2008 annual design review winners

Below are some of my favourites from this year's I.D. 2008 Annual Design Review, starting from the top left and moving clockwise.



Adiri Natural Nurser designed by Whipsaw
Consumer Products Category

Designed according to nature, this bottle more truthfully mimics the mother's breast with its nipple size and soft, flexible material. It also minimizes a bottle's components from three parts down to only two - less to clean and less to lose!


Y Water designed by Fuseproject
Consumer Products Category

With intent to lure kids away from soda, this attractive water bottle is playful in form - as intended, for it doubles as a toy after being consumed. It integrates biodegradable rubber "Y Knots" to connect the products.


Band Aid Interlocking Pods designed by Johnson & Johnson
Packaging Category

I find Band Aid boxes so disorganized and stressful, I am glad that Band Aid finally resolved the issue of opening the box and finding the appropriate Band Aid (curse those multi packs!). Their graphic presentation is simple and direct. However, I am not sure if the "less is more" mentality works for the packaging, since without the red branding, this may be indistinguishable among the multitude of hygienic products in my bathroom.


BP Helios House designed by Office dA
Environments Category

"Helios House’s [BP's green flagship] enviro creds are impressive: Solar panels drive the lighting system, the 1,653 steel panels are recyclable, recycled-glass aggregate is embedded in the pavement, and rainwater gets filtered and fed into irrigation pipes that nurture the site’s drought-resistant native plants. In the bathroom, motion sensors activate the lights and faucet, the tiles are recycled glass, and the woodwork was fashioned from sustainably harvested bamboo." A good start, to say the least, even with its contraversial styling.





Dyson Airblade designed by Dyson Airblade
Equipment Category

I hate, hate, hate public restrooms. I cringe at having to touch any surface in those God-forsaken places. Thus, this hand dryer is on the top of my list. This dryer blows unheated filtered air at 400 MPH inside its air cavity. It acts like an air squeegee, wiping water from your hands in 12 seconds.


A Light In The Dark designed by Libby Perszyk Kathman
Concept Category

"Windows account for about 50 percent of the heat gain or loss of a typical house and that window blinds influence that quantity by warming in the winter and shading in the summer, designer Ivan Huber created a Venetian blind system that collects energy from the sun during the day and releases it at night as needed. On sunny days, photovoltaic cells on the blinds’ exterior collect solar energy, which is stored in a lithium-ion battery pack within the valance. At night, the battery powers tiny LED lamps enhanced by a sandwich of materials that spread and diffuse the light: a layer of reflectors facing the window and a network of hexagonal lenses facing the room. The hexagons open to admit air and daylight then close tightly for insulation and privacy."

via I.D. Magazine