Sunday, 30 December 2007 | Levent OZLER
IDEA Brazil: IDEA Expands International Reach
Opportunities for Brazilian Designers with IDEA Brasil
 On December 3, the first annual IDEA/Brasil program opened for entries, initiating a new era in international design competition and cooperation.
A partnership between the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) and Objeto Brasil - an NGO dedicated to the promotion of Brazilian design - IDEA/Brasil is the first "feeder competition" of the International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA). The program is being spearheaded by two of Brazil's design luminaries: Objeto Brasil's President of Honour, José Mindlin, and longtime design activist and promoter Joice Joppert Leal.
IDEA/Brasil will be conducted locally according to the rules and processes of the broader IDEA program, yet tailored to meet the needs of the Brazilian design community. For example, the competition will include a new category for jewelry design to highlight an area of particular excellence and prominence among Brazilian designers. Winners of IDEA/Brasil will be recognized and celebrated both within the host country and internationally, and will advance to the general IDEA competition.
"The IDEA/Brasil program will help promote Brazilian design both within the country and around the world," said IDSA Executive Director Frank Tyneski. "The competition will provide a focus for the vibrant Brazilian design community to come together and celebrate their diverse efforts. Corporations, manufacturers and consumers will see that Brazil takes design seriously and is ready to compete on an international scale."
"The partnership with IDSA to promote IDEA/Brasil is a historical moment and a great recognition of Brazilian design," added Leal.
Applications for IDEA/Brasil are due Feb. 29, 2008, with a late deadline of Mar. 7. In addition to Brazilian designers, professionals who have created products for Brazilian companies may also apply. Contact Chelsea Sutula at chelseas  idsa.org or Daniel Joppert at premio ideabrasil.com.br for more information, or visit IDEA/Brasil's Portuguese Web site at http://www.ideabrasil.com.br.
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