The forest and wood products industry, through Forest and Wood Products Australia (FWPA), is daring designers to think differently about how they use wood. With a choice of Student and Open sections and four entry categories, designers can win bi-monthly cash prizes or an annual major prize and People’s Choice Sur(Prize) – or even commercialise their design! More at www.dangerousdesigns.com.au.
Through programs such as WoodSolutions, FWPA has established broad and effective communication channels into the specifier market – the people who influence the specifications of materials in the construction sector. The broader design community, both practising professionals and students, is traditionally harder to reach as it is geographically and occupationally diverse, covering items ranging from furniture to packaging, toys to tools, implements and artworks. Dangerous Designs has been created to engage this audience.
Originally conceived and shown to prospective entrants as a student competition, the concept of Dangerous Designs was so well received that the decision was made to launch to a wider audience – with both Student and Open entry classes.
One of the major attractions to entrants, is that in addition to having a chance to win bi-monthly cash prizes of AU$500, the major annual prize of AU$10,000 or the People’s Choice Sur(Prize), entrants will retain ownership of their intellectual property. FWPA will help to expose Dangerous Designs entries to potential development partners with whom entrants may decide to commercialise their design.
“The entry categories have been created to span virtually every opportunity to use wood and wood products in a designed object,” said Eileen Newbury, FWPA’s marketing and communications manager, “the categories are; EAT, SLEEP, PLAY which covers home, furniture, recreation and more, GO which includes transport and packaging, WORK which includes study, workplaces and storage and BUILD which covers the many facets of the built environment.
“Initial responses to the concept from professional bodies and associations have been extremely positive,” Eileen continued, “and we look forward to not only promoting wood and wood products through Dangerous Designs, but engaging industry to help promote the competition and perhaps even commercialise some of the entries and take them to market.”
The competition has been received with enthusiasm by our supporting partners: the Australian Furniture Association, Australian Institute of Architects, Australian Institute of Landscape Architects, Building Designers Association of Victoria, Building Designers Association of Australia, Design Institute of Australia, the Furniture Cabinets Joinery Alliance, Green Cities, Make it Wood and Planet Ark and the Window and Door Industry Council.
For information about Dangerous Designs promotional materials, or becoming involved in the competition, please contact: Eileen Newbury, [email protected].
