SPARK Highlights Global Design Talent

Countdown begins to October 15th final entry date for this year's Spark Design and Architecture Awards. Designers and firms, agencies and students now have until October 15th to upload last minute submissions in this unique, global design competition.

New York City, NY (PRWEB) September 3, 2009 -- Several hundred top designs are already contenders in this year's Spark Design and Architecture Awards. Designers and firms, agencies and students now have until October 15th to upload last minute submissions in this unique, global design competition.  

Spark Awards 2009

Spark celebrates the best in dazzling design - from architecture and products to the bravest digital work, and we've already received a great wave of summer submissions

But we want more - things that blow existing solutions apart, by people who see problems with completely new eyes.

China is investing heavily in design education, with over ten thousand product designers, architects and interactive design specialists now graduating every year

But we want even more designs that blow existing solutions apart, by people who see problems with completely new eyes.

The Spark Awards website features all the latest 2009 entries and design fans can follow its Twitter stream at twitter.com/sparkawards for profiles on new entries, plus sharp observation on great design and great designers. Entries will be pored over by a group of 19 renowned judges, including Rich Gioscia, Director of Design, Palm, Inc., John Barratt of Teague Design, Prof. Tong Huiming, VP Design, Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, Sally Dominguez at Rainwater Hog, Hanru Hau of San Francisco Art Institute, Sang-yeon Lee of Samsung Design America and Nathan Shedroff, chair of the Design Strategy MBA at California College of Arts.

Spark 2009 entries to date include:

Medical / pharmaceuticals:

Global pharma company's UCB's Cimzia Prefilled Syringe is a striking entry in Spark. Designed with OXO, the company behind Good Grips products, patients can self-administer this treatment for Crohn's disease and rheumatoid arthritis.

Furniture:

David Moser's Kinesis Chair and Ottoman features a fine-art case bronze sculpture base with milled wooden frame and base and leather or suede upholstery.

Architecture:

Craig Hartman of S.O.M's new U.S. Embassy building in Beijing, at 500,000 square feet, is the second largest embassy compound ever undertaken by the U.S. government. The Embassy is founded upon a contemporary interpretation of China's ancient culture of outdoor urban rooms and gardens, and is organized in three "neighborhoods"

Interactive: 

Electronics:

The Blossom DPS camera concept by student Hyun-mook Kang, is focused on reducing the number of buttons and attachments, to focus on easy operation, and maximum appeal, by the young female market. Mimicking a perfume bottle in shape, a pull-out cap lets the photographer to touch up a face on screen.

Lighting: 

Jake Dyson's Motorlight Wall is a motorised wall mounted light, operated via a remote control that can also run up to 30 lights simultaneously. Designed for homes or commercial buildings, the user can choose a beam of between 10 and 120 degrees.

Spark draws top 2009 Chinese talent

This year, Spark is working hard to attract Chinese design talent, a powerful new force, through a unique partnership with CitiExpo, organizer of the Guangzhou Design Week (GZDW) and the Designweek awards. CitiExpo is helping Chinese designers enter the Spark Awards at the international level.

"China is investing heavily in design education, with over ten thousand product designers, architects and interactive design specialists now graduating every year," comments Kuchnicki. "But we want even more designs that blow existing solutions apart, by people who see problems with completely new eyes." For more on SparkChina visit its dedicated website at http://www.sparkawards.cn and visit the Spark Exhibition Pavilion at the GZDW, December 4-6, 2009

Quick online entry process, phased entry costs

Spark is a two-phase competition. Work is submitted online with a brief mission statement. Those who pass to Phase 2 place their work at the centre of a multi-day Jury/Seminar/Celebration/Exhibition, pored over by a jury of top design experts and a design-passionate audience. Entry fees for Phase 1 are US $175 per design for professionals and $100 per design for students and non-professionals. Phase 2 registration, for entries invited forward to Spark Finalist-Challenger stage, is $250 per design (student entries free).

Winner's will have their work displayed from the end of October in Spark's unique design gallery at San Francisco hot-spot, the Autodesk Design Gallery and then at Guangzhou Design Week from early December.

Full details on the Spark Awards are at www.sparkawards.com.

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Spark Sets Eyes On China - Spark Design & Architecture Awards

Spark Design & Architecture Awards is extending its role in the booming Chinese design industry through SparkChina. These new awards will help Chinese creative teams raise their profile globally.

New York, NY (PRWEB) July 29, 2009 -- Spark Design & Architecture Awards is extending its role in the booming Chinese design industry through SparkChina. These new awards will help Chinese creative teams raise their profile globally.

Spark Awards 2009

Just as China's manufacturing talents have changed the world, we think it's time to recognise China's massive talent-bank in design

SparkChina will bring out the best in Chinese design talent, a powerful new force.

Many more designers will now have an opportunity to take part in Spark, and we expect our friendship with China will be the model for future partnerships throughout the world

Spark, now in its third year globally, has been forging connections into the Chinese market as it has sought ways to profile the country's vast and expanding base of designers, design agencies and design schools. China is investing heavily in design education, with tens of thousands of product designers, architects and interactive design specialists now graduating every year.

The Spark Awards is open to global entries from design, advertising and media agencies, students and commissioning clients until 15th September (Note: deadline now extended to 15 October). In addition to the global Spark Awards site at www.sparkawards.com. a new dedicated Chinese language website now provides information to ease design entry submissions at http://www.sparkawards.cn

Winners will be chosen internationally by Spark, and featured in Spark Exhibitions in San Francisco at the Autodesk Design Gallery (from October 29th) and at Guangzhou Design Week (from December 4th).

Spark's Chinese partnership is with CitiExpo, organiser of the Guangzhou Design Week - http://www.icograda.org/events/events/calendar521.htm - and the Designweek awards. CitiExpo will undertake development of SparkChina and be its exclusive representative, acting as a bridge to help Chinese designers enter the Spark Awards at the international level.

"Many more designers will now have an opportunity to take part in Spark, and we expect our friendship with China will be the model for future partnerships throughout the world," added Kuchnicki, a New Yorker and veteran design and media connector.

Designers Can Enter Spark Awards Today

Spark is a fresh, modern qualification system that recognizes new processes and technology and seeks to involve people and ideas from untapped sources. Designers from all levels and skill-sets are invited to participate, be they professional, novice or student. Last year's competition attracted designers, art directors, architects, novices, students, design firms, manufacturers, institutions and ad agencies.

The Spark Design and Architecture Awards celebrate the best in design - from dazzling architecture and interiors to the bravest product and digital design. All types of product entries are encouraged, from mobility to medical, along with the best in fields such as branding, graphics, advertising, digital and experiential design.

Spark finalist entries are put in front of jury members from all types of design, plus noted journalists and other influencers. They include:

David Albertson, Principal, Albertson Design
John Barratt, President & CEO, Teague Design
Cory Grosser, Principal, cory grosser design
D. Philip Haine, Principal, Product Vision Associates
Mark Davis, Director of User Experience, Autodesk
Sally Dominguez, Principal, Rainwater Hog
Rob Forbes, Studio Forbes, Founder, Design Within Reach
Rich Gioscia, Director of Design, Palm, Inc.
Johanna Grawunder, Principal, GRAWUNDER, former partner, Ettore Sottsass Associates
Tong Huiming, Professor and Vice President of College of Design, Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts
Hanru Hau, Director of Exhibitions, San Francisco Art Institute
Rei Inamoto, Chief Creative Officer, AKQA
Sang-yeon Lee, Director, Samsung Design America
Dr. Frankie Ng, Associate Professor in Fashion & Textile Design, Hong Kong Polytechnic
Chee Pearlman, Chee & Company
Beatrice Santiccioli, Principal, beatrice santiccioli design
Nathan Shedroff, Chair of Design Strategy MBA Program, California College of Arts
Cameron Sinclair, Founder/Executive Director, Architecture For Humanity
Michael Vanderbyl, Principal, Vanderbyl Design

More information:
Spark Awards (international): http://www.sparkawards.com.
SparkChina: http://www.sparkawards.cn/

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