LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2018: honest egg voted winner of people's choice prize

in 2013, LEXUS founded the LEXUS DESIGN AWARD with the aim of fostering the growth of ideas that contribute to society by supporting designers and creators whose work can help shape a better future. in doing so, it created an opportunity where unique ideas can be explored, developed and exhibited in hope of enabling natural talent to flourish. once again co-organized with designboom, the competition celebrates its sixth year, with the 2018 edition focusing on the theme of ‘CO-’, a latin prefix meaning together or in partnership. the principles of this topic was, in a way much similar to LEXUS’ philosophy, to find a harmonious co-existence between nature and society through design. the ambition challenged creatives to find new possibilities through collaboration, coordination and connection.

during milan design week 2018, with 12 finalist designs exhibited from a record 1,319 entries, ‘testing hypotheticals’ by extrapolation factory was selected as the grand prix winner by the elite committee. furthermore, the first winner of the LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2018 people’s choice went to ‘honest egg’ by aesthetid.

testing hypotheticals by extrapolation factory (selected for prototype development)

with an internationally renowned panel of judges, including: sir david adjaye, british architect; shigeru ban, japanese architect; paola antonelli, senior curator MoMA; birgit lohmann, editor-in-chief of designboom; alice rawsthorn, design commentator; and yoshihiro sawa, president of lexus international, ‘testing hypotheticals’ by extrapolation factory (christopher woebken, elliott p. montgomery) was announced as the grand prix winner of the LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2018. the project proposes collaboratively imagined test sites that explore speculative relationships between society, technology and the environment.

testing hypotheticals by extrapolation factory (selected for prototype development)
image © designboom

extrapolation factory aims to set up a ‘futures workshop’ in which they work with locals in neighborhoods to envision spaces that communities could use as test grounds for new ways of living and working. by collaborating with participants, the designers hope to help identify key aspects that concern the specific neighborhood, before developing ideas on how these issues could be explored or changed. finally, the project results in helping construct prototypes that bring these solutions to life and begin a positive impact.

testing hypotheticals by extrapolation factory (selected for prototype development)
image © designboom

‘this year’s winner permeates the current thinking about the role of design in our evolving and technologically shifting societies,’ explains david adjaye, LEXUS design award 2018 judge. ‘products played less of a role, and design education/teaching and thinking are at the forefront. how citizens and designers interact with products, processes and future is increasingly critical to mediating this influence of design in our increasingly future-orientated and technologically evolving world. the chosen design shows methods and techniques for engaging the public and designers in role playing possible futures and negotiating the influences of our technological world.’

honest egg by aesthetid (selected for prototype development)

for the first time at the LEXUS DESIGN AWARD, LEXUS opened the people’s choice award with the winner determined by votes cast from the public on their website from april 16 – 21, 2018. following the engagement throughout milan design week 2018, ‘honest egg’ by aesthetid was announced the winner. the project simply and intuitively connects technology and a new design interface to show an egg’s edibility.

honest egg by aesthetid (selected for prototype development)
image © designboom

end users can observe a graphical image or word on the egg shell to determine whether it has reached its recommended consumption date. this is achieved through a printed intelligent ink pigment that changes color in response to a pre-calibrated time period. if a shell cracks or a sudden change in CO2 levels or temperature is detected, then the ink indicator responds immediately and significantly. the design, completed with a recycle container that features holes in the top side to reveal the ink, offers reliability and confidence in the user in terms of consumption and waste.

honest egg by aesthetid (selected for prototype development)
image © designboom

‘we are honoured to be the first recipient for the LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2018 people’s choice,‘ say paul yong rit fui and jaihar jailani bin ismail of aesthetid. ‘we would like to thank the honest people for voting honest egg to be their favourite design. we would also like to thank jessica walsh for her mentorship and guidance. last but not least, we would like to thank LEXUS for an amazing experience throughout the entire competition. do follow us here on facebook for the latest updates on honest egg. good design is honest design!‘

CO-RKs by DIGITALAB (selected for prototype development)

like the people’s choice winner aesthetid and grand prix winner extrapolation factory, who were mentored by jessica walsh and formafantasma respectively, each year four of the selected 12 finalist designers are assigned a mentorship to help progress their projects into prototype stages. this benefit, one that highlights the uniqueness of the LEXUS DESIGN AWARD, ensures the upcoming creatives get highly expert and valuable sessions with leading designers, this year also including lindsey adelman and sou fujimoto. furthermore the 12 finalists are invited to display their work at the competition’s exhibition space during milan design week, with this year’s edition named ‘LIMITLESS CO-EXISTENCE’.

recycled fiber planter by eriko yokoi (selected for prototype development)

the devotion of the LEXUS DESIGN AWARD in promoting and aiding young, upcoming creative talent is advocated by its set of special benefits. and with a record number of submissions for the 2018 edition, with 1,319 entries, LEXUS’ competition is only becoming more and more significant, momentous and successful. the 12 finalist projects of 2018 all explored creative ways in which there could be a coexistence of nature and society. most notably, the grand prix winning ‘testing hypotheticals’ highlighted exactly how many new possibilities could be created through collaboration, coordination and connection.

the LIMITLESS CO-EXISTENCE exhibition during milan design week 2018
image © designboom