Designs of the Year '13

The Design Museum has shortlisted over 90 projects for its annual award, across seven categories: Architecture, Digital, Fashion, Furniture, Graphics, Product and Transport. The winner will be announced in April.

London's Design Museum has announced the 90 shortlisted designs for its Designs of the Year 2013 award. Selected by a panel of nominators from around the world, the list includes the best projects from the last year across seven categories — Architecture, Digital, Fashion, Furniture, Graphics, Product and Transport —, which will be reunited in an exhibition opening 20 March. The overall winner will be announced in April.

Seeking to compile the most interesting designs, prototypes and designers in the world today, this year's shortlist includes such diverse projects as Renzo Piano's The Shard skyscraper, Heatherwick Studio's Olympic Cauldron, Louis Kahn's Four Freedoms Park, and Random International's Rain Room at the Barbican.

The nominations also include several prototypes, with a focus on socially conscious design — such as a fully foldable wheelchair by Vitamins Design —, while simultaneously keeping track of fundamental technological advancements — with such nominations as the new Makerbot Replicator 2, and Microsoft's Windows phone 8.

The full list of nominations can be seen at the Design Museum's website.
Top:  Random International, <em>Rain Room</em>. 
Random International’s largest and most ambitious installation yet, Rain
Room is a 100 sq m field of falling water for visitors to walk through,
experiencing how it might feel to control the rain. On entering visitors hear
the sound of water and feel moisture in the air before discovering the
thousands of falling droplets responding to their presence and movement to
keep the visitor dry. Above: Jolan Van Der Wiel, <em>Gravity Stool</em>.
Jolan Van Der Wiel developed a "magnet machine", whereby he positions
magnetic fields above and below a container of polarized material
containing metal shavings. In order to form and determine the shapes of his
furniture pieces, the hanging units are pulled down and then released, in
which the substance follows, drawn upwards by magnetic force, letting
gravity determine the shape of the stool
Top: Random International, Rain Room. Random International’s largest and most ambitious installation yet, Rain Room is a 100 sq m field of falling water for visitors to walk through, experiencing how it might feel to control the rain. On entering visitors hear the sound of water and feel moisture in the air before discovering the thousands of falling droplets responding to their presence and movement to keep the visitor dry. Above: Jolan Van Der Wiel, Gravity Stool. Jolan Van Der Wiel developed a "magnet machine", whereby he positions magnetic fields above and below a container of polarized material containing metal shavings. In order to form and determine the shapes of his furniture pieces, the hanging units are pulled down and then released, in which the substance follows, drawn upwards by magnetic force, letting gravity determine the shape of the stool
Louis Kahn, <em>Four Freedoms park</em>.
In the late 1960s, during a period of national urban renewal, New York City
Mayor John Lindsay proposed to reinvent Roosevelt Island (then called
Welfare Island) into a vibrant, residential area. Louis Kahn, was announced
as the architect of the project in 1973. Louis Kahn finished his work but died
unexpectedly as the City of New York approached bankruptcy. On March
29, 2010, 38 years after its announcement, construction of Franklin D.
Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park began
Louis Kahn, Four Freedoms park. In the late 1960s, during a period of national urban renewal, New York City Mayor John Lindsay proposed to reinvent Roosevelt Island (then called Welfare Island) into a vibrant, residential area. Louis Kahn, was announced as the architect of the project in 1973. Louis Kahn finished his work but died unexpectedly as the City of New York approached bankruptcy. On March 29, 2010, 38 years after its announcement, construction of Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park began
CoDesign, <em>DEKHO: Conversations on design in India</em>.
DEKHO is an anthology of inspirational conversations with designers in
India, probing their stories in to the development of design in India and
highlighting approaches that are unique to designing for India
CoDesign, DEKHO: Conversations on design in India. DEKHO is an anthology of inspirational conversations with designers in India, probing their stories in to the development of design in India and highlighting approaches that are unique to designing for India
 Vitamins Design/Maddak Inc., <em>Morph Folding Wheel</em>. For the first time the wheels on a wheelchair
are able to fold flat and fit in storage compartments of airplanes and small
cars. When folded, this wheel takes up only 12 litres of space, compared
with 22 litres when it is circular and in use. The wheel has been developed
with support from the Royal College of Art, the Wingate Foundation and the
James Dyson Foundation.
Vitamins Design/Maddak Inc., Morph Folding Wheel. For the first time the wheels on a wheelchair are able to fold flat and fit in storage compartments of airplanes and small cars. When folded, this wheel takes up only 12 litres of space, compared with 22 litres when it is circular and in use. The wheel has been developed with support from the Royal College of Art, the Wingate Foundation and the James Dyson Foundation.
MakerBot, <em>Replicator 2</em>.
This fourth generation 3D printing machine from MarkerBot has a massive
410 cubic inch build volume and is the easiest, fastest, and most affordable
tool for making professional quality models at home
MakerBot, Replicator 2. This fourth generation 3D printing machine from MarkerBot has a massive 410 cubic inch build volume and is the easiest, fastest, and most affordable tool for making professional quality models at home

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