cupboards, chairs or tables.
• The play with tradition: The borders between professional production and technical ornamentation are blurring more and more. Furniture designs which refer to traditional techniques and which are combined with new materials show new ways of using a material and finding a new visual language.
• The play of the materials: combining materials is still a hot trend, which give furniture a haptic and at the same time visually interesting look
• Completely classic? This year, the tendency to use ornamental patterns alternates with a clear purist language of forms. New interpretations and re-editions of tried and tested classics combine the familiar with the new.

For more information and full report, please refer to http://en.red-dot.org/82.html?&ftu=8613913d7c and http://en.red-dot.org/newgallery/page.php?id=90&lang=en

Design Sojourn published a list of 25 bad habits of industrial designers:
1) Looking at other products for inspiration.

2) Not creating or studying the design brief.

3) Not checking if the concept fulfils the design brief.

4) Spending too much time on the computer.

5) Not improving their sketch communication skills.

6) Not improving their verbal communication skills.

7) Not making a concept model because they were lazy or not wanting to get dirty.

Coming to work late.

9) Not understanding that a design is not theirs but the company’s.

10) Getting too emotionally involved in their designs.

11) Not being friends with Engineering.

12) Forgetting to compromise.

13) Not being friends with Marketing.

14) Mistaking arrogance for confidence.

15) Forgetting Industrial Design requires multi-disciplinary skills.

16) Being disorganized in mind and/or space.

17) Poor Time management.

18) Not planning a 3D construction process before doing 3D modelling.

19) Designing in a 3D program.

20) Forgetting to document their work.

21) Forgetting that there are costs impacts to design decisions.

22) Not including draft angles and part lines in 3D models or design files.

23) Forgetting to save work or worst deleting it by accident.

24) Not thinking through a design to the very end and it gets ripped to shreds.

25) Forgetting that a presentation board is also a design element.

Below is other comments submitted by other people to design sojourn:

26) Over satisfied with the first design. (by Design Monkey)

27) Sketching the same design over and over again. (by Design Monkey)

28) Making things that can be produced instead of creating “insanely” great products. (by Idris Mootee)

29) Forgetting the goal of design is to improve not just make something different. (by Dave Pinter)

30) Being apathetic to sustainable and green design. (by Dave Pinter)

The following four are by Raghuraj Ananthoj with some editing on my part.

31) Not understanding if the form inspiration is appropriate to the form being created.

32) Failing to understand the brand philosophy of the company.

33) Not building a good relationship between fellow designers by sharing knowledge and work.

34) Avoiding critics, which can help improve the current design and other product features.

For more information, please visit http://www.designsojourn.com/25-bad-habits-of-industrial-designers/

Mr. Huat Lim “ZLG Design: Evolved Typology”
12 September 2008 (Friday)
4pm-6pm at LR 426, Level 4, SDE 3 (Registration at 3:30pm)
Department of Architecture
School of Design and Environment, National University of Singapore.

26th September 2008 (Friday)

9am to 6pm

NUS SDE1, Staff Lounge, Level 2

The Design Incubation Centre is holding our second design workshop for the aging population, “SILVER TALENTS”.

As the workforce in Singapore continues to age, challenges to the economy and employment structure are inevitable. Potential employers seek a company of competent employees while silver workers desire to continue contributing to the economy. Their desire to work and talents are often undervalued, resulting in uncertainty of their retirement careers.

This workshop aims to investigate on the silver working population, discovering this pool of silver talents anddesigning new business services to help them work and age actively with a sense of satisfaction.

We hope to involve 20-30 students, lecturers, and experts in interactive sessions with the retirees,

and dynamic brainstorming using new design tools.

For enquiries, or to register for the workshop (by 15th September) , please contact
Yianling @ Design Incubation Centre.
e: yianling@nus.edu.sg
t: +65 96805510