Lexus International is pleased to welcome technologist John Maeda, to the panel of judges for the Lexus Design Award 2019. Maeda leads a new convergence across the fields of design and technology as Global Head of Computational Design and Inclusion at Automattic, a publishing platform development company. Maeda will join three judges who have served on the panel in the past, eminent architect Sir David Adjaye, Senior Curator of Architecture & Design at The Museum of Modern Art, Paola Antonelli, and President of Lexus International, Yoshihiro Sawa.
Also, recently-announced mentor Sebastian Wrong has been joined by three new mentors: pioneer of generative design and co-founder of Nervous System design studio, Jessica Rosenkrantz, Italian architect and designer Fabio Novembre, and partner of world-leading architectural firm OMA, Shohei Shigematsu.
Established in 2013, the Lexus Design Award in cooperation with designboom is an international design competition that seeks to nurture up-and-coming designers who use design thinking to solve everyday problems and build a better future for individuals and for society. This year, six finalists will be selected from around the world to receive mentorship and a production budget of up to 3 million JPY (over $25K USD) to build a functional prototype to display at Lexus’s exhibition at Milan Design Week(1) 2019. Finalists will be judged on how well their prototype anticipates the needs of people and tomorrow’s society. The designs also must showcase innovation and originality while at the same time captivate and engage the public.
By participating in a series of workshops and 1-on-1 instruction with the four mentors, the finalists will be able to experience what it takes to emerge as an accomplished designer on the world stage. Whether receiving tips on design or on the business of transforming inspiration into reality, the mentors’ global experience and success shared at the workshops will provide valuable insights to these creative representatives of the next generation of designers.
Deadline for entries to the Lexus Design Award 2019 competition is October 28, 2018. Finalists will be selected in December by the elite panel of judges and the six up-and-coming designers will be announced in January 2019.
(1) The world’s largest design exhibition, also known as Salone Del Mobile, presents events and exhibits by brands and designers in many categories including furniture, fashion and textiles.
JUDGES PROFILES
Sir David Adjaye, Judge
SIR DAVID ADJAYE, ARCHITECT / PRINCIPAL AND FOUNDER OF ADJAYE ASSOCIATES, LONDON AND NEW YORK
Sir David Adjaye OBE is the principal and founder of Adjaye Associates. Born in Tanzania to Ghanaian parents, his broadly ranging influences, ingenious use of materials and sculptural ability have established him as an architect with an artist’s sensibility and vision. His largest project to date, the Smithsonian Institute National Museum of African American History and Culture, opened on the National Mall in Washington DC in fall of 2016 and was named Cultural Event of the Year by the New York Times. In 2017, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II and was recognized as one of the 100 most influential people of the year by TIME magazine.
Paola Antonelli, Judge
PAOLA ANTONELLI, SENIOR CURATOR FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN AT MoMA, NY
Paola Antonelli is Senior Curator of Architecture & Design at The Museum of Modern Art, as well as MoMA’s founding Director of Research & Development. Her goal is to promote design’s understanding, until its positive influence on the world is universally acknowledged. Her work investigates design’s impact on everyday experience, often including overlooked objects and practices, and combining design, architecture, art, science and technology. She has curated numerous shows, written several books, and lectured worldwide. She has taught at the University of California, Los Angeles; the Harvard Graduate School of Design; and the MFA programs of the School of Visual Arts in New York. She is currently working on the XXII Triennale di Milano, Broken Nature, devoted to examples of design and architecture that aim at repairing humans’ relationship with nature; on the reinstallation of the contemporary design galleries in the new, expanded MoMA; and on a video and VR series entitled __&Design.
John Maeda, Judge
JOHN MAEDA, TECHNOLOGIST / GLOBAL HEAD OF COMPUTATIONAL DESIGN + INCLUSION, AUTOMATTIC
John Maeda is an American executive spearheading a new convergence across the design + technology industries. He joined Automattic in 2016 as Global Head of Computational Design +Inclusion and previously served as Design Partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (KPCB), a world-leading venture capital firm. An internationally recognized speaker and author, his books include The Laws of Simplicity, Creative Code and Redesigning Leadership. He holds degrees in Electrical Engineering + Computer Science from MIT, an MBA from Arizona State U, and a PhD from University of Tsukuba in Japan. He was also a member of the Technical Advisory Board for Google’s Advanced Technology + Projects Group and the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on New Growth Models. He previously served as advisor to John Donahoe, CEO of eBay Inc. Prior to his work in industry, Maeda was a tenured research professor at the MIT Media Laboratory and 16th President of the Rhode Island School of Design.
Yoshihiro Sawa, Judge
YOSHIHIRO SAWA, PRESIDENT OF LEXUS INTERNATIONAL
Yoshihiro Sawa has been innovating automobile design and engineering for over thirty years. A visionary anchored in the practical, he is acknowledged as a global leader in his field. Sawa has been involved in building better, more beautiful vehicles for decades, applying his unique perspective to the harmony of form and function. This has seen him lead various aspects of the business from engineering to design to product development, giving him a particularly holistic view of the art of building automobiles. Sawa applies this to his role at Lexus, guiding the brand in delivering on its promise of amazing experiences through inspired design, relentless innovation, and uninhibited performance.
MENTORS PROFILES
Fabio Novembre, Mentor
FABIO NOVEMBRE, ARCHITECT / DESIGNER
Born in the south of Italy, Fabio Novembre moved to Milan in 1984, where in 1992 he received a degree in architecture. In 1993 moved to New York City where he attended a movie-direction course at the New York City University. Since 1994, year of his studio opening, he has collaborated with important design realities as Driade, Venini and Kartell; he also designed interiors, showrooms and boutiques for fashion brands such as Blumarine and Stuart Weitzman, and designed architectures for societies as AC Milan.
Jessica Rosenkrantz, Mentor
JESSICA ROSENKRANTZ, CO-FOUNDER AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR, NERVOUS SYSTEM
Jessica Rosenkrantz is an artist, designer, and programmer. In 2007 she co-founded Nervous System, where she currently works as Creative Director. Her work explores how simulations of natural processes can be used in design and coupled with digital fabrication to create one-of-a-kind, customized products. She studied biology and architecture at MIT and the Harvard Graduate School of Design. Since 2016, she has been teaching design at MIT. Her designs have been featured in a wide range of publications, including WIRED, the New York Times, and the Guardian and are part of the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Cooper–Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, and Museum of Fine Arts Boston.
Shohei Shigematsu, Mentor
SHOHEI SHIGEMATSU, PARTNER AND DIRECTOR OF OMA NEW YORK
Shohei Shigematsu is a Partner at OMA and the Director of the New York office. Sho has completed a number of cultural projects including Milstein Hall for Cornell University, extension for the Quebec National Art Museum, Faena Forum in Miami Beach and the Costume Institute exhibition at the Met. He is currently engaged in a diverse range of projects across typologies: from cultural projects such as the extension to the Albright Knox Art Gallery, a museum expansion for the New Museum in New York City and the Dior retrospective at Denver Art Museum; to two office towers in Japan and three residential towers across North America–in New York, San Francisco and Miami.
Sebastian Wrong, Mentor
SEBASTIAN WRONG, DESIGN DIRECTOR, ESTABLISHED & SONS
Design Director of Established & Sons and an award-winning product designer, London-born Sebastian Wrong has more than 18 years of experience in manufacturing. Sebastian originally studied sculpture at Norwich School of Art, before founding his first production company in 2001. Spanning both the creative and production side of the design business, he has accumulated an impressive array of technical skills. Sebastian has taught on the postgraduate diploma platforms at the Royal College of Art, London, and ECAL, Switzerland. As a designer, he has created commercially and critically successful products for some of the world’s leading brands, and his portfolio of work spans furniture, lighting, accessories and gallery projects. As a manufacturer, he has collaborated with many of the preeminent names in contemporary design.
ABOUT LEXUS DESIGN AWARD
First launched in 2013, in cooperation with designboom, the Lexus Design Award is an international design competition that targets up-and-coming creators from around the world. The award seeks to foster the growth of ideas that contribute to society by supporting designers and creators whose works can help to shape a better future. It provides a unique opportunity for six finalists to work with globally recognized designer as a mentor to create prototypes of their designs, and then exhibit them at one of the design calendar’s most important events.
About LEXUS
Since its debut in 1989, Lexus has earned a worldwide reputation for high-quality products and exemplary customer service. Lexus is the hybrid leader among luxury brands, offering hybrids that provide the best in innovative technology and premier luxury. The evolution of Lexus is reflected in the progressive designs of its new vehicles. The grille, dynamic light treatments, and sculptured lines create a distinctive look of luxury for Lexus. For more information, please visit www.lexus-int.com and www.lexus-int.com/news/.
SOURCE: LEXUS
