First recipients of the National Design Award of Latvia were announced in a special awards ceremony at the Museum of Decorative Arts and Design on March 3. Until April 9 the museum hosts an exhibition of twenty best works submitted for the competition.
The first prize of the National Design Award of Latvia (NDAL) was awarded to data visualisation application «Infogram», exhibition design «Civilizācijas nospiedumi» («Civilisation’s footprint») by Ilze Kalnbērziņa Praz placed second, with the third place being granted to children’s balance bike «Brum Brum» by Krišjānis Jermaks. Main award recipient will be granted financial support from the Ministry of Culture in the amount of 2000 euros for participation in an international design contest. Design Award’s main partner, IT company «Accenture» bestowed their special award for «Digital business» to brand design «Soma» by brand design studio «Overpriced».
Jānis Godiņš, leading designer at «Infogram» says: «Our design is a service and its aim is to help every person convey their message in a simple manner. Design is a feature of all our company processes — from creating our product and work culture, to client communications.»
«The design industry holds Latvia’s hidden success stories — this is exactly how we can allocate added value to a service or product, furthering the quality of entrepreneurship and competitiveness in general. The National Design Award’s mission is to showcase our greatest designer achievements to the wider public. The jury faced a most difficult task at hand, but was ultimately able to select the first recipient of this Award from 147 contestants,» accents Minister for Culture Dace Melbārde.
147 design works were submitted to the NDAL between January 1 and February 1 of 2017 and were evaluated by an international jury team. Each jury member first evaluated all submissions individually, relying on their professional competency. In a joint meeting on March 1, the jury elected Stephane Vial as the jury chairman and after several hours of discussion, reached a consensus on the 20 best design finalists. In the last evaluation phase, after the finalist announcement, the jury was joined by this year’s special guest, the co–founder and director of the leading global design magazine «Frame», Robert Thiemann.
National Design Award of Latvia 2017 finalists
- Children’s balance bike «Brum Brum» — Krišjānis Jermaks
- Bag and game–set «Ģimenes soma» — «Droši un koši» society
- Brand design «Soma» — brand design studio «Overpriced»
- Brand identity change for Riga Technical University — design studio «Teika»
- Data visualisation application «Infogram» — «Infogram»
- Brand short film «Uniform» — Ivars Burtnieks
- Indoor bicycle cover «Velosock» — Oskars Mickevičs
- Environmental object–pavilion «Parametric Glacier», author: Didzis Jaunzems
- Exposition design «Gaismas pils un Stikla kalns» — «Dd studio»
- Interior of «Bistro BALTS» — Zane Tetere–Šulce
- Educational children’s game «Kokotājs» — Oliver Latvia»
- Tableware collection «Zeme» — Uģis Balodis, Miks Balodis
- Exhibition design «Civilisation’s footprint» — Ilze Kalnbērziņa Praz
- Holiday villa interior in Cēsis — «Outofbox», «Lolot design»
- Fiberglass boat «Rupucis», author: Jānis Briška
- Transformable furniture «SO:LO» — Aija Priede–Sietiņa, Daneks Sietiņš
- Exhibition «Upe Melānija» — «Mistrus Media», National Library of Latvia, Museum of Melānija Vanaga
- Fashion collection «Wild Birds» — «Amoralle»
- Permanent exposition «Book in Latvia» — «GAISS», «Associates, Partners et Sons», National Library of Latvia
- Microphone «Runa» — Charles Bušmanis (Bourrier)
The exhibition «National Design Award of Latvia 2017» is open at the Museum of Decorative Arts and Design (MDAD) Skārņu iela 10/20, Riga. More information on the Award can be found on its webpage.
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