Autodesk & Target Corporation to Sponsor IDEA 09

The Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) announced that Autodesk Inc., a world leader in design innovation technologies, and Target Corporation, the company whose brand essence is great design, have signed on to join BusinessWeek as sponsors of the 2009 International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA 09) competition.

IDEA is a celebration of the most innovative and exciting product and product concept designs of the year and one of the world's most prestigious design competitions.

"Seeing this level of commitment to design from sponsors of the caliber of Target and Autodesk reaffirms the importance of good design to good business," said Andrew Hartman, IDSA, design director, new business at Philips Design and IDEA 09 jury chair.

The IDEA competition, which was founded in 1980 by IDSA, has been reported on by the competition's media sponsor, BusinessWeek magazine, since 1990.

The IDEA program fosters business and public understanding of the impact of industrial design excellence on the quality of life and the economy.

"Autodesk software enables the world's leading designers to capture ideas digitally, allowing industrial design data to be incorporated into a single digital prototype that can be used in every stage of design and production," said Brenda Discher, senior director, marketing, Manufacturing Solutions at Autodesk.

"We hope our sponsorship of the IDEA awards will continue to foster superior designs that drive superior business."