The Best Global Design of 2008

The globalization of design achievement is evident in the 2008 International Design Excellence Awards (IDEAs). Europe is surging, with its corporations, consultancies, and schools winning substantial numbers of awards. Asia is rising fast, with Japan back in force, joining China and Korea. And, for the first time, Latin America is making a strong impact. While the U.S. held first place, taking 114 IDEAs, Korea came in second, with 19, and Brazil ranked third, with 12. Run independently by the Industrial Designers Society of America and sponsored by , the contest features 17 categories ranging from computer equipment to entertainment, and from design strategy to student design.

Ferment in the design field is also reflected in the strong showing by students this year. They captured 33 of the 205 awards given by the jury (16%) and 6 of the 35 gold prizes (17%). At London's Royal College of Art, for example, students designed a low-cost mosquito killer to combat malaria. A student at Parsons the New School for Design in New York developed an idea for a bar of soap shaped like a land mine that could be sold to raise funds to help "cleanse" the globe of land mines. At Croatia's University of Zagreb, a student designed a 3D puzzle, cousin to the Rubik's Cube, for children. And a student at Kookmin University in Seoul designed a Voice Stick, a portable text scanner for the blind. The concept is to convert written information, including e-mail, directly into speech.