Focus Open 2011
Results of Baden-Württemberg International Design Award 2011

The competition

Focus Open 2011, the Baden-Württemberg International Design Award, has been a firm part of the German competition scene for many years now. Each year, designers and companies from around the world submit their most innovative products and ideas, and compete for this award for outstanding design with a future.
Both in Germany and beyond its borders, this highly regarded design award enjoys a good reputation, and its respectability and non-commercial orientation means that it is held in high esteem.
The large number of entries this year are testimony to both the importance of design for industry and business and the importance of the competition and its “Focus in Gold” and “Focus in Silver” awards, which participants can use as an effective marketing communication tool.

Participants and awards

For Focus Open 2011, businesspersons and designers submitted a total of 357 products in various categories. The products submitted for judging came from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, France, Denmark, the Netherlands and Belgium and the United States. The six judges selected a total of 91 award-winners. Eighty products were awarded the “Focus in Silver” for excellent design work. The supreme “Focus in Gold” award for outstanding design work went to a further 11 products.

Categories

Participants could assign their entries to one of the following categories:

• Production, assembly, logistics
• Communication, audio/video, optical equipment
• Medicine, rehabilitation, geriatric medicine
• Bathrooms, sanitary installations, wellness
• Kitchen, household
• Tableware and kitchenware
• Living
• Contract furniture
• Ambience, lifestyle
• Lighting
• Leisure, outdoor
• Sport
• Children, family
• Architecture
• Public design
• Transport, traffic

In the course of their assessment, the judges defined an additional category:

• Design studies for sustainability

Judging and voting procedures

There was no short-listing of entries before judging took place. Each product was presented to the judges and intensively appraised, explained, discussed and judged. To ensure that judging was fair, any products in whose development the judges were involved were excluded from competing. Almost all the entries were assessed in the original. Only especially bulky products and capital goods were presented as photographs.
There were several rounds of judging, which led to lively discussion that could sometimes be controversial but was at all times constructive.

The interdisciplinary make-up of the judges panel, with their experience from a diverse range of industries and product categories, contributed to assessments that were fair and competent, and took account of various perspectives.

In a two-day judging session, the products entered were assessed by the following experts:

• Dr. Nicole Busch, buschwerk, DE
• Roland de Fries, Kuypers Branding, USA
• Stefan Grobe, defortec, DE
• Markus Jehs, jehs+laub, DE
• Christoph Daniel Jia, Linya Int’l Strategic Foresight, CN
• Prof. Karin Schmidt-Ruhland, Burg Giebichenstein, Halle College of Art and Design, DE

The judges were guided by the following design criteria:
design quality, functionality, innovative content, ergonomics, interface design, product graphics and typography, ecology, sustainability, quality, grace, emotional content and brand conformity.

Benefit for the award-winners

Focus Open 2011, the Baden-Württemberg International Design Award, is one of the few non-commercial German design competitions. Its intention is to highlight design trends and uncover innovative solutions, but, first and foremost, to promote its annual award-winners.

Its favourable entry fees also allow smaller and younger companies to measure themselves and their products on an international level. The benefit for the award-winners is especially evident in their marketing communication: the “Focus in Gold” and “Focus in Silver” labels are seals of quality and popular product hallmarks.

The formal award-giving ceremony, the exhibition lasting several weeks on the attractive premises of Ludwigsburg’s “Werkzentrum Weststadt”, as well as the presentation of the products in the internet and their publication in the yearbook, which is distributed worldwide, also help generate public attention and awareness.

The design award is a sign of expert appreciation of the entries submitted: a sign that can also have a positive effect in large companies. It is also confirmation that those involved in the development process have done a good job. This gives an appreciable boost to motivation, as well as to identification with the company and its products. Finally, it also strengthens trust in the collaboration between designers and companies.

Focus in Gold

Production, assembly, logistics

Vitocontrol
Control system (touchscreen control for Vitomax steam boiler)

Manufacturer
Viessmann Werke
D-35108 Allendorf
www.viessmann.com

Designer
Phoenix Design GmbH & Co. KG
D-70376 Stuttgart
www.phoenixdesign.com

Distributor
Viessmann Werke
D-35108 Allendorf
www.viessmann.com

Vitocontrol’s graphic display layout sets new standards in industrial mechanical engineering. The human-machine interface is designed to allow it to be operated simply, safely and intuitively by various groups of users. Depending on the needs of the observer, janitor and engineer, information flows are logically arranged, reduced to a sensible minimum and visualized in a graphically clear way.
Simple symbols such as green ticks give the observer an overview of the most important functions. The janitor and engineer, by contrast, can access all the more detailed information they need on subsequent levels.
Graphically clear icons ensure operating safety. Setting values are shown not only in numeric form, but also in the form of bars, diagrams and scales. In this way, the user can see at a glance whether a value is within the normal range, or whether there is a need to take corrective action.
This user-friendly ten-inch touch panel was developed for the Vitomax industrial steam boiler. It has the typical characteristics of Viessmann corporate design. Its elegant features, such as the perfect finish of the frame, emphasize the quality of the product.

Judges panel
A complex professional tool that is self-explanatory and extremely easy to use. Simple icons with several functions can be selected, and offer good control. It is not only in its new product design that Viessmann sets new standards and underscores its market leadership, but also in the user-interface area.

Medicine, rehabilitation, geriatric medicine

VistaCam iX
intraoral camera

Manufacturer
Dürr Dental AG
D-74321 Bietigheim-Bissingen
www.duerr.de

Designer
Formstudio Merklepark
D-70178 Stuttgart
www.formstudio.de

Distributor
Dürr Dental AG
D-74321 Bietigheim-Bissingen
www.duerr.de

VistaCam iX combines patient communication, caries diagnosis and documentation. This intraoral camera takes pictures in the patient’s mouth and displays them on a monitor. This allows the dentist to recognize at an early stage structures such as fine fractures and pathologic changes, which are very difficult to see with the naked eye. And patients can better understand what condition they have and what treatment is necessary.
The proof head makes caries and plaque visible. VistaCam iX combines intraoral camera images and fluorescent imaging. The metabolic products of the bacteria that cause caries are excited by the LEDs’ violet light and send out a red glow, while healthy enamel glows green. DBSWIN software allows the caries activity to be precisely localized and analyzed on-screen.
The intraoral camera is not only highly functional, it also satisfies all the demands of ergonomics. The circular arrangement of the LEDs ensures the best possible, homogeneous illumination. A motion sensor switches the camera on and off.
VistCam iX can be integrated into nearly every surgery environment. Its stand-alone version can also be used without a PC. It can disconnected directly at the handpiece. This makes it ideal for surgeries with several treatment rooms.

Judges panel
An outstanding product. Who hasn’t wondered whether what the dentist says is really true? Here, I can see exactly what is happening to my teeth. We think the camera is an exciting product for all user groups – also for children. You can make plaque visible, for example, and show them where caries is beginning to develop and where they haven’t cleaned their teeth properly. The accompanying information material has also been well designed.

Bathrooms, sanitary installations, wellness

OpenSpace
shower enclosure

Manufacturer
Duravit AG
D-78132 Hornberg
www.duravit.com

Designer
EOOS Design GmbH
A-1010 Wien
www.eoos.com

Distributor
Duravit AG
D-78132 Hornberg
www.duravit.com

OpenSpace – the shower enclosure that can be folded away – makes the bathroom larger and creates open space.
A frame in brilliant chrome provides the contours on the wall. Two large self-locking glass doors are fitted in the frame, in a translucent design or with a mirror on one side. After showering, these doors can simply be folded against the wall.
There are no more irksome rails protruding into the room. Tap fittings, shower hose, shower gel and shampoo are hidden from view. This new type of shower enclosure opens up the room, especially in its mirror-glass variant. It does so not only optically, but also frees up room for manoeuvre in the bathroom, which is especially advantageous for small bathrooms.
This is made possible by a special technical feature in the door frames. The door frame is fitted with a lifting and lowering mechanism. When the doors are moved, they automatically stop and lower into place at the 90-degree shower position. This ensures the best possible protection against spray. To allow them to be cleaned more easily, they can be opened still further, lowering again automatically when they reach a 180-degree position.
The integrated U section provides for extra stability. At the same time, it means that up to 18 millimetres allowance can be made for the uneven walls that are frequently encountered in older houses.

Judges panel:
A product that excellently solves a truly big problem in the bathroom area: most people don’t have a lot of room in their bathrooms. This is a generous, fully functional shower that I can simply fold away, opening up new space. This is a brilliant idea. The available space can be structured in two different ways. With the mirror-glass variant, I can even get dressed or put on my make-up in front of it.

Ambience, lifestyle

Wave
handbag series

Manufacturer
Olbrish Produkt GmbH
D-10961 Berlin
www.olbrish.de

Designer
In-house design
Wolfgang Olbrish

Distributor
Olbrish Produkt GmbH
D-10961 Berlin
www.olbrish.de

Nomen est omen. Wave is based on the form of a crashing wave that takes over the base and the panels of the bag. The zip fastener takes up this central theme as it runs from the front to the rear.
Thanks to the form of its base, the bag does not need any side sections. This gives it a slim, delicate appearance, but does not reduce its usable volume. In addition to the main compartment, there is a pouch on the inside for a mobile phone. The two larger bags also have an additional large compartment with a Velcro fastener.
The bag’s two-tone finish accentuates the counter movements of the rear and front panels. The contrast between light and dark colours alludes to the play of light and shadow in a wave. Because the panels have been turned and the bag becomes narrower toward the top, Wave is very comfortable to carry.
The bag, which is produced in eco-friendly fashion in Berlin, has been developed to last at least ten years. Its outer skin is made of high-quality cowhide nappa leather from south Germany. This has been dyed all the way through, and so is colour-fast, non-fading and water-repellent. On the inside, Wave is lined with suede, which also ensures long life.
The bags, which are available in three sizes, are very versatile: the smallest bag is for going out on the town, the medium-sized one for everyday use, and the large one for documents, laptop, and small shopping errands.

Judges panel:
Elegant, timeless, and long-lasting. The geometry of the outer skin allows just one handle to be used, as it is placed diagonally. A super idea. An innovative, functionally sensible bag in a product area in which, generally speaking, anything goes. At last, a handbag where the second strap does not constantly slip off your shoulder.

Lighting

Optimal-LED
LED down light

Manufacturer
Steng Licht AG
D-70327 Stuttgart
www.steng.de

Designer
In-house design
Andreas Steng

Distributor
Steng Licht AG
D-70327 Stuttgart
www.steng.de

The Optimal product family, which is well known for its use in architectural lighting, has been successful in the market for many years. It has now been extended to include a high-quality surface luminaire that provides excellent light: Optimal-LED.
It is equipped with the latest-generation high-power LEDs. A purist design and the strict application of technical know-how are what make this reflector surface luminaire so special. With its colour temperature, colour reproduction, high luminous flux, and long service life of 50,000 hours, it offers a sensible and energy-efficient alternative to conventional light sources.
For example, the luminous flux of its 18-watt version (1,000 lumen) is roughly ten times higher than that of a 50-watt low-voltage halogen lamp. All Optimal-LED down lights can be operated either in this variant, or with a 9-watt (580 lumen) or 13-watt (800 lumen) light.
In addition, the surface luminaires feature high-quality reflector technology, with a beam angle of 20, 40 or 60 degrees. The body is made of a block of solid aluminium, which gives it excellent thermal management properties. Various switches are available in combination with the LED down lights, some of which offer a dimming function.
The Optimal family, which now comprises pendant lamps, tubular lamps, flex lights, and lamps for office buildings, is used in the private sphere, but especially in museums, hotels, restaurants, galleries and shops.

Judges panel
Absolutely reduced, less is scarcely possible. Light is all that matters here. Everything has been beautifully designed, even the rear surface of the heat sink. Even if the luminaire were not surface mounted, it would still possess an extremely beautiful formal expression. The lamp is very well made, a high-quality product. Simple to install.

Leisure, outdoor

Infinity8
switchable dynamo hub

Manufacturer
Supernova
D-79194 Gundelfingen
www.supernova-lights.com

Designer
In-house design
Marcus Wallmeyer

Distributor
Supernova
D-79194 Gundelfingen
www.supernova-lights.com

Infinity8 is an engineering masterpiece. The dynamo hub incorporates two revolutionary new concepts, which have been patented.
The first is its sophisticated FreeSpin technology, which allow Infinity8 to be completely switched off. This makes it far superior to the normal dynamo hub. A simple turn of the dial-wheel mechanism is enough to eliminate unwanted drag when the dynamo is running idle. This saves pedalling power, and turns the dynamo into a smooth-running front wheel hub. It only provides power when it is really needed.
The second ground-breaking innovation is its trendsetting SoloMagnet technology. Conventional dynamos with magnets attached to the walls of the hub body use only one magnet pole to generate electricity. Infinity8, by contrast, has a high-power magnet at its core. This means it can effectively use both poles of the magnet. As a result, it delivers enough power for optimum lighting even at low speeds.
In addition, its “The Plug” USB power supply allows a GPS to be powered, or a mobile phone or Airstream battery light to be recharged even at low speeds.

Judges panel
Offers traditional functions using innovative technology. The drag from the hub dynamo can be eliminated. On bicycles with conventional hub dynamos, there is always resistance, meaning the rider needs more power to generate a light. This is not the case here. And there is a further plus point: the light is always available – there’s no need to remember to take a light with you. A simple product, very impressive, very tasteful.

Sport

Daytour 24
skiing and winter trekking rucksack

Manufacturer
Vaude Sport GmbH & Co. KG
D-88069 Tettnang
www.vaude.com

Designer
In-house design
Hans-Thomas Langowski

Distributor
Vaude Sport GmbH & Co. KG
D-88069 Tettnang
www.vaude.com

The rucksack is the ideal companion for ski-hiking, free-riding, or winter mountaineering. It is equipped with all the features needed for this. The striking features of Daytour 24 are its reduced design, excellent carrying comfort, and high level of functionality.
For example, it has a detachable helmet strap. Even when a helmet is attached to it, the main compartment is still accessible. An avalanche probe and shovel can be securely stowed in the safety compartment but can be quickly retrieved if necessary. Skis can be attached to the front or sides. In addition, the rucksack has practical straps for attaching ice axes and walking poles.
Other convenient features include the side compression straps, the light, removable hip belt, and the chest strap with a whistle.
Daytour 24 is the first bluesign®-certified rucksack in the outdoor market. The independent bluesign® standard for textiles processing guarantees that products are made throughout the entire manufacturing chain using components and processes that are harmless for people and the environment, without having to accept any compromises in functionality and design. Vaude’s objective is to be Europe’s most eco-friendly outdoor company by 2015, with products that combine eco-friendliness with advanced technologies. All the textile components of the rucksack – mesh, lining, back supports and shoulder straps – are made of bluesign®-approved fabrics, without any negative effects on function or properties.

Judges panel
Brilliantly functional. It has everything a skier or mountaineer needs, with excellent attention to detail – metal fasteners, a whistle directly on the chest strap, exactly where it is needed. Straps that can be stowed away, practical compartments. It has been thought through from top to bottom. You can see how much experience has gone into it. These new combinations are very convincing.

Architektur

Junkers Home
heating control app

Manufacturer
Bosch Thermotechnik GmbH
D-73249 Wernau
www.bosch-thermotechnik.de

Designer
In-house design
Fusion-x Community Inhouse
and
Intuity Medialab GmbH
D-70176 Stuttgart
www.intuity.de

Distributor
Bosch Thermotechnik GmbH Junkers Deutschland
D-73243 Wernau
www.junkers.de

Leaving work early and activating the central heating on the way home, or prolonging your holiday and letting your heating know directly from the piste. Pie in the sky?
It is now reality with the Junkers Home app. Now you can set your central heating from anywhere in the world via the internet, and you can do so intuitively and without any instructions, just as iPhone users would expect of an app.
Now you can be sure of a warm home whenever you return. And if nobody is at home, the central heating saves energy and money. Controlling the central heating has scarcely been easier.
Junkers Home also lets the user know when a service is due or when there is a malfunction. In this way, it is also possible for the heating technician to be informed via his smartphone. If the central heating is combined with a solar thermal system, the app can present the owner with a diagram showing how much yield he has had from the sun.
The app can be downloaded from the Apple iTune App Store. The mobile application is currently compatible with an iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.
For the central heating to be able to understand the commands, a go-between is needed. This is provided in the form of the Junkers MB 100-LAN internet communication module, which acts as a gateway. The heating technician connects this small white box to the Junkers heating system and to an internet router. And that is all that is needed for a remote control that provides added convenience and cost savings

Judges panel
An excellent application. We love it. It is self-explanatory and easy to operate. Very well designed, especially the way it has been reduced to what is necessary. If I have central heating, all I want to know is how warm it is in my flat, and this is precisely what this app allows me to set. The Junkers app is so intuitive to use because it follows the same intuitive principles as other apps. I don’t need any instruction booklet.

Public Design

Kulturen der Welt – Rautenstrauch-Joest Museum Köln
museum design

Designer
Atelier Brückner GmbH
D-70376 Stuttgart
www.atelier-brueckner.de

This innovative exhibition concept does without the usual partition into geographical regions. Instead, it takes up themes whose issues are dealt with differently from culture to culture. It takes visitors on a scenographic route in which some 2,000 exhibits have been integrated.
Visitors experience the exhibition as a dynamic sequence of individual chapters that give them an intuitive insight into the world’s cultures.
The first main chapter, “Grasping the World,” visualizes four sub-themes: “Encounter and assimilation: border crossings”, “Distorted perception: prejudice”, “The world in a showcase: museum” and “Viewpoints?! Art”.
The second exhibition area, “Shaping the world”, comprises five sub-departments that provide insights into the different ways in which people shape their lives. “Living space, ways of living: the home”, “The body as a stage: clothing and jewellery”, “Staging a farewell: death and the hereafter, “Diversity of belief: religion” and “In-between worlds; rituals”.
As the visitor moves from one theme space to the next, each of which works with different materials, light moods and room compositions, an authentic ethnological panoptikon unfolds. Visitors are directly involved, and feel drawn in to the museum’s various worlds. They are also invited to compare cultures, to understand their own culture as one possible variant among many equally valid possibilities.

Judges panel
Exceptionally good presentation of different cultures. It’s interactive, people can feel their way in, look at things, touch them, play with them, experience, grasp and understand them. They do so in a way, and in a formally elegant setting, that we have never seen before. Excellent.

Transport, traffic

Basic Line 3520
economy-class aircraft seat

Manufacturer
Recaro Aircraft Seating GmbH & Co. KG
D-74523 Schwäbisch Hall
www.recaro-as.com

Designer
In-house design

Distributor
Recaro Aircraft Seating GmbH & Co. KG
D-74523 Schwäbisch Hall
www.recaro-as.com

A light, slim aircraft seat that is extremely comfortable and modern in design – a contradiction in terms? Not if it is the Basic Line 3520. This economy-class seat combines low weight, premium quality and attractive design with new ergonomic data.
Compared with its predecessor, the amount of space available for passengers has been increased by more than three inches (7.6 centimetres), thanks to the thin back rest and the relocation of the pocket for brochures.
The newly designed seat bottom is more comfortable than the cushions that have been used so far, and there are fewer pressure points on the thighs.
The shape of the back-rest frame is ergonomically correct, and is made of new materials. Instead of the usual foamed material, an innovative mesh upholstery forms the core of the back rest. The seat can also be reclined.
One seat weighs only slightly more than ten kilos, 30 percent lighter than its predecessor. This has been achieved thanks to high-tech materials and new, smart design.
Thanks to this increased space, airlines can reduce the space between seats, thus increasing the number of seats by 5 to 10 percent. Nonetheless, passengers have more space than previously, thanks to the innovative seat design. Moreover, overall weight is still less than that of the old seats. Customers can save roughly 4.3 percent fuel, and in this way reduce their CO2 emissions.
Basic Line 3520 proves that it is possible to achieve the difficult balance between fuel saving, ergonomically optimized seats and premium quality.

Judges panel
Just how an aircraft seat should be: light, minimum use of materials, comfortable. The slim, reduced design results in a gain of three inches more space. Good attention to detail, such as a coat hook in the right place, or the positioning of the pocket for brochures. Apart from the added space, the weight saving is decisive. Thirty percent lighter than most of the aircraft seats in use. Well designed: the seat covering’s colour, textiles and cut, as well as the way it has been worked and designed, make it stand out from the boring American leatherette that is still the standard.

Design studies for sustainability

E-Mobility
Design study

Manufacturer
Daimler AG
D-71059 Sindelfingen
www.daimler.com

Designer
In-house design

Smart presents an unconventional study that combines contemporary urban mobility with the fun factor that is typical of smart.
At smart, the age of electromobility has already begun. In the form of the smart fortwo electric drive, the second generation of an electric vehicle has been available for customers in 18 countries since the end of 2009. This electric car is in great demand. This means that smart has a lot of customer feedback, and was able to feed it into this study.
This pioneering design study presents solutions for smart urban mobility, and thus an especially exciting outlook on the future generations of electric vehicles.
The study proves that electric driving is possible in every variation, and presents an interesting electrically driven model family. Apart from a car, the smart forspeed, it presents an electric scooter, the smart e-scooter, and an electric bicycle, the smart e-bike. The carmaker’s intention is to help further reduce emissions in inner cities. Responsibility and emotion are combined in a new, sensual way. Above all, the emphasis is on fun.
All three electric vehicles feature design characteristics that are typical of smart, such as innovative and daring lines. They are also easy to handle and allow smartphones to be integrated as a control and communications centre. The modified smart drive kit app assumes a variety of functions here.

Judges panel
The design study is a step in the right direction: mobility in urban traffic and alternative drive technologies. We would like to see lots of carmakers thinking about such steps. The overriding concern is one of combining environmental considerations with hedonism. This has been done well in all three projects. This is the right direction for a company that makes cars and thinks not only about four-wheeled vehicles, but also about two-wheeled ones. We would be pleased to see this put into practice soon.

Focus in silver 2011