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July 6, 2023
Designing a Better Future, Together—LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2023 | LEXUS
LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2023 | LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2023
What Better Future Did the Award Winners Envision?
Under the theme “Design for a Better Tomorrow,” the LEXUS DESIGN AWARD, an international design competition established by Lexus in 2013 to support and nurture the next generation of creators, showcased the final works of four award winners at “Milan Design Week,” the world's largest design trade fair held in Milan, Italy, from mid-April.
Text by OPENERS | Photographs by LEXUS
Why Lexus Hosts a Design Competition
Established by Lexus in 2013 with the desire to enrich the lives of individuals and contribute to a better society and future, the “LEXUS DESIGN AWARD” aims to foster a richer society and a better future.
Through this international design competition for emerging creators worldwide, Lexus has supported next-generation creators addressing social issues and strived to contribute to society through the power of design.
Lexus continues these activities because of its brand mission: “Design for a Better Tomorrow.” This commitment is reflected, for example, in the award's judging criteria.
Submitted works are evaluated based on how well they embody the following three core principles set forth by Lexus, starting with “How does the idea bring happiness to people?”
Anticipate: Does it foresee social challenges that need to be addressed for a better future society?
Innovate: Does it possess novelty and originality?
Captivate: Is it a concept or design that sparks interest and captures the imagination?
Innovate: Does it possess novelty and originality?
Captivate: Is it a concept or design that sparks interest and captures the imagination?
In 2023, the 11th year of the award, 2,068 entries were received from 63 countries and regions worldwide, with four winning works selected.
The judging panel comprised leading figures in the design world: Simon Humphries, Chief Branding Officer at Toyota and Lexus; Paola Antonelli, Senior Curator of Architecture and Design at the Museum of Modern Art, New York; and Karim Rashid, designer.
Furthermore, a key feature of the award is the mentorship program, where world-renowned creators, comparable to the judges, generously share their knowledge and expertise with the award winners, pursuing a better future through design together.
Since its inception in 2013, mentors who resonate with the mission of discovering and nurturing talent for a new era have engaged in co-creation with young creators. In 2023, four world-class creators served as mentors: Marjan van Aubel, a solar designer from the Netherlands; Joe Doucet, an artist and designer from the United States; Yuuri Suzuki, a sound artist and experience designer from Japan; and Sumayya Vally, an architect from South Africa.
Over the approximately three months from the announcement of the awards in February to the final presentation of works at Milan Design Week 2023, the award winners refined their compelling ideas into more practical and functional designs through the mentorship process, culminating in their final pieces.
On the next page, we will introduce the four award-winning projects, including how the winners refined their work through co-creation with their mentors.