@Issue Journal of Business & Design » Design Awards

Jell-O Has Its Day

Delphine Hirasuna — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 00:56:13 +0000

Designers are pretentious snobs when it comes to Jell-O, and I’ve never understood why. Jell-O comes in lively primary colors, and can be molded, melted, layered, mixed with fruits, vegetables, herbs, nuts or dairy, made clear or opaque. You would think it would be a designer’s dream food. It’s better than Legos and Play-doh because you can eat it if you tire of toying with it. But as food, Jell-O has been deemed a second-class citizen, lumped with stuff dished out in cafeterias and spooned to toddlers lacking teeth, sick people too weak to chew, and people scheduled for a colonoscopy. So, it is refreshing to see that Gowanus Studio Space in Brooklyn is hosting a Jell-O Mold Design Competition next week with the support of the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt, National Museum of Design, Smart Design, Core 77 and Eyebeam Art + Technology Center, among other aesthetically savvy entities.

The competition rules are rigorous. Entrants are required to make their own molds, either a new one or a recontextualized pre-existing form. A panel of distinguished (we assume) judges will grade their Jell-0 on creativity, aesthetics, structural/sculptural ingenuity, edibility/culinary appeal, and best use and showcase of Jell-O. The grand prize is $400 in cash. You have to hurry if you want to participate. The deadline to register for the 2011 competition is tomorrow (June 15) and costs $15 for adults, $10 for students. Check out this video for inspiration.

Fast Company Celebrates the 2009 Masters of Design

Delphine Hirasuna — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 03:12:23 +0000

Fast Company named this year’s Masters of Design: David Butler, vice president of global design for Coca-Cola; David Adjaye, architect and CEO of Adjaye Associates, David Rockwell, interior architect and head of Rockwell Group, Alberto Alessi, head of the famous Alessi Design Factory, and Lisa Strausfeld, new media design and partner of Pentagram in New York. This is a brief interview with three of the recipients. In future weeks, we hope to bring more indepth remarks by the 2009 Masters.

Designers Honored at White House

Delphine Hirasuna — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 23:24:11 +0000

First Lady Michelle Obama, acting in her role as honorary patron, hosted the winners and finalists of the 10th annual National Design Awards at a White House ceremony today. The awards, sponsored by the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, recognize and promote design excellence, innovation and public impact. The 2009 National Design Awards recipients are:

Lifetime Achievement: Bill Moggridge

Design Mind: Amory B. Lovins

Architecture Design: SHoP Architects; finalists: Architecture Research Office and Michael Maltzan

Communication Design: The New York Times Graphics Department: finalists: Hoefler & Frere-Jones and Project Projects

Fashion Design: Francisco Costa for Calvin Klein Collection; finalists: Thom Browne and Rodarte

Interaction Design: Perceptive Pixel Inc.; finalists: Potion and Lisa Strausfeld

Interior Design: TsAO & McKOWN Architects; finalists: Ali Tayar and Work AC

Landscape Design: Hood Design; finalists: Andrea Cochran and Rios Clementi Hale Studios

Product Design: Boym Partners; finalists: Salvor Projects and Smart Design

Congratulations to all.