The Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum celebrates outstanding achievement in design with its 11th annual National Design Awards program. Winners and finalists of the 2010 National Design Awards, which recognize excellence across a variety of disciplines, were announced today.
The National Design Award nominations were solicited from a committee of more than 2,500 designers, educators, journalists, cultural figures and corporate leaders from every state in the nation. Nominees are required to have at least seven years of experience and are selected based on the level of excellence, innovation and public impact of their body of work.
"The context in which designers and design thinkers operate is expanding all the time, as evidenced by the work of these award winners. These design pioneers are committed to shaping how we live through design and their work truly responds to the pressing issues of the day," said Moggridge.
The Lifetime Achievement award was given to editor, designer, and urban planner Jane Thompson. Thompson has spent decades exploring how design relates to well-being, urban life, and global environment. Founding editor of I.D. magazine, she became a critical voice in design, providing a strong female perspective in a male-dominated field.
Design writer Ralph Caplan was recognized with the Design Mind award, who has been thinking, writing, and speaking about design and collaborated with designers on exhibitions, films, and publications for over 50 years. His work has addressed the design process as encompassing not only products, but also the larger context in which they are used.
In the Interior Design category, William Sofield was named the winner; and Clive Wilkinson Architects and Aidlin Darling Design were named finalists. Through a holistic approach grounded on craft and materials, Sofield believes that design must not only look good but live well. He founded Studio Sofield in 1996 as an interdisciplinary design collective, integrating landscape, residential, retail, corporate, hospitality, and furniture design. His projects have included more than 900 retail boutiques around the world for Tom Ford, Bottega Veneta, Yves St. Laurent, and Gucci as well as corporate offices for the SoHo Grand Hotel in New York.
The award for Corporate and Institutional Achievement went to the U.S. Green Building Council; finalists were Design that Matters and OXO. The Architecture Design award went to KieranTimberlake; finalists were Lake|Flato Architects and Design Corps. The Communication Design award went to Stephen Doyle; finalists were John Jay and Maira Kalman. The Fashion Design award went to Rodarte; finalists went to Behnaz Sarafpour and Proenza Schouler. The Interaction Design award went to Lisa Strausfeld; finalists went to Potion and Local Projects. The Landscape Design award went to James Corner Field Operations; finalists went to Andrea Cochran Landscape Architecture and Stoss Landscape Urbanism. The Product Design award went to Smart Design; finalists went to Continuum and Frog Design.
Award recipients will be honored at a gala dinner Thursday, Oct. 14, at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York. First Lady Michelle Obama serves as the Honorary Patron for this year's National Design Awards.
