Design in Business Awards

The Design in Business Awards are an initiative of the Designers’ Institute of New Zealand that seek to recognise the potent role of design in adding value, building brands and creating strategic innovations which improve a businesses performance.

In 1997 the Design-led Business Award was established as part of the Designers’ Institute BeST Design Awards programme, which celebrates our country’s outstanding products, graphics and spatial (interior) design outputs.

As the Awards grew in stature, and as the importance of design as a key driver of the economy increased, the renamed Design in Business Awards was established as a stand alone event in 2003.

The aim of the Design in Business Award is to establish design as a key driver of business performance by celebrating New Zealand companies who have used and fostered design to develop more competitive products and businesses.

Driven by a wealth creation agenda, the Awards aim to evaluate design effectiveness by establishing a link between an investment in design and business growth.

All previous winners and highly commended entrants including Formway Furniture, Zambesi, Orca, Glidepath, Icebreaker, OBO, Furnware, Mokum and Air New Zealand have made a strategic investment in forming and maintaining design cultures and have demonstrated the value of design to their organisations.

The Design in Business Awards are an initiative of the Designers’ Institute of New Zealand. This year Better by Design has partnered with the Designers’ Institute to present the Awards.

Entry to the 2008 Design in Business Awards closes at 5pm on Friday, August 8, 2008.

To enter the 2008 Design in Business Awards you must submit an application before 5pm, Friday August 8, 2008.

Entry forms can be downloaded here or by calling +64 9 377 2907 or emailing designinbusiness@dockstreet.co.nz

The information submitted will be used by the judges to determine the shortlisted entrants. After the shortlist has been determined, a case study of each shortlisted company will be compiled.

This case study will focus on establishing an objective presentation of your organisation, your design capabilities and the stipulated outcomes.

The case study will be used to assist in determining the overall winner of the 2008 Design in Business Award.

No. Entry to the Design in Business Awards is free.

Entry is open to businesses that have strategically incorporated and used design to improve their business.

Please note: the Design in Business Award is not for specific products. The Design in Business Award is for businesses who have made a strategic investment in design and have used design to improve their businesses performance.

The Design in Business Award is for specific design projects or design strategies that have generated measurable results for an organisation, such as increases in sales and revenue, profitability, brand value, market share or internal economic improvements.

There is one category – the Design in Business Award – which is for specific design projects or design strategies that have generated measurable results for an organisation.

The judges will select one supreme winner to receive the Design in Business Award from the finalists. A highly commended award may also be given if the judges deem appropriate.

In previous years there have been – the Design Innovation Award and the Design Strategy Award. This year, as with the previous Design in Business Awards in 2006, one award, the Design in Business Award, will be given.

Judges will be seeking evidence of three key outcomes from Stage One entrant applications:

1. Clarity of purpose – A clear intention for the design activity and an indication of the role of design in your business processes.
2. Evidence – A ‘cause–and–effect’ between the design solution and the business results achieved. Please note that in-depth analysis is not required at this stage, simply describe how design is used across the business.
3. Results – Evidence of the outcome of the design process – what has been achieved.

The judging process is in two stages, with stage one involving the compilation of a shortlist based on the application material supplied by entrants.

Stage two is based on a case study of each short–listed company whereby additional information required by the judges will be obtained from entrants (entrants will be interviewed).

The three judges of the Design in Business Awards (David Walker, Derek Lockwood and Nevil Gibson) all determine the shortlisted entrants, finalists and the overall Design in Business Award winner.

For further information on the judges click here

Notifications of all shortlisted entrants will be made by Thursday, August 14, 2008. Unsuccessful entrants will also be notified of the judges’ decision.

All finalists will be notified by September 5, 2008.

The winner of the Design in Business Award will be announced at a cocktail ceremony in Auckland on September 18, 2008.

Only if you feel that it is necessary to demonstrate the link between an investment in design and business growth (how design has improved your business). Percentage increases may suffice.

All confidential information must be marked clearly. This information will be restricted to the administration and judging panel only and no information will be published without prior approval.

Ensuring that the information contained in your entry submission is kept confidential is of primary importance. If you are concerned about security of information, we recommend that you submit your application by a signature required courier, or hand deliver it.

Once received, all entries will be kept strictly confidential and stored in a safe and secure location. The information contained in your entry will only be accessible to the award administrators and the award judges, each of whom is required to sign a confidentiality agreement.

At the end of the awards, all copies of entries will be destroyed. For this reason, please ensure that you keep a copy of your entry for your own records.

Yes, you most certainly can, provided that your entry is for a design project or design strategy that you have not previously entered into the Design in Business Awards.

Yes. If you feel that it is necessary to enlist the services of a consultant to assist in compiling the information for your entry then you are welcome to do so. Regardless of whether you hire someone to assist with compiling your entry, each entry must be signed off by a senior member of the management team.

The organisers of the awards will contact you to notify receipt of your application.

For any questions regarding the 2008 Design in Business Award please contact The Design in Business Awards Administrators,
Pauline Ray or Sarah Collier

P: +64 9 377 2907
F: +64 9 366 1733
E: designinbusiness@dockstreet.co.nz
W: www.designinbusiness.dinz.org.nz