IDI Design Awards 2011 Winners Announced « IDI – Institute of Designers in Ireland

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IDI Design Awards 2011 Winners Announced

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Tuesday, November 1st, 2011
in Awards, IDI News
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Margaret Crerar of Miele, Carol Coffey IDI President, Grand Prix Winners Honora Egan & Gregory Tobin from Spear Technologies

The 13th annual IDI Design Awards took place on Thursday 27th October in The Sugar Club and President of the IDI, Carol Coffey MIDI said “in today’s economic climate it is important now more than ever to highlight Ireland’s creative talent and the awards are a wonderful way to do this”. With award winning designs for clients such as Logitech, Broadstock, RTE, Brown Thomas and Concern Worldwide it shows that Ireland’s design professionals can compete with the best both home and abroad.

“Our annual IDI Awards celebrate significant achievement in a broad spectrum of design disciplines in Ireland. It is only through the IDI Awards that you can clearly see the very impressive level of design innovation achieved by our creative industries on the international stage.”

The IDI Design Awards encompasses the only design competition which is judged by an international jury, and which highlights the very best of Irish Design in the following categories: Interior and Exhibition design, TV, Film and Theatre design, Fashion, Visual Communications, Multimedia and Product design.

Read Assist designed by Gregory Tobin and Honora Egan for Spear Technologies

The Grand Prix winner chosen from nine winning design categories was an innovative product called the Read Assist designed by Gregory Tobin and Honora Egan for Spear Technologies. This product helps people with reading difficulties to become more confident readers. It was declared a clear winner by all the jury who declare it a refreshingly straightforward and uncomplicated design solution to a very real problem.

Brian Stephens CEO Design Partners recieves the Lifetime Achievement Award 2011

Among the highlights of the evening was the presentation of an IDI Lifetime Awards to Brian Stephens of Design Partners.

Brian Stephens is founder and CEO of Design Partners, a multi disciplinary industrial design practice based in Bray, Ireland and in San Jose, California. Besides growing and developing the firm, Brian advises clients on product strategy and on the integration of their brand values into the whole product experience.

Prior to founding Design Partners with David Morgan in 1984, he spent two and a half formative years in GK design Tokyo where he worked on product planning and automotive design projects. His project work has won numerous international design awards including a joint IDSA gold award. Besides supporting the Design Partners team, his proudest creative achievement is to see several of the products the consultancy designed in the 80’s still earning revenue for clients today.

Brian studied design at Birmingham Polytechnic having won a Córas Tráchtála student scholarship and a Royal Society of the Arts travel bursary. He is a former council member of the SDI and former chairperson of Dalkey School Project. He is a member of the Irish Technology leadership group and of the Industrial Designers Society of America.

Also to walk away with a coveted eye trophy on the night was:

Special Outstanding Contribution to Design in Ireland
Pivot Dublin Team

Residential Interiors
‘Mullaghmore’ by Cornelia Hope, John Monohan and Lisa Mc Sharry from Peter Legge Associates

Commercial Interiors
‘TRULIFE’ by Ronan Holohan, Linda Mc Manus, Paul Murphy, Lukasz Grzywacz from Millimetre Design

TV/FILM Title Design & Branding
‘TRTÉ: Channel Brand’ by Alan Dunne from RTÉ Graphic Design Department

TV/Film/Theatre Production/Set Design
‘Winning Streak’ by Sinead O’Hanlon from RTÉ

Promotional Literature/Publications
‘DECADE’ by Mark Case from Whitenoise Design

Annual Reports
‘Concern Worldwide Annual Report’ by Mary Doherty from Red Dog Design Consultants

Website Design
Temple Bar Gallery + Studios Website by Karen Hanratty from Pixel Design

Furniture Design
“Less” Office Furniture System by John Walsh from Made

This year the Graduate Design award’s Grand Prix winner went to Miriam Wade from the National College of Art and Design for her Craft Product.

The Institute of Designers in Ireland is the only professional body representing the interests of all Irish design disciplines. Its function is to promote high standards of design, to foster professionalism and to emphasise the designer’s responsibility to society, to the client and to each other. The winners of the awards will also be included in the Best of Irish Design Handbook which will be distributed throughout the year as an illustration of the high calibre of design talent we have on the island of Ireland.

The Awards are supported by Enterprise Ireland, RTÉ, SDL and Miele.

The full list of winners, highly commended and commended entries can be seen at