Frank Kolkman wins Young Designer Award

On Saturday 28 October, during Dutch Design Week, the Dutch Design Awards were presented. Frank Kolkman (ArtEZ Product Design) won the Young Designer Award!

The jury about Frank Kolkman:
“Frank Kolkman’s critical, provocative way of thinking merges science and design in complex and bold processes that yield an abundance of visually convincing designs. Reviewing his portfolio, the judges appreciate the fact that in some instances, his work advances a solution, while in others, it challenges or highlights an issue. And with this, his designs are infectiously radical and wittily presented. In a category that, this year, overflows with talented submissions, when it comes to innovation and research, Kolkman is in a class of his own. A highly talented designer dedicated to his work. The jury believes that Kolkman is ready to take the next step, and looks forward to the tangible results of his noteworthy, speculative and inspiring ideas.”

DDA winners
DeFlat Kleiburg by NL Architects and XVW architectuur was rewarded with the Future Award, making it this year’s big winner. They also won in the Habitat category. The other Dutch Design Awards this year went to: Vlisco Un à Un by Michiel Schuurman (Communication), ZandGlas by Atelier NL (Design Research), Bravado: a pretentious, swaggering display of courage (F/W 2017) by Das Leben am Haverkamp (Fashion), Quooker Flex by Quooker (Product), White Spots by Studio Richard Vijgen (Service & Systems) and Royal FloraHolland (Best Client Award). Sheltersuit 4.0 by designer Bas Timmer received the most public votes online and in the exhibition, making it the winner of the Public Award.

International jury
The international jury comprising Bart Ahsmann (BEDA), Saskia van Stein (bureau Europa), Carolien Ligtenberg (Bureau Zwirt), Rosa Bertoli (Wallpaper), Deyan Sudjic (Design Museum London), Beatrice Leanza (Beijing Design Week), Joost Alferink (Product Designer, Design Consultancy), Roosje Klap (Graphic Designer) and Marco Coello (Design Week Mexico).

Dutch Design Awards
Since 2003 Dutch Design Awards (DDA) has rewarded Dutch designers for their most impressive, innovative and ground-breaking projects. In addition to the awards for Product, Communication, Habitat, Fashion, Design Research, Service & Systems and Young Designer, a special prize is also awarded by DDA to clients (Best Client Award) and in cooperation with the BNO in this anniversary year the biennial BNO Piet Zwart Award will be awarded. The most promising design for the future is crowned with the Future Award.

In this anniversary year DDA celebrates the future with a new batch of designers, the publication of the archives and the telling of stories behind 15 years of the best of Dutch design in the Dutch Design Gallery. With the competition, the Awards Show, a (travelling) retrospective exhibition and the publication of Dutch Design Today the Dutch Design Awards is a unique platform for Dutch design. Since 2008 DDA has had its head office in the design capital Eindhoven. DDA is the annual highlight of Dutch Design Week. www.dutchdesignawards.nl