red dot: junior prize 2009

With its 10,000 euros prize money, the “red dot: junior prize” is one of the junior prizes with the highest prize money internationally. Since 2000 it has been annually awarded to the best work of a junior designer as part of the red dot award: communication design. This year the award goes to Dennis Dominguez from Cologne for his book “Stereotype”. This publication by the graduate of the Dortmund University of Applied Sciences deals with prejudices and national stereotypes, a topic that is visually presented in a highly entertaining as well as bold way.

The book illustrates clichés and prejudices from all over the world, which coagulate into specific national stereotypes and are cultivated like a treasure of ancient wisdom over years and centuries. Together with an extensive inventory of quotes by famous politicians, authors and journalists 20 caricatures of different national stereotypes are presented in stylised as well as minimally designed illustrations that get right to the heart of the matter. With these illustrations the designer shows us that we are, and have been in the past, willingly taking in prejudices like a dry sponge absorbs water and that they are as persistent as weeds – as soon as they are pulled out they spring up again. And that happens even though the world is growing together more and more and new information can be checked faster and more reliably.

In the coming weeks we would like to present a selection of these stereotypes to you – with the tip from Dennis Dominguez to the readers of his book to “sometimes wink with one eye for a short moment”.

>>The Americans – barbarians lacking in culture

>>The Germans – tyrants and gregarious animals

>>The Russians – ruffians and drinkers