The time has once again come for appliance and electronics brands to start putting their stand-out products forward for national and international recognition, with Good Design Australia opening submissions for the Australian International Design Awards this week.
Running for more than 50 years, the awards recognise outstanding achievement in design, covering everything from medical equipment and automobiles to sporting equipment and fashion. The 2014 edition of the awards will also be the second time that domestic appliances and consumer electronics are given their own categories, representing a great opportunity for electrical brands of all stripes to have their products recognised as the top of their field.
The awards are especially significant in today's retail climate, where appliance and CE suppliers alike bemoan the lack of innovation in the marketplace and the rise of generic, mass-produced house brands that drive average prices down across the industry. The Design Awards represent an opportunity for truly innovative brands to prove their design credentials and gain recognition for their investment in research and development.
Dr Brandon Gien, CEO of Good Design Australia, reiterated this sentiment in this year's call for entries:
In a crowded marketplace, good design gives companies their competitive edge. It separates the extraordinary from the ordinary, excellence from mediocrity and brilliant from boring.?Ultimately, good design is about making a difference – on functional, economical, aesthetic and sustainable levels. For the individual and society as a whole.
At Good Design Australia, we understand, support and celebrate this pursuit. We recognise top quality amongst the best products and services on Australian and global markets, critiqued against international benchmarks.
And, after more than 50 years, the Good Design Awards program is amongst the most trusted and recognised accolades of its kind in the world.
Last year, appliance brands including Breville, Dyson and Sunbeam were all recognised by the Design Awards jury, but these well-known names were pipped to the post by the relatively unknown LotusGrill BBQ from German brand Zimba, which took out the Best in Category award for Domestic Appliances.
This year, there will be plenty of brands looking to beat last year's runner-up Design Award ranking to take out a Best in Category award. The good news is there is still plenty of time to enter: early bird entries close on Friday 28 February while the official entry closing date is Monday 31 March 2014.
Full details on the design awards, including details of how to enter, can be found on the Good Design Australia website.