red dot winners also impress in Korea

Legacy for the Future Design Awards for Dedon and Otto Bock  

On the occasion of the “Design Korea 2007” event, selected award-winning works of this year’s red dot award: product design were presented in the exhibition “World Best Design”, among them the prosthetic foot "1C30 Trias" by Otto Bock HealthCare and the chaise longue "Yin Yang" by Dedon. After the successful presentation in Korea, these two products were awarded in the “Legacy for the Future Design Award”.

Not only learning from the past, but also leaving something for future generations - this is a task that continuously confronts humanity anew. The "Legacy for the Future Design Award" has made it its objective, at the "Design Korea" design festival in Seoul which takes place every two years, to recognise products which lastingly improve quality of life and which could serve as archetypes for later generations. Four products were awarded  in the current competition, including the prosthetic foot "1C30 Trias" by Otto Bock HealthCare in the category "Legacy for the Future: Human Comfort Design Award" and the chaise longue "Yin Yang" by Dedon, which stole the visitor's hearts and won the Audience prize. Both products already impressed the international expert jury at the red dot award: product design 2007 and were in fact recognised with a "red dot: best of the best" award for exceptionally outstanding quality in design. 

"We are pleased with our winners for this additional recognition of their design achievements", said Prof. Dr. Peter Zec, initiator of the red dot design awards. "Both of these products were already recognised at the red dot design awards for their trend-setting design. And we believe that the prosthetic foot as well as the Yin Yang will inspire generations to come."

The Legacy for the Future Design Awards are presented by a jury in the three categories of "Human Comfort Design", "Eco-Friendly Design" and "Cultural Identity Design". All products can be awarded at the "World Best Design" exhibition, in which the most important design competitions present a selection of their winners. The presentation of the red dot award-winning products at the "World Best Design" was not only an excellent opportunity for the participating winning companies to communicate their award and the products internationally, it is also part of the international activities accompanying the red dot design award.

About Trias prosthetic foot

As our ever-changing world becomes more complex and more dynamic, it is especially important for persons with amputations to be able to live a balanced, self-determined life of fulfilment. The use of a functional and comfortable prosthetic system is an essential contributor to the happiness and well-being of persons with disabilities. In the area of prosthetic feet, Otto Bock’s 1C30 Trias represents an ideal solution to meet these critical needs. The Trias is a synthesis of creative, modern design realised in a lightweight and efficient construction. The foot was developed by an intercultural and interdisciplinary project team using patient requirements and customer needs as a basis for their work. Nature – in this case the human foot – was the benchmark and the driver behind the eventual solutions found by our engineers in Duderstadt and Salt Lake City. The result is a prosthetic foot that not only has an extraordinary look but also offers excellent gait characteristics such as easy, energy-saving rollover, and improved gait symmetry, which combine to reduce the loads on the amputee’s contralateral limb. The key innovative principles behind the Trias design include the triangular arrangement of the spring members and the dual spring technology of the heel and forefoot springs. There are currently two patents in place to protect these essential design features. The innovative construction also leads to a conservation of materials, saving both weight and resources at the same time. However, there have been no compromises made to ensure that only the highest standards of quality and durability are maintained.

Design: In-house design (Martin Pusch, Lüder Mosler)

About the chaise longue YIN YANG

The study of ancient Chinese characters reveals that “yin” and “yang” were once used to indicate geographical locations. “Yin” referred to the colder northern side of a hill and “yang” referred to the warmer side facing south. Over the course of many centuries, yin and yang became symbols with multiple meanings denoting two opposing forces within a harmonious whole. How yin and yang can be reconciled to embody harmony is a key theme in Chinese philosophy. The design of the Chaise longue YIN YANG aims at uniting the dynamic opposites of ancient Chinese philosophy in a piece of furniture. YIN YANG has been conceived for outdoor use and its design succeeds in a harmonious interplay of colour and form. The chaise longue is made up of two elements which – when placed opposite each other – fuse to form a sculpture of an organic and almost flowing appearance. The elements feature integrated seating contours that provide space for one person each. Two persons can thus sit down facing each other or even lie down in a relaxing position. This chaise longue is thus also an expression of the contemporary lounge approach and implies a multifunctional “freedom of seating.” The Chaise longue YIN YANG is also intriguing for the material from which it is made. It features a special, industrially produced fibre that is soft, pleasing to the touch and robust enough for outdoor use, and which is then hand-woven together by master craftsmen on the Philippine island of Cebu to form this piece of furniture. The chaise longue reflects the harmony of yin and yang not only in its combination of bronze– and platinum-coloured fibres as well as the alternating convex and concave surfaces, its design thus also reconciles and combines two worlds – the world of industrial production and the world of high craftsmanship with a century-long tradition – into a harmonious sculpture for modern lifestyles.  

Design: G. Nicolas Thomkins

More information are available here:

www.designkorea.or.kr