Maaike Evers, IDSA, co-founder of the experimental design studio Mike & Maaike in San Francisco has been named the International Design Excellence Awards Jury Chair for 2019. Born and bred in The Netherlands, Evers brings a progressively Dutch and uniquely female perspective to industrial design, inspired by the tradition of craft and potential of industry. Mike & Maaike was formed as a design laboratory where self-initiated and client projects are approached with the same level of passion and experimentation.
“We are totally delighted that Maaike is chairing the jury this year. Her point of view is so richly informed by the breadth and caliber of her own work in design for which she is internationally renowned.”
—Megan Neese, IDSA Board of Directors Chair
Some highlights of her collaborations include Google’s first phone, Google’s first VR headset, the ATNMBL driverless car, the Windowseat Lounge and the Juxtaposed bookshelf. In 2011, Mike & Maaike was acquired by Google where Evers helped build the industrial design culture, collaborating with scientists and engineers to build new hardware experiences for IoT, mobile devices, wearables, health monitoring, autonomous systems, alternative power and VR. Recently, Mike & Maaike gained independence from Google to re-form its San Francisco studio.
“I truly feel lucky to have the unique overview of this year’s state of our prolific culture and all the products and experiences it produces. I look forward to working with IDSA, the jurors and The Henry Ford to curate the incredible achievements of this year’s entries for the 39th annual IDEA competition.”
—Maaike Evers, IDSA, IDEA 2019 Jury Chair
Evers’ work has received over 40 international design awards and she is named on over 50 patents. She was named one of Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business.