Sydney (Australia) - The Australian International Design Awards,have announced the shortlist for the 2009 competition, an Icsid endorsed event. A total of 116 entries were selected, including a cooktop which converts to a kitchen bench, compact bicycle tools, two airline seats, a waterproof digital movie camera, hearing devices, a motor grader and an innovative office workspace.
 
Presented by Standards Australia, the Australian International Design Awards is Australia's premier design recognition program, competing against international programs including Red Dot and iF.
 
Design practitioners from around the world viewed all the entries online and selected the shortlisted products from an initial 154 to progress to the Final Round Assessment stage of this prestigious international design awards program.
 
"The high percentage of entries that have made it through to the next judging stage indicates the high quality of design work and the importance of investment in design," said Stephanie Watson, Program Director for the Australian International Design Awards.
 
"Increasingly, products are going through the professional design process, resulting in a much higher standard of output. Designers and manufacturers are clearly thinking of design as a key aspect of a product's commercial success," she said.
 
Products to make the 2009 Australian International Design Awards Shortlist cover a range of categories including Consumer, Business and Technology, Medical and Scientific, Automotive and Transport, Sport and Leisure; Housing and Building; Heavy Machinery; Architectural and Interior Products.

Examples include:

• an energy-efficient refrigerator range
• rechargeable battery
• portable Hills Hoist
• heavy duty Eveready torch
• the latest family cars from Ford and Holden
• new Cochlear implant
• semi-invisible Caroma dual flush toilet
• revolutionary Rip Curl wetsuit
• Zip hot water dispenser
• Izona fridge drawer
• DelvTech Sports-haler
• Springfree trampoline

 
All entries to make the shortlist can be viewed on the Australian International Design Awards website.
 
Ms Watson said 52 percent of shortlisted entries were designed in Australia with internationally-designed products coming from countries including Portugal, Switzerland, Italy, New Zealand, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, United States, Taiwan, Sweden, Denmark, France and China.
 
All shortlisted products now face scrutiny from a panel of international judges who will gather in Sydney in March to look, touch, test and play with entries. During the two-week process, judges will assess each product against a common set of criteria including innovation, visual/emotional appeal, functionality, quality/manufacturing, human factors (ergonomics, semantics and safety) and environmental sustainability.

The winners of the 2009 Australian International Design Awards, including the 2009 Australian International Design Award of the Year, will be announced on Friday May 29 in Melbourne.
 
Designs created by thirty industrial design university students from across Australia have also been shortlisted for the Australian Design Award - James Dyson Award, the student category of Standard Australia's Australian international Design Awards.
 
2009 Timetable
Final Round Assessments: Monday 23 February - Friday 6 March 2009
Notification of Finalists: Friday 20 March 2009
2009 Presentation Night: Friday 29 May 2009, Melbourne
 
View the 2009 Australian International Design Awards Shortlist.

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For more information, please contact:

t: +61 2 9237 6090
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w: www.designawards.com.au
 
Media enquiries:
 
Australian International Design Awards
Standards Australia  
Luisa Bustos
Media Officer
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About the Australian International Design Awards
The Australian International Design Awards is a division of Standards Australia. Standards Australia is recognised by the Government as Australia's peak Standards body. It coordinates standardisation activities, develops internationally aligned Australian Standards of public benefit and national interest and accredits other Standards Development Organisations. Through the Australian International Design Awards it promotes excellence in design and innovation.
www.standards.org.au
www.designawards.com.au
www.australiandesign.org