Design awards are so much more than a hearty pat on the back. They’re a highly sought after prize that recognises and celebrates the hard work, dedication, and innovation, that goes into creating something that betters our lives. Discover four incredible award winners that provide clever solutions to the problems and challenges we face on the daily.
It’s hard to argue against an award winning product. They’ve endured rounds and rounds of judgement and very intense scrutiny, a little like being thrown to the Real Housewives of Beverley Hills, but the design version. This is all to confirm that the product meets, and exceeds, an extremely high standard of design, sustainability, and functionality.
A design award gives you confidence to pop a product into your shopping cart and introduce it into your home. It’s something we look out for when searching for newness to bring in, but we’re yet to celebrate loudly. So consider today the day we take to the rooftops and shout at the top of our lungs, “These are our award winners, and we’re so proud of them!”
OrbitKey Desk Mat
Red Dot Design Award | iF Design Award
If all the design award organisations were to crown an ultimate champion, it would have to be OrbitKey. Every single one of their products has pulled in the accolades. Every. Single. One. And they’re well deserved too, with each product completely revolutionising its respective category through innovative functionality and sleek minimalist design.
Their Desk Mat may appear like any other workspace mat, but it has so much more to offer than something you’d pick up from K-Mart of Office Works (no hate). The piece features a document hideaway, a magnetic cable holder and tidy, and a dedicated tool bar to hold your all-important stationery and OrbitKey Key Organiser (which, honestly, you need to get around). It’s also made from 100% recycled PET felt and high quality vegan leather. It’s a winner from every direction.
THAT Inventions ScoopThat Ice Cream Scoop
Red Dot Design Award
I scream, you scream, we all scream for an Ice Cream scoop that has no trouble scooping up that delicious frozen treat into the perfect sphere. THAT Inventions had our mouths agape, and jaw slack on the floor when we first tried these out (their knives had the same effect too). This sophisticated scoop combines technology and a sleek aesthetic, creating something highly functional, highly beautiful, and highly praised amongst the design-award community.
The scoop features a handle, filled with a liquid that absorbs and stores heat. This heat is transferred from your hand, to the handle, and up to the scoopy part (the head?). This, coupled with the design’s fine edge, makes the scooping process an absolute breeze. Try it out, and compare it to the sub-par spoon you’d usually use come dessert/snack time. It doesn’t even compare.
Happy Sinks Magnetic Cloth Holder
Productive Idea Award
We’re more shocked this genius design hasn’t won more awards – seriously, it’s a total game changer in the world of kitchen organisation and gadgetry. The concept, simple: a device to hold (and hide) your unsightly dish cloths. The execution, flawless: a streamlined swinging arm, mounted to a magnetic base that attaches to just about any kitchen sink in existence.
This is one of those products that will have you saying, “WHY DIDN’T I THINK OF THAT?” It’s convenient, it’s intuitive, and it solves a daily problem that we had almost come to accept. Thank you Happy Sinks, thank you so much. Our kitchens will never be the same again.
Zone Denmark A-Rack
iF Design Award
Zone Denmark have an absolute slew of design awards under their belt. And they’re all very well deserved, we might add. Zone Denmark take an everyday product, wave whatever magic design wand they have in its direction, and share the wondrous results with us.
Though we could have featured any of their award winners, we went with their A-Rack Coat Rack. Why? It’s described as being the coat rack for perfectionists. Minimalist and uniform in design, it hides screws cleverly beneath the detachable hooks. The result is a piece that appears to be part of the wall – seamless and intentional. And oh so sexy.
