About Swiss Design Awards 2019
The Swiss Design Awards are a unique opportunity to delve into the multifaceted world of current Swiss design. For a one-week period, all the disciplines represented in the competition come together under one roof: graphic design, fashion and textile design, product and industrial design, photography, scenography and mediation. Presented are objects embodying the traditional dialogue between form and function, as well as interdisciplinary projects that tackle complex issues and processes at work in modern society with a broader conception of what constitutes design. Both approaches–and everything in between–make design a vibrant and relevant discipline for culture, the economy and society in the 21st century.
The Swiss Design Awards competition is based on a two-stage process. The Swiss Design Awards 2019 exhibition presented the 48 works nominated from among 220 entries. Shortly before the exhibition opened, the Federal Design Commission, assisted by three experts, selected 17 projects to each received prize money of 25,000 Swiss francs. When judging the works presented, particular attention is paid to their quality, impact, contemporary relevance and innovativeness. The three winners of the Swiss Grand Award for Design were also represented in the exhibition through their works, as well as videos and photographs. Accompanied by a limited-edition publication, this presentation offered a detailed insight into the remarkable work of three exceptional talents.
The 17 Swiss Design Awards 2019 were presented in Basel on 11 June. Simultaneously, the event honored the winners of the Swiss Grand Award for Design. The winners of the renowned prize this year are product designer Rosmarie Baltensweiler, interior stylist Connie Hüsser and lithographer and publisher Thomi Wolfensberger.