Showcasing a year in design, the fourth annual Brit Insurance Design Awards features an international shortlist ranging from Yves Behar's Swarovski Chandeliers to concrete Emergency Shelters designed in Wales. Nominations also include the Apple iPad as well as six different app's including the popular Angry Birds game.
Industry experts have nominated innovative and engaging designs from around the world across seven categories: Architecture, Fashion, Furniture, Graphics, Interactive, Product and Transport. Stephen Bayley will chair the 2011 jury and will be joined by art and design curator Janice Blackburn OBE, graphic designer Mark Farrow, novelist Will Self, Pro Vice- Chancellor of Kingston University Penny Sparke and Simon Waterfall co- founder of digital agency Poke. Bill Moggeridge, Director of the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, New York will also join this year's jury.
The nominations will be on show at the Brit Insurance Designs of the Year Exhibition at the Design Museum from February 16 to August 7, 2011. From this comprehensive list, the jury will select the seven category winners to be announced on February 28, 2011. The overall Brit Insurance Design of the Year will be announced at the Awards Dinner on March 15, 2011 and this year's awards trophy will be exclusively designed by Ross Lovegrove.
"The sheer breadth of the shortlist reaffirms the importance of good design and how it can help improve daily lives or even refresh the familiar," commented Alex Newson, curator of the Brit Insurance Designs of the Year exhibition. "Whether it is through ingenious temporary home solutions or a new cycle scheme for London, it is a fascinating list of nominees."