Braun launched the 17th edition of the BraunPrize. This internationally recognised design competition is open to young industrial designers who are still studying or who have graduated within the last two years.
International Competition to Promote Young Designers
When it was established in 1968, the Braun- Prize was Germany's first international competition to promote the work of young designers. Braun's commitment to this cause has been highly regarded by the design world and the design-aware public ever since. In sponsoring the BraunPrize, Braun seeks to highlight the importance of industrial design and innovative products and to promote ideas for consumer items which help people in all aspects of their daily lives.
The Objective of the BraunPrize
The BraunPrize seeks to promote the work of young designers from all over the world, to recognise the work of design schools and to help develop a greater appreciation of the factors and criteria which make for good product design.
Furthermore, it serves to make the ingenuity and creativity of young designers accessible to the public and to provide a link between young designers and industry or potential clients.
Prize Money
The total prize money amounts to EUR 36,000. The winner of the BraunPrize will receive EUR 12,000 in prize money and a (paid) six-month internship in the Design Department at Braun. The other finalists will each receive a prize of EUR 5,000. The remaining prize money will be distributed in the form of special recognition awards at the discretion of the jury.
BraunPrize Exhibition
The best entries will be presented in the travelling BraunPrize Exhibition and will also be published in the international press and on the internet. The travelling exhibition seeks to provide an insight into current trends in design and design training around the world.
Call for Entries
Participants are free to choose any subject for their product concepts. The BraunPrize has always been entirely independent of the Braun product range and is not restricted to products from the consumer goods sector.
The product concepts submitted should represent real innovations in design and technology, focusing on the essential topics of our time. The conceptual designs should be developed with users' needs in mind showing applications which support them in their everyday lives - in the home, at work or school, during sports and leisure activities or in the context of health and personal care.
Assessment Criteria
The jury assesses all the product concepts in accordance with the following criteria:
- Design - innovation, aesthetics, clarity, ergonomics
- Technology - how convincing is the product functionality?
- Usability - the benefit which the product provides for the user
The product should be designed with the human being as the focal point in mind.
The following additional factors are also taken into account during the assessment process:
- The clarity of the content
- The quality of the presentation and the design models
- A thorough analysis of the assumptions on which the product is based
- The feasibility of the concept with regard to processes and costs
- The social acceptance of the product idea
- The environmental compatibility of the product concept
As the best projects will be shown in the exhibition, the quality of the design model is as important as the clarity of the presentation and the way in which it is delivered. Along with the quality of the design, innovation and practical usability are prerequisites for a successful entry. In addition to innovative ideas, intelligent re-design concepts are also welcome.
Please note that software and media design concepts are excluded from the scope of the competition.
Entry Conditions
BraunPrize welcomes all industrial designers world-wide, who are still studying, or who completed their studies after March 2006. Entry documents for the first round of the competition may be submitted by using the online upload facility at www.braunprize.com, by mail or courier. Please note: a physical design model will have to be submitted by participants who are selected for the second round.
Closing Date: January 31, 2009
All the documents for the first stage must have reached Braun by this date. Designs must not have received an award in any other competition at the time that they are entered for the BraunPrize.