The Judging Committee for the 2017 Good Design Award was again headed by Mr. Kazufumi Nagai as the Chairman and Ms. Fumie Shibata as the Vice Chairman. At the beginning of the screening process, Mr. Nagai instructed the Judges to " what design is and what the design is striving to achieve by looking at the consideration and aesthetics behind each design" and to bear in mind fair screening through a broader perspective with the main focus on Discovery and Sharing.
| HUMANITY | the creativity that guides the making of things |
|---|---|
| HONESTY | the ability to clearly see the nature of modern society |
| INNOVATION | the vision to open up the future |
| ESTHETICS | the imagination to evoke a rich life and culture |
| ETHICS | the thoughtfulness to shape society and the environment |
Screening perspectives
Human perspective
- Whether due considerations, including usability, understandability, and friendliness, etc., are given to users
- Whether various considerations, including safety, security, environment, physically weak persons, etc., are given to maintain the credibility
- Whether the design gains sympathy of users
- Whether the design has attractiveness and induces users' creativity
Industrial perspective
- Whether issues are skillfully solved by using new technology and materials or through creativity
- Whether the item is reasonably designed or planned with appropriate technology, method, and quality
- Whether the item contributes to the creation of new industry or business
Social perspective
- Whether the item contributes to the creation of new culture, such as a new method, lifestyle, communication, etc.
- Whether the item contributes to the realization of the sustainable society
- Whether the item suggests new value, such as a new method, concept, style, etc. to society
Time perspective
- Whether the item puts past contexts and accumulated achievements to propose new value.
- Whether the item proposes a highly sustainable solution from medium- and long-term perspectives.
- Whether the item represents continual improvements in accordance with the times.
Project Policies for This Year
The 2017 Good Design Award has followed up the 2016 project with some improvements, striving for the following objectives: Fair Screening; enhancing communication that deepens applicants to understand screening method and perspectives. Below is a summary of the improvements.
Fair Screening
- Appointing 19 new Judges from Japan and overseas, conducted the screening with a wide range of perspectives.
- With regard to the Focus Issue Program which is the third year, in order to accurately grasp the current issues, we have set eight new issues for this year and will also conduct interviews and discussions with the winners, deepen their content, and sent out them as proposal.
- For Transparent Screening, we made the screening process public through a variety of information media.
Enhancing communication
- In order to provide the fair screening information to applicants, we held "Screening Workshop" and "Screening Perspectives Seminar" to experience the screening during the application period.
- In order to make it friendly and easier to understand, we revised the materials, web banners, SNS and other visuals for applicants.
Good Design Award 2017 Schedule
Good Design Award Application period (April 5 - May 31)
1st Screening (June 8 - 28)
Entries were divided into several units.
Results notification of the 1st screening (June 29)
2nd Screening (July 7 - September 5)
Held at Tokyo Big Sight and overseas.
2nd Screening (Venue: Tokyo Big Sight East Hall 1,2) (August 1 - 3)
For subjects who passed the 1st screening, we conducted a secondary screening using the actual products, panel or other documents. Day 1&3 was closed door, and Day 2 was conducted the "Interactive hearing". Based on the cooperation with Thailand, India, Singapore and Turkey, the responsible unit conducted the screening. Recommended "GOOD DESIGN BEST 100" candidate from each unit which juries selected was inspected by juries: Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Unit Leaders of all units, Focus Issue Directors.
2nd screening in Korea (August 8 - 9)
Cooperated with Korea Institute of Design Promotion, the screening is for entries from Korea. Also conducted the interactive hearing and selected the BEST 100 candidates.
2nd screening in Hong Kong (August 10 - 12)
Cooperated with Hong Kong Design Center, the screening is for entries from China Mainland and Hong Kong. Also conducted the interactive hearing and selected the BEST 100 candidates.
2nd screening in Taiwan (August 16 - 18)
Cooperated with Taiwan Design Center, the screening is for entries from Taiwan. Also conducted the interactive hearing and selected the BEST 100 candidates.
Good Design Award and BEST 100 Board(August 23)
The Judging Committee Chairman, Vice Chairman and respective Unit Leaders confirmed the outcomes of the Second Screening. This was followed by deliberations by the Judging Committee Chairman, Vice Chairman, respective Unit Leaders and Focus Issue Directors, in which the Good Design Best 100 were chosen from the candidates nominated by the respective units.
Good Design Special Award Panel (August 24)
Through deliberations by the Judging Committee Chairman, Vice Chairman, respective Unit Leaders and Focus Issue Directors, finalists were chosen for the Good Design Grand Award, the Good Design Gold Award and the Good Design Special Award from those listed in the Good Design Best 100.
Results notification of 2nd screening(September 6)
With regard to the Good Design Award and the Good Design Best 100, screening results were notified through the entry site. The finalists for the Gold Award, etc., were notified individually of the decision.
Announcement of the award results (October 4)
The 2017 Good Design Award winners and the Good Design Best 100 winners were announced alongside the Good Design Grand Award finalists.
→ GOOD DESIGN AWARD BEST 100
Good Design Grand Award voting (General voting: October 4 -28)
→ People's Choice Good Design Grand Award Exhibition
People's Choice Good Design Grand Award Exhibition (October 4 – 28 at GOOD DESIGN Marunouchi)
→ People's Choice Good Design Grand Award Exhibition
My One Choice 2017 Exhibition (October 4 – 27 at Tokyo Midtown Design Hub)
→ My One Choice 2017 Exhibition
GOOD DESIGN EXHIBITION 2017 (November 1 – 5 at Tokyo Midtown)
→ GOOD DESIGN EXHIBITION 2017
Announcement of the Good Design Special Award (November 1)
Good Design Award ceremony & Grand Prize (November 1)
Yearbook "GOOD DESIGN AWARD 2017" Publish (March 2018)
Message from Chairman（April 5, 2017）
Amidst the change of design and the world
For the last 60 years, the Good Design Award has demonstrated to the world what kind of design is considered important in people’s lives and brings a better tomorrow through its activity.
In other words, the award has led the way to expand the scope of design all the while deepening the society’s appreciation for the value of design.
In recent years, the concept of design not only has been limited to tangible objects, intangible objects and mechanisms, but also has come to include people’s mindset, perspectives and ideas.
Having said that, the Good Design Award once again would like to focus on the significance of the "form."
Both tangible objects and intangible objects exhibit "form."
The aesthetic consciousness that breathes in the form is what manifests as the determination to enrich people’s lives.
The screening process for the awards involves asking what design is and what the design is striving to achieve by looking at the care and aesthetics behind each design.
In addition, we’d like to face up to the compelling questions that ask what defines people, what richness means and what makes a good society.
This year, we will further expand upon the "FOCUSED ISSUES," which attempt to redefine the social responsibility of design, and continue to take a proactive approach such as through workshops held with companies and designers.
Amidst the accelerating homogenization due to globalization and economic rationality, how would design show its respect for the irreplaceable culture and value such as locality and hand-crafting fostered over a long period of time?
This question will be asked through evaluating entries for the Good Design Award as well as the Long Life Design Award among others.
We look forward to your active participation.
Kazufumi Nagai
Chairman of Good Design Award 2017
Fumie Shibata
Vice Chairman of Good Design Award 2017