Sydney (Australia) - A record 111 products ranging from agricultural and medical equipment to consumer appliances and sporting goods are finalists in Standards Australia's prestigious design awards program.

Lightweight wine bottles, an easy-to-fold pram, portable ultrasound device, sheep vaccination gun, and an underground residential LPG gas system are among finalists announced today in the 2010 Australian International Design Awards.

Presented by Standards Australia, the Australian International Design Awards is Australia's premier design assessment program, recognising Australian and international design and innovation excellence.

Stephanie Pemberton, Program Director of the awards program said six panels of judges spent 10 days assessing more than 200 products on their design merits.

"With more products shortlisted than ever before, this year's judging panels were faced with an immense task. They cooked, cleaned, pulled products apart, self-diagnosed with medical devices, and even ran with high-tech sporting equipment," Ms Pemberton said.

"Products that clearly showed a considered approach to the professional design process, incorporating some level of innovation and environmentally-responsible decisions, rated highly with the judges," she said.

"It's exciting to see companies - big and small - embracing design strategy to assist in business success."

Finalists in the 2010 Australian International Design Awards cover a range of categories including Consumer; Business and Technology; Medical and Scientific; Automotive and Transport; Sport and Leisure; Housing and Building; Heavy Machinery; and Architectural and Interior Products.

Examples include:

• Emotiv EPOC gaming headset - that reads brain signals and facial expressions
• Pelleres forearm weights - to strengthen core muscles
• Malvern Star Bicycle Frame - Australian-designed carbon fibre frame
  
• Billabong lightweight wetsuit
• Optiline sheep drench gun - for oral treatment of parasitic worms
• Cochlear Nucleus 5 System
• Underground LPG storage system
• Coffee machines from De'Longhi, Jura, Siemens and Breville
• LG plasma and LCD TVs
  
• Barbecues
• Samsung refrigerator and washer/dryer
• Lightweight wine bottles
• Termite detection device
• 10 different vehicles, including models from Audi, Land Rover, Hyundai, Peugeot, Chevrolet, Nissan and Mazda
• Task/office chairs
• Evoke conference and stadium seat

Finalists are in the running to receive an Australian International Design Mark for good design, or an Australian International Design Award for design excellence. The top prize, the Australian International Design Award of the Year is awarded to one product that the judges believe represents world class design.

Winners of the 2010 Australian International Design Awards, including the 2010 Australian International Design Award of the Year plus a special Award for Excellence in Sustainable Design, will be announced on Friday 4 June 2010 at Wharf 8 in Sydney.

Conceptual designs created by 13 industrial design students from universities across Australia have been named as Finalists for the 2010 Australian Design Award - James Dyson Award, the student category of Standard Australia's Australian International Design Awards, run in partnership with Dyson.

Applicants were notified of the 2010 Finalists today. All finalists in the 2010 Australian International Design Awards can now be viewed online.

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For more information:

Australian International Design Awards
t: + 61 2 9237 6090
w: www.designawards.com.au
e:

Media enquiries, interviews and image requests:
Luisa Bustos
t: +61 2 9237 6184
m: +61 2 0405 506 457
e: luisa.bustos@standards.org.au

About the Australian International Design Awards
The Australian International Design Awards, a division of Standards Australia, is recognised by the Commonwealth Government and the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design as Australia’s peak design assessment and promotion body, and for its important role in fostering a culture of design and innovation in Australia.
www.designawards.com.au