(PRESS RELEASE) DENVER — For its 2022 competitive year, the NY Product Design Awards took in over 800 entries from 24 countries. Individuals and companies put their design prowess on full display as they sought to snag a victory in the competition, which in recent years had taken a name for itself as one of the leading design awards internationally.
In the face of fierce competition, Oplee Travel Contact Lens Case swayed the hearts of the jury with its submission and walked away with the Silver award. “It’s a tremendous honor and validation of our product design to receive a Silver Award in the prestigious New York Product Design Awards,” said Oplee founder Ryan Bennett.
From its inception, the NY Product Design Awards has been geared towards honoring and promoting product designers whose works bring about positivity in the world. The competition does not differentiate between professionals and enthusiasts, as its focus is solely on product design.
“We are extremely humbled by the amount of support we had received from the entrants, who had made the 2022 NY Product Design Awards as successful as it was,” Thomas Brandt, spokesperson of the International Awards Associate (IAA), remarked. “As these entrants have proved their mettle in an industry that is ever-evolving, they truly represent the very best their field has to offer.”
Nominations for and applications from industry veterans were abound as IAA was setting up a jury for the awards. Jurors were expected to sift through the myriad of submissions nominate works they believe to be truly stellar. In this way, only those that are fitting are selected and bestowed an award, elevating the industry’s benchmark of excellence in the process.
Grand Jury Panel & Evaluation Process
The awards was extremely strict in enacting impartiality in its judging process. By onboarding 24 jurors from 16 countries, the assessments were carried out in a more weighted and diverse approach. These jurors are esteemed professionals in their own rights and can be found working with prestigious companies, such as Chief Executive Officer of Bikedezign – Brian Hoehl, Global Design Director of Icona Design Group – Samuel Chuffart, Founder and Creative Director of Box Clever – Bret Recor, Managing Director/Co-Founder of LR Seoul – Joon Kwon, Industrial Designer at Arena Design Studio – Elham Mirzapour, Senior Packaging Designer at Tom Ford – Jiaru Lin, and Director at Studio Niko Kapa – Niko Kapa, to name a few.
The blind judging method was instated as well to further guarantee impartiality. Under this system, the jury could only assess individual entries on their own merits, removing the possibility of entries being compared against each other. Assessments were also completed with criteria designed with contemporary industry standards.
Participation of International Brands
The NY Product Design Awards also received submissions from distinguished companies such as Fabrizio Crisà – ELICA spa, COMMOD-Haus GmbH, Woodendot, Maruko Design Studio, GPI Design, Lambwolf Collective, MAKO Design + Invent, Arkoslight, FU SHENG ZHI-ZUO STUDIO, forceMAJEURE Design, and Laura Stein Interiors, Inc..
Amongst the submitted works, there were also those which were created by third parties for known companies. These entrants represented companies such as Grove Collaborative, Campari Group, Cresstec, Diageo, Unilever, Titanic Brewery, Hines, Bumble Beez, Lee Kum Kee International Holdings Limited, Diamond Select Toys & Collectibles, LLC, HyperloopTT, and Volvo.
In the face of these strong competitors vying for victories themselves, Oplee emerged victorious and stood tall alongside other giants.
“As the world changes, so will designs have to adapt and cater to new horizons. The insight demonstrated by Oplee’s entry was certainly inspirational,” Thomas said. “As a new wave of individuals rise to the challenge and demonstrate their take on designing the world of tomorrow, we here at IAA are waiting with bated breath what the future holds.”