Despite the financial crunch, European Design continues to grow and expand.
After the two first events in Athens and Stockholm, Zurich was the host of the third edition of what is now called the "European Design Festival" which is organized with the endorsement of the International Council of Graphic Design Associations.
Apart the trademark three-day conference and the awards ceremony, this year's events included various exhibitions, a lecture by the iconic book designer Irma Boom (both organized by the Zurich Design Museum), design walks, a VIP tour of the Google headquarters and a party to wrap everything up in style.
This year's ED-Awards ceremony gathered professionals from 30 different countries at the Arena filmcity in Zurich.
The ceremony was a warm-hearted night of celebration, hosted for the second year in the row by Swedish stand-up comedian Agneta Wallin.
The highly qualified jury comprised of editors from twelve prestigious communication design magazines in Europe and headed by Michel Chanaud, publisher of the international design magazine etapes.
A total of 27 gold and 63 silver prizes were awarded in 31 distinct categories ranging from "brand logo" to "CD cover".
Germany and the Netherlands battled it out for the most successful design nation, with German studios receiving 7 golds and 18 silvers, and the Dutch 6 golds and 13 silvers, while the Spanish followed further back with 3 golds and 2 silvers.
In total winners came from 21 different European countries.