Entries to the Mercedes-Benz Design Award have now closed. Meet our four finalists John, Dan, Rene and Tom. The winner will be announced in December.
The Mercedes-Benz Design Award by Broadsheet is open to designers of any experience that are passionate about innovative design. You just need to present an idea for a product that can enhance how we eat and drink in our home, courtyard or garden.
Submissions can include anything from tables to chairs, cutlery to crockery, planters to lighting. The end product must be retailed for no more than $2000 – the rest is up to you.
The winning design will be manufactured and sold by leading local design company Cult Design under the guidance of Richard Munao. During the prototyping and testing phase the winner will also receive mentorship from industrial designer Adam Goodrum, interior architect George Livissianis and André Dutkowski, Senior Manager, Product and Strategy, Mercedes-Benz Cars.
The judging panel will consist of the four design mentors and Broadsheet founder, Nick Shelton. Entries will be judged on innovation, creative design and feasibility of the concept. The design should demonstrate both form and function. It must be aesthetically beautiful and serve its purpose as a durable, long-lasting piece. It should also address a particular need. All four finalists will receive guidance from the judging panel to finesse their designs.
“I will be looking for something that’s unconventional, considered, functional and well-resolved,” says design mentor Adam Goodrum, who has a wealth of design history with Cult Design including the Molloy Chair, Nest Tables and Bell Pendant.
George Livissianis, interior architect for Chin Chin, The Dolphin and The Apollo, is looking for a design that has an influence, emotionally. “We all respond to how a space is composed and I think that is the value of design,” he says. “For me, it’s about creating calm, relaxed, quiet spaces connected to the outdoors. It’s where we spend most of our time.”
The mentorship from Australia’s design experts will be an invaluable experience, whether you’re a budding professional or just curious about design.
“Being a good designer is only a small part of the piece,” says Richard Munao, founder and managing director of Cult Design. “I take great joy in mentoring designers about the business of design and helping them work out their strategy from manufacturing, logistics and packaging to marketing, sales and pricing.”
Entering the competition is as simple as submitting either a clearly annotated drawing, sketch, 3D rendering or other visual representation of your design along with a 100-word description.
Entries must be submitted digitally in a file no larger than 5MB and no longer than three pages.
Along with their piece being manufactured and sold by Cult Design, the winner will also receive flights to Germany where they will visit the Mercedes-Benz Design Museum and meet members of the Mercedes-Benz design team. The museum’s impressive design is based on a trefoil, made up of three overlapping circles – also the inspiration for the Mercedes-Benz logo – and houses 160 vehicles and exhibits showcasing 125 years of design innovation.
The winner of the Mercedes-Benz Design Award by Broadsheet will receive:
- Their design prototyped, manufactured and sold by Cult Design
- Mentorship from Australia's design leaders
- A trip for two to Germany
This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Mercedes-Benz. Learn more about the Mercedes-Benz Design Award by Broadsheet and the latest Mercedes-Benz designs.
