As someone who enjoys studying architectural designs, I find Smithsonian National Design Awards very fascinating and I wish more people knew about it. I found many of these award distributions interesting and I was able to learn about many amazing designers through these awards.
I believe that Janette Sadik-Khan’s idea of starting the Citi Bike program really changed the city. It encouraged people to ride bikes instead of driving which reduces traffic, reduces pollution in the city, and encourages people who sit in offices all day to get some exercise on their way to work. I hope this program expands to other boroughs of NYC besides Manhattan and Brooklyn and that more people will take advantage of this opportunity.
I was surprised to read that TED won the corporate and institutional achievement award because most people don’t think of TED as a design organization. However, if you think about it, TED has spread numerous ideas that could potentially become inspirations for new designs. I really like Chris Anderson’s quote, “Design is not just about the function of objects, it’s to reimagine the future.” Designers are always trying to come up with unique work through their creativity and every piece of work they do is history for the future.
Another interesting winner is James Wines who designed Baruch’s nearby Shake Shack in Madison Square Park and parts of the Museum of Modern Arts in New York City. He has also created many fascinating architectural works throughout the world.
Here are the pictures of all 10 winners:
Work Citied:
National Design Museum. “National Design Awards.” 2013 National Design Award Winners. Cooper-Hewitt, 2013. Web. 24 Oct. 2013.
Louie, Elaine. “A Look Toward the Future at National Design Awards.” New York Times 21 Oct. 2013. Web. 24 Oct. 2013.
To view this article, click here. And to learn more about the winning artists, you can check out the National Design Museum website here.
Designs are important as a first step to getting the creator’s idea out there. Every design is a conceptual creation that imagines a possibility of bringing it into reality. This doesn’t just include bike programs and architecture, it can be anything. Consumer products and even political policies can be part of a design. I enjoy looking at designs because of the authors look beyond the boundaries and imagine a world where their design is real. There are various sites that showcase designs such as Designboom and YankoDesign. Most of the works on these pages probably won’t be brought to the material world, but the lucky few that do will benefit us immensely.
I’m surprised TED won a design award as well. I’m familiar with TED’s coverage in almost any topic in their talks, but I didn’t know it had a strong influence on the design community. The award maybe credited to TED’s goal to spread ideas and ideas are designs.
First thing that came to mind was the TED talks icon, this instance really caught my attention because I really love TED talks. It may not be a design organization in the broad term of the phrase, but it vastness of the fields that the talks encompass are definitely amazing and inspiring to listen to. I guess you might be able to say that these instances help inspire new designs in the minds of other individuals. In all honestly the Citi-Bike program is an instance that has been implemented throughout Europe, and it was just a matter of time before someone realized the possible market here in New York.
I didn’t know about these awards myself!
I think that the Citi Bike program here is great, so I’m glad to see it won something. Thought it isn’t exactly original (it’s been seen in other cities before), it offers a new way of transportation that simultaneously keeps the city greener and its people healthier. One downside to bike riding in the city, however, is how small the bike lanes are. I unfortunately don’t ride Citi Bikes when I’m alone because riding so close to traffic is overwhelming. Hopefully the city will continue to make changes in this area.
Also, I always notice the design of the original Shake Shack in Madison Square Park. It’s really appealing to the eyes, and I’m not even an architecture person.
These awards seem cool. I’m glad that recognition is given to such successful projects that have a lot of hard work and effort put into them. Hopefully this will cause these people and companies to make further strides within these categories (like the betterment of bike lanes), now that they are in the spotlight so to speak.
I think innovative design is important as it leads and expands creativity. Not only does creativity influence and inspire other people, creativity also can help improve the community. For example, the Citi bike program increases physical activity among the city population and helps protect the environment. I agree with your statement that every piece of work designers create and plan add, as well as become history. The names are remembered for having the idea of designing such products.
I am one of the many people who had no clue about The Smithsonian National Design Awards. I do not follow the design industry as well as I should because I am actually directly affected by some of these winners, so thank you for posting this review.
When I see the Citibikes or eat at Shake Shack I do not think to myself, “someone actually designed this.” I take for granted that someone struggled to design, invent, and materialize these amazing concepts that I benefit so greatly from. Ignorantly I enjoy the less polluted air and eat the delicious Shake Shack burger and go about my merry way. But now I finally can thank Janette Sadik-Khan and James Wines for changing the world around me for the better. These designers, as well as the others who affect countless of people should be awarded for their hard work, creative minds, and innovative ideas.
I strongly believe that innovative designs can change the world. They do not have to be completely new or fancy to make the difference. Your review of this article reminded me of the Q Drum, which is the rollable container for water in developing nations, designed by P.J. and J.P.S. Hendrikse. It can hold up to 50 liters of water, allowing women and even kids to easily transport water from faraway places. Aquaduct bike designed by IDEO also demonstrates why designs are especially significant in modern era; it is a bike with a water tank in the back, and it even purifies water as you pedal. I like how you chose to write a review on this topic, as it brought out an important belief that I possessed before.
Like most people, I have never heard of the Smithsonian National Design Awards and was very intrigued by your blog post. I’m very glad you brought attention to architectural design because I feel that it is a rather unknown and under-appreciated aspect of the arts. Personally, I walk past Citi bikes, Shake Shack, and many other buildings and places everyday; however, I never really acknowledged the time and effort behind the design.
I’m glad that these awards recognize people like James Wines and Janette Sadik-Khan for their amazing ideas and hard-work. Their designs really make a difference and change our society whether we notice it or not. The Citi Bike Programs help the environment and people’s health and wellness. TED talks inspire a new generation of creativity and innovative designs. The winners are definitely deserving of these awards and should be applauded for their creations.
The Citi Bike program is one that I wish was more widespread. I love the idea of being able to pick up a bike and go anywhere in the city. I haven’t tried it yet, but I utilized the Bixi (which stands for Bike-Taxi) program while I visited Montreal this summer – it was amazing to be able to get around that easily. I hope that the Citi Bike program encompasses all of manhattan in the near future – I think I’d love to go to school each day using this system.
TED talks are full of great ideas and I’m glad that it won. I agree that ideas can inspire new and improved designs. Many of the ideas that come out of TED talks encourage people to think in unique ways, and I think that its an important resource to look to when looking for inspiration – designers and other folks included.
It’s cool that Shake Shack won, because they make an amazing burger. Not to mention those delicious fries, and the ice cream…