Lexus Design Award 2019 now open for entries

Lexus International today announced a call for entries for the distinguished Lexus Design Award 2019. Since its launch in 2013, the worldwide design competition has served as a platform for emerging designers and creators whose works can lead to a better future for all. The annual event attracts thousands of upcoming creative talent from around the world, who aspire to win the coveted award for innovative design excellence. 

Making the world a better place through design has always been the program’s purpose, and now, in its seventh year, the Lexus Design Award 2019 makes that objective clearer than ever under the directive of ‘Design for a Better Tomorrow.’ 

Yugo Miyamoto, Chief Representative, Middle East and North Africa Representative ‎Office, Toyota Motor Corporation, said: “We are extremely delighted to launch the seventh edition of the Lexus Design Award. This international competition aims at inspiring the next generation of creative talent to offer imaginative solutions using ‘innovative’ and ‘captivating’ designs that ‘anticipate’ the needs of people and society and address tomorrow’s challenges today.” 

Miyamotoadded: “This award includes a unique mentorship program, which gives each finalist an exclusive opportunity to partner with acclaimed professionals who share their valuable knowledge and experience. I would like to thank our customers in the region for continuously inspiring us to innovate and excel.” 

The next-generation of designers will need to consider how their creative ideas incorporate three fundamental principles from the Lexus brand: ‘Anticipate,’ ‘Innovate,’ and ‘Captivate,’ as well as how their designs anticipate the needs of tomorrow’s society. They will have to develop innovative designs that bring fresh, imaginative solutions. At the same time, their ideas and designs should be captivating and engaging to the audience and more importantly, of the esteemed judging panel. 

The six finalists will be announced in early 2019, and the judges and mentors for the award will be disclosed in fall 2018. Past LDA judges and mentors include luminaries such as Sir David Adjaye, Snarkitecture, and Formafantasma. 

The judges will select the six best ideas to be developed into functional prototypes with a production budget of up to JPY 3 million (over AED 99,000) each and with the support of world-renowned mentors. The prototypes will be displayed at the prestigious Milan Design Week 2019 where they will compete for the Grand Prix. 

To prepare the finalists for Milan, Lexus will also provide a once-in-a-lifetime mentorship that gives each finalist an exclusive opportunity to receive hands-on guidance from acclaimed professionals who share their invaluable knowledge and experience for creating the prototype and beyond. 

Entries to the Lexus Design Award 2019 competition will be acceptedfrom August 9, 2018 through October 28, 2018.