For the 17th edition of the European Design Awards (EDA), a record number of projects were submitted to the EDA jury. A total of 42 projects were awarded gold, 54 silver and 58 bronze on Saturday 3 June at the awards ceremony for this prestigious event, which took place in Luxembourg as part of the European Design Festival, organised this year by the Design Luxembourg association.
Five projects in particular were highlighted and received prestigious “Grand Awards.”
Five Grand Awards
European Design Agency of the Year went to Studio Dumbar/DEPT®, an international design agency based in Rotterdam specialising in visual and online branding. The company explores the new possibilities offered by technology through creative coding, movement, sound and artificial intelligence, and the creation of exclusive technological tools.
The Best of Show Graphic Applications award went to “Transform,” the artistic annual report from Zumtobel--an Austrian manufacturer of outdoor and indoor lighting systems, OLED and LED lighting--designed by the graphic design duo Bloemendaal & Dekkers. Built around the theme of transformation, the project is a visual reflection on architecture and the built environment. It shows the creative processes that have emerged from UNStudio’s work over the last three decades.
“Transform” traces the creative processes that have emerged from UNStudio’s work over the last three decades. Photo: European Design Awards
The trophy for Best of Show Branding & Packaging went to the visual identity of the town of Klaipėda in Lithuania, created by Dizaino agentūra. This emerged from innovative and inclusive engagement with diverse communities and stakeholders, unveiling a narrative rooted in their collective histories and experiences. From merchandising to posters, logo and stationery, the jury highlighted the bold and well-crafted branding that maintains a strong connection with the place and its people, which the project highlights.
Fabrique [brands, design and interaction], an agency based in the Netherlands, won the Best of Show Digital Applications award for its “Closer to Johannes Vermeer” information website. On the site, actor Stephen Fry tells the story of Vermeer and guides online visitors through his work and personal life. Visitors can zoom in on the smallest particles of pigment in Vermeer's paintings and explore 28 of his pictures in the Rijksmuseum exhibition.
Internet users can explore 28 paintings by Johannes Vermeer. Photo: European Design Awards
Finally, the Jury Prize was awarded to wijstudio (based in the Netherlands) for its Neighbourhood campaign, comprising posters, leaflets and stickers, aimed at supporting a local vegetable supplier threatened with closure because of high energy prices. Produced anonymously, the campaign uses wordplay to encourage customers to buy a cucumber for €5, enabling Hüseyin the grocer to cover his extra energy costs. For the jury, this project demonstrates the power of design to help solve problems, whether on a global or local scale.
The campaign encourages customers to buy a cucumber for €5 to help Hüseyin the grocer cover his energy costs. Photo: European Design Awards
This story was first published in French on . It has been translated and edited for Delano.