Of the winning entry, the jury said the following: "There was a very positive response all round from the judges on this design, and Vibeke and Jens were announced by the jury’s media contingent as being 'stars in the making'. The lamp has a strong storytelling aspect to it, conjuring up nostalgic images of Norwegian boat yards with the wire fastening, and the jury also commented on the subtle but attractive contrast offered by referencing industrially produced old metal factory lamps in luxurious hand blown glass. Evergreen scored highly from a sustainability point of view as it was deemed to be emotionally durable by the judges, whose only brief worry was potential breakages of the lampshade part. Otherwise it was felt to be a lamp you could easily want to buy four or five of, given the right space and budget to do so."
A total of 13 entries were submitted for the competition that encouraged Norwegian manufacturers to team up with local designers to create new products. The goal was to build new bridges between Norwegian designers and the national design industry, and ultimately form partnerships that will generate business for manufactures and designers alike as well as further position Norway as an innovative and cutting edge design nation.
The competition jury, which met in London on 10 May to decide on a winner, consisted of (in alphabetic order):
- Benedicte Sunde, Curator, Norwegian Design Council
- Cecilie Jørgensen, Deputy Editor, Elle Decoration Norway
- Henrietta Thompson, Curator, 100% Norway / Editor at Large, Wallpaper* (Chairperson of the jury)
- Dr Jana Scholze, Curator for Modern Furniture and Product Design, Victoria & Albert Museum
- Kristine Landmark, Board Member and former CEO, Stokke
- Marcus Fairs, Editor-in-chief, Dezeen
- Theo Williams, Creative Director, Habitat
The jury used the following criteria to select the winner:
- Design
- Quality
- Innovation
- Commercial potential (to cover new needs, new features, usability, high attraction value for specific markets)
- Sustainability and the use of natural materials
- Functionality
Following their decision, the jury made this announcement:
The standard of entry to the 100% Norway competition was very high. Although this did not come as too much of a surprise to the jury, it was less expected and still more encouraging to see the number of new Norwegian manufacturers and designers that appeared on the shortlist. Confirmation of Norway’s growing design industry this indication of a new generation of home-grown Scandinavian design and manufacturing is exciting to witness.
Picking a winner was tough as there were a number of fairly equally matched contenders – but although the judges were not by any means unanimous in their decision initially, the scoring system by which the entries were ranked proved to be both fair and enlightening. Continuous lively discussion throughout the session meant that it was very clear amongst the panel why certain products came out top.
Special mentions at this stage should go to a number of entrants. Firstly, Northern Lighting, a relatively young Norwegian lighting manufacturer that is already making a big impact internationally with its excellently designed products and support of local design talent. The judges were all in agreement that it had produced two of the strongest products in the competition.
Secondly Figgjo, the well-established Norwegian porcelain manufacturer who, in taking a chance on new young creative talent Angell Wyller Aarseth, has produced one of the most sophisticated and marketable new designs in the competition. The judges were also impressed with the provenance-rich entries from design duo Anderssen & Voll with manufacturers Røros Tweed and Biri Tapet, a design team whose significant experience, integrity and ability continue to inspire.
The winning designers will receive a cash prize of 40,000NOK, while the manufacturer will be given a zone of 6m² on the 100% Norway stand in London in September 2011 to present the winning prototype and other products from their portfolio. The manufacturer will also receive a cash prize 40,000NOK for further work with the product.
100% Norway takes place during the London Design Festival at 100% Design, Earls Court, from 22 - 25 September.