Lexus Design Award 2022 finalists featured at Milan Design Week

MANILA: The Lexus booth at this year's Milan Design Week, the world's biggest design event, featured prototypes from the finalists of Lexus Design Award 2022.

Lexus introduced this award in 2013 as an international design competition to celebrate design ideas beyond mobility. Last year, it received 1,726 entries from 57 countries.

The award serves as a global platform for exposure, discovery, and the beginning of illustrious careers, motivating and inspiring the next generation of creators who aim to contribute to the betterment of society. Lexus is committed to supporting designers who work to improve lives and bring enjoyment to others, in line with Toyota's mission to produce happiness for all. This commitment is evident in the special procedure followed to choose the Grand Prix winner of the Lexus Design Award.

Aside from boosting people's happiness, designs must also correspond to the three core values of the Lexus brand: Anticipate, Innovate, and Captivate.

Six finalists were chosen from almost 2,000 entries from all over the world. These finalists got the chance to develop their ideas over the course of three months by working closely with four well-renowned creators. Additionally, they were given up to three million yen in financial assistance for the development of their prototypes.

Four judges evaluated the prototypes and chose the Grand Prix winner. The designs were made public through international media outlets.

The latest Grand Prix winner is Singaporean designer Poh Yun Ru, who proposed a product that tackles dementia.

Rewind, the Grand Prix-winning proposal, is a rehabilitation support tool made to evoke memories by asking dementia-affected individuals to mimic familiar gestures. The actions they perform with a handheld device are reflected as audio-visual feedback on a paired device, which helps recall memories of daily life.

According to Yun Ru, the idea for this product came from her desire to help her grandmother.

“After she developed dementia, I wondered how we could continue communicating. That's how Rewind was born. By rewinding a person’s memory, this design supports communication that strengthens the emotional connection between the elderly with dementia and their family and caregivers,” Yun Ru said.

Looking back on the selection process, Lexus Design Award 2022 Judge Paola Antonelli said, “The finalists all have one thing in common: care. Care for the environment, care for the elderly and differently abled, care for the needs of families and communities, and more.”

The Lexus Design Award holds special significance because it empowers people who are committed to making even minor changes that will be beneficial in the lives of people in the future.

Lexus is now accepting entries for the Lexus Design Award 2023. Deadline of submission is on October 16, 2022.

Photos from Lexus

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