More than 30 years after her first appearance as host of the awards, Australian of the Year, Ita Buttrose, returned to the podium to announce the 2013 winners in the internationally recognised Australian International Design Awards.
The awards attracted more than 250 entries this year ranging from cars to cameras, manufacturing equipment, homewares, and street furniture.
VGM International’s Savannah Smart Tongs picked up a Design Award in the housewares and objects category, while Zimba Design’s LotusGrill received the Design Award Best in Category Domestic Appliances.
Cameron Romeril, Zimba Design director of marketing says they always knew the product was more than just an evolution of technology in BBQs.
“It quintessentially was a revolution in BBQs, so we thought we would be in the running for something,” he says. “However, to win the top gong for one of the most competitive categories was beyond expectations and we were somewhat humbled by it all.
“In talking to Brandon Gien, managing director of Good Design Australia, it appeared that the BBQ had the ability to tick so many boxes – performance, safety, design and sustainability – so really it was the sum of so many parts that got us over the line in the end. This is going to be a very significant product for us this spring and we are gearing up for that,” he adds.
The Design Award of the Year went to the Blackmagic Cinema Camera, a professional-grade video camera in a smartly designed compact size, with an intuitive user interface and affordable price tag that puts Hollywood filmmaking in the hands of the everyday user. Judges were impressed by the design features and enormous market potential of the product.
“The standard of entries in this year’s competition has yet again raised the bar for design and innovation in Australia,” says Brandon Gien, managing director of Good Design Australia. “We are also excited to be joining Vivid Sydney to present the Australian International Design Festival that celebrates all things design and the importance of design thinking in business.”
