11 Comments

I hadn't really given it too much thought that the 'Boris bike' was designed to be completely undesirable, which it is. Quite a feat to make something so universally dreary, when every fibre in a designers body wants to make things look striking, elegant or original.

really well done, I bet it was bloody difficult.
Ben Champion Stevenson
2011-02-28 17:04:38

The great thing about this short list is that consists of real things, you can buy them, or use them, or visit them. This is in great contrast to last year when a jury with no engineering expertise whatsover awarded the top prize to a design but Min-Kyu Choi (also with no engineering expertise) for a folding plug which is completely useless, and which cannot be sold on the UK market because it would be illegal! (The reason being that it is so badly designed that it cannot meet BS 1363 which is required for all mains plugs and sockets sold in the UK.)
David Peacock IEng FIET
2011-02-28 19:07:23

I want that chair.
Rob
2011-03-01 10:26:43

Some very inspiring designs and upon further reading through the designsoftheyear.com website, you get a real appreciation for each of them and can see why there are all winners of their given category. They all go beyond just visually appealing and have purpose providing ongoing positive benefits to society. I do not envy the judging panel on the difficult decisions that face them in picking an overall winner.
Vekta
2011-03-01 10:28:26

The reason you've never seen a cook book styled quite like the IKEA's Homemade is Best is probably because ingredients that look like a cocaine addict has played with them, look really unappealing to eat and rarely inspire one to cook the dish.
TheApeOfGreatness
2011-03-01 13:19:27

Interesting that the Barclays cycle hire does not come with a helmet-are people supposed to provide their own? It almost promotes cycle around London without a helmet...Not exactly the best message from Barclays?
Tess
2011-03-01 14:39:57

The Boris Bike scheme is not one that should be applauded for good social design. I note the comment about having to design an unappealing and uncomfortable bike with interest as this design concept is also fulfilled in its social inclusiveness, or lack of it. Users are predominantly white, middle class males and are of little or no use to families, the elderly or the infirm attempting to travel across London. If exclusivity was part of the design remit, then perhaps the Boris bike should win.
Acayese
2011-03-01 20:03:25

Really like the Homemade is Best images. They definitely fulfill my need for obsessive order and cleanliness (not cocaine as TheApe... suggests).

The Boris Bikes however aren't entirely original, they're much the same as the Paris scheme which came away before. And isn't the need for them to be unattractive quite an obvious decision? Would be top of my brief.
Alexa
2011-03-02 11:23:05

I think flipboard is amazing and a fantastic example of someone thinking slightly outside the box to come up with something so perfectly suited to it's purpose. That application itself was a major draw to the ipad for me. As for the Boris Bikes, I had never considered the ultimate desire to make it undesirable. Fantastic!
chris Legg
2011-03-02 12:20:00

Really like the Homemade is Best images. They definitely fulfill my need for obsessive order and cleanliness (not cocaine as TheApe... suggests).

The Boris Bikes however aren't entirely original, they're much the same as the Paris scheme which came away before. And isn't the need for them to be unattractive quite an obvious decision? Would be top of my brief.
Alexa
2011-03-02 12:33:18

the product catagory makes me sad, so last year as we have already had pointed out was won by the folding three pin plug, so we have a smart idea in theory, but has never been made, and won't be leagal anyway, surely rahter important. Also It was billed as the the first folding three pin plug. It wasn't and isn't, search for folding plug, and see what comes up is very different product, which also won the reddot design award a couple of years ago. you would hink that the design award would do some research raher than just believeing what some student told them.

Now we a slightly funny shaped flourecent tube, ok so it does look a little bit better than most of the curent offering, but cfl's are terible design the balasts for them cause more harm to the evnviroment to make and to dispose of then the enegy you save in using them.

appart form that quite a good list this year
Steve
2011-03-06 21:37:44

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