The Essence of Design: Creating a Richer Environment

The "LEXUS DESIGN AWARD" awards ceremony was held during Milan Design Week 2018.

Announced as the Grand Prix winner on April 17, 2018, was "Testing Hypotheticals" by the group unit Extrapolation Factory.

On this occasion, we spoke with Lexus International President Yoshihiro Sawa, who also served as a judge, at the Leonardo da Vinci National Museum of Science and Technology, the venue's location within the "Cavallerizze."

"The origin of the LEXUS DESIGN AWARD's activities is Lexus's desire, as a luxury lifestyle brand, to contribute to the creation of a better society."

Now in its sixth year, the award has introduced many excellent ideas to the world. In 2018, it received a record-breaking 1,319 entries from 68 countries.

"Broadly speaking, design is a solution, so its essence must lie in creating a richer environment."

The choice of "CO-" (together) as this year's keyword also reflects a strong awareness of the connection between design and society.

"We want to shape a better society, which we call the 'LEXUS WORLD,' while growing alongside young creators."

To that end, Lexus strives to ensure the award is more than a one-off event. A prime example is the provision of "mentors" to the four finalists.

The role of a mentor, which can also be translated as 'guide,' is to help clarify the concept of the submitted work and, in the case of industrial products, to offer advice on mass production.

An Award with Exceptional Support

For the Grand Prix winner, Extrapolation Factory, the mentors were Studio Formafantasma, an Italian unit based in the Netherlands.

"It's not just about winning a prize; aspiring professionals can also receive advice from experienced individuals. If this is part of Lexus's philosophy, we hope that young creators will continue to feel a sense of kinship with it."

Sawa notes that through this mentor system, which is internationally recognized as exceptionally supportive for an award, many designers have begun to achieve success.

"Milan Design Week is a unique opportunity for designers to gain inspiration, offering a chance to see truly unique expressions created by combining diverse materials. We have aimed to create new things through the rare communication that occurs between companies and individuals."

The Grand Prix-Winning Work: A Unique Concept

Extrapolation Factory's "Testing Hypotheticals," which won the Grand Prix in 2018, also showcases a truly unique concept.

The duo, an American and a German, named their unit "Extrapolation Factory" after the act of "determining values outside the range of given numerical data based on that known data."

For this project, "Testing Hypotheticals," the residents of Queens, New York, served as the sample group, demonstrating an initiative to improve the future of the community.

The theme was to brainstorm ideas for making Queens a better city for the future, without any budget limitations.

Ideas proposed included a "subway with a community garden," a "recycling system that returns materials to their providers," and an "outdoor meditation space to feel the roots of plants underground."

It's rare for an automotive manufacturer to be involved in such interesting initiatives. If Lexus's creative endeavors enrich the world, we must support them.