Categories & Judging Criteria

The Design of the Decade competition will be broken down into the following categories:

Solution to a developed world social problem
Solution to a developing world social problem
Most responsible design solution
Solution to a consumer problem
Most appealing consumer solution
Solution to a business problem
Design contribution to business efficiency
Most profitable solution to a business problem
Best example of design raising margins (causing a consumer to part with their money)
Best sustainable design solution
Design thinking contribution to business
Design contribution to market share growth
Biggest contribution to brand growth
Most successful integration of new technology

Each entry will be judged on the following criteria:

The Design of the Decade 2010 judging is based on the following criteria of industrial design excellence. These criteria are weighted by the judges as they deem appropriate for the category:

1. Benefit to society and natural ecology (improves education, meets basic needs of low income populations, reduces disease, energy efficient, durable, uses materials and processes with low ecological impact throughout lifecycle, designed to be repaired/reused/recycled, addresses toxicity, source and waste reduction);

2. Benefit to Business (marketing performance, annual growth rate, actual increase in profit margins, 3rd party recognitions (Consumer Reports, etc.), and economic value);

3. Innovation (design, experience, manufacturing);

4. Benefit to the user (performance, comfort, safety, ease of use, user interface, ergonomics, universal function and access, quality of life, affordability);

5. Responsibility (social, economic, environmental, cultural);

6. Benefit to the client (profitability, increased sales, brand reputation, employee morale);

7. Visual appeal and appropriate aesthetics

Submitted by rachelw on July 21, 2010 - 2:26pm

Comments

Ko is correct...

Submitted by euclid on August 26, 2010 - 11:44pm.

The design of the decade categories and criteria are confused, banal and in risk of ridicule. The Initiative deserves a much more rigorous framework than the BS stated above. If IDSA's goal is to establish itself as THE authority for all things relating to industrial design in America today, then sadly this approach only hinders achieving that goal. Come on guys... you can do a much more intelligent job than this third-rate effort!

Curation Please

Submitted by Ko on August 17, 2010 - 6:22pm.

Pay>judge>compete. It's too self-selecting. Something titled "The Design of the Decade" should be curated. Or call it for what it is "The Designs Introduced in this Last Decade That Have Been Submitted for Consideration Though It May Not Necessarily Be, the Most Influential".

I'd like to propose an alternative. Can each of the judges come up with a list of ten designs that's been the most influential in the last decade? In fact, I would invite anyone else to do the same. It'd get a much more interesting debate going. Better yet, allow us to create it on here, give us the ability to add tags. Let's see what floats to the top. (I have more faith that it won't be shit).

PS There's redundancies in this list, the categories lack focus, and some categories makes our industry sound like idiots and is offensive to the design profession. (e.g. "Best example of design raising margins (causing a consumer to part with their money)")