Lexus teams up with designboom, a popular digital architecture and design magazine, to run its second annual competition The Lexus Design Award. Professionals, students and design enthusiasts from all across the globe are invited to take the challenge, which this year revolves around the theme of сuriosity. The two winners of the competition will be invited to develop their concepts, working side-by-side with a mentor designer.
Entrants, who have reached the age of majority in their countries, can submit their works as low res JPEG (JPG) or GIF format from August 1 through October 15 on designboom. After exploring the theme of “Motion” last year, in the second installment of the competition the brand salutes the new dimension of creativity that is essential for any groundbreaking and viable concept—“Curiosity.” While searching for new serious technological improvements, the brand always keeps in mind smart creative decisions that put yet more excitement behind driving a Lexus. “It is also important that what we produce remains exhilarating for our customers. Applying our curiosity in a creative manner can result in unexpected innovations that change lives,” says the brand.
The winners of the competition (individuals and up to two people from groups) will be invited to Milan Design Week 2014 and their works will be displayed at the Lexus Design Amazing 2014 exhibition space during the event. Two best entries from the twelve will be awarded with up to five million yen each—the money will be used for covering the prototype production expenses between January and March 2014. To complete this part of work, the two winners will be curated by an assigned mentor (one for each). They are Arthur Huang, an architect/engineer, and Robin Hunicke, a game designer (watch the videos with them below).
In its inaugural year, the competition received 1,243 submissions from 72 countries. The list of the last year’s 12 awarded works include a “World Clock” that can be rotated to show the right time across time zones, the Klava lamp that is always in balance, the drinking fountain and more. The two grand winning works were the origami porcelain made from a paper mould and the interactive Inaho lightning system, inspired by an ear of rice slowly swaying in the wind. View all of the works here.