These awards recognized standout creativity and ingenuity in product design. Judging criteria included innovation, function, originality and design.

The Accent on Design Summer 2011 Selection Committee members are: Miguel Calvo of Calvo.co; Ilene Shaw of Shaw + Co! Productions; Kathy Thornton-Bias of MoMA; Wilma Wabnitz of Wabnitz Editions; and Laura Young of Areaware.

Excellence in Product Design
Flux (Amsterdam, Netherlands) for Flux Chair, weighing less than 10 pounds and available in eight colors, the Flux Chair supports 300 pounds and takes furniture to the 21st century with a clever combination of the practical advantages of foldable furniture with the looks of a classic design chair. www.fluxchairs.com

Excellence in Product Design
Alessi (New York, NY) for Tèo, an innovation on the typology of the tea spoon, in addition to its normal function, the 18/10 stainless steel Tèo makes it possible, after tea is ready, to remove the bag from the cup and gently squeeze it, pulling it up through the hollow handle. www.alessi.com

Best Booth Presentation
Mio (Philadelphia, PA) for its wall to ceiling booth presentation made of its own environmentally and socially sustainable products including Paperforms, modular 3D wallpaper tiles made from recycled paper; Crystal Drop Ceiling modules made from recycled cardboard that provide a cost effective and dramatic solution for spaces that require suspended ceilings; and Nomad System, a modular architectural system made from recycled, double-wall cardboard that can be assembled into freestanding, temporary partitions without hardware, tools or damage to existing structures. www.mioculture.com

Best Collection
Urban Butik (Montreal, Quebec) for the Born in Sweden collection which combines highly innovative design with simple product solutions. The collection includes a minimalist coat rack crafted from a single piece of rigid, powder coated steel; a streamlined, lockable mailbox in molded fiberglass features a separation lid inside that can be removed to increase storage capacity; and functional, practical and aesthetically pleasing watering cans made of 18-0 stainless steel. www.urban-butik.com

These awards recognized standout creativity and ingenuity in product design. Judging criteria included innovation, function, originality and design.

The winter 2011 Accent on Design selection committee includes: Miguel Calvo, Design & Research; Ilene Shaw, Shaw + Co! Productions; Kathy Thornton-Bias, The Museum of Modern Art; Wilma Wabnitz, Wabnitz Editions Ltd.; and Noel Wiggins, Areaware.

Excellence in Product Design
Stelton (New York, NY) Pure Black Pure White knives forged from a single piece of stainless steel and coated in black matte titanium, and held on a single, white magnetic strip. A reinterpretation of the classic form, the judges liked its sleek, minimalistic high design. www.stelton.com

Excellence in Product Design
Black + Blum (London, England) Hot Pot BBQ, a humorous take on the everyday barbecue grill. Made from stainless steel with a heat-insulating ceramic coating, the Hot Pot BBQ serves as a terracotta pot for growing herbs while concealing an actual grill underneath. www.black-blum.com

Excellence in Product Design
American Design Club (Los Angeles, CA) Brendan Ravenhill’s Bare Light utilizes the natural electrical insulating properties of glass to create a light socket allowing the electrical components to be seen, yet safely protected. Judges appreciated the reinvention of the iconic object with its surprising use of materials. www.brendanravenhill.com

Excellence in Product Design
Hongjie Yang Design (Chengdu, China) Veer, a soap dispenser that fuses function and style. Inspired by the shape of bamboo, the ultra modernistic form in stainless steel is a sleek alternative to the mundane. http://www.hongjieyang.com/

Best Collection
K Studio (Grand Rapids, MI) pillows, pouches and wall décor, which are charming, artistic interpretations with a nod towards eco-friendly design.  The hand-stitched collection uses hemp, organic cotton and flax – a warm contrast to the strong, industrial designs found in Accent on Design. www.kstudiohome.com

Overall Excellence
Creative Danes representing Menu (Copenhagen, Denmark) for innovation in outdoor, dining and living products, presentation and technology. Menu’s Scandinavian design originals boast clean lines with unexpected functionality to surprise and delight the user. Creative Danes’ use of QR codes allows the user – via free iPhone and Android apps – to immediately access product information and video on YouTube. www.creativedanes.com

These awards recognized standout creativity and ingenuity in product design. Judging criteria included innovation, function, originality and design.

The summer 2010 Accent on Design selection committee includes: Miguel Calvo, Design & Research; David Alhadeff, The Future Perfect; Ilene Shaw, Shaw + Co! Productions; and Wilma Wabnitz, Wabnitz Editions Ltd.

Best Product Collection:
Paul Smith for Stelton (Copenhagen, Denmark) “for reimagining Arne Jacobsen’s classic Cylinda-Line collection and introducing color in celebration of Stelton’s 50th year.” Manufactured in Denmark, Paul Smith for Stelton features AddColour, a series of stainless steel iced water, tea and coffee jugs, and French press with muted, bright or pastel colored handles. Available in nine color palettes, Dot features three small, medium and large jars and bowls in stainless steel with enamel tops and mouths. The collection’s bar set, Statement, includes ice bucket and tongs, cocktail shaker, martini mixer, glass coasters and serving tray in rich, black stainless steel. Each piece features a statement written by Paul Smith. www.stelton.dk

Best Product:
Wabnitz Editions (Columbus, OH) for Boomerang Wok, by Royal vkb, for “its innovation in industrial design, solving an age old problem.” Designed by Nikolai Carels, its unique patented edge shape alleviates the stresses of cooking by reducing the skills necessary for an evenly cooked meal – just a simple push towards the curved edge of the pan turns the food easily. This aluminum pan is ideal for cooking eggs, fish and meat. www.royalvkb.com.

Best Product:
Branch Lamps (New York, NY) by Rich, Brilliant, Willing as part of the American Design Club Collection, for “a modern classic used in a multitude of ways.” With bent wood arms attached to metal hubs resembling the branches of a tree, the chandeliers, floor lamps and table lamps filter light through perforated brass shades. Ebonized, natural and custom color wood finishes are available. www.richbrilliantwilling.com

Best Product:
The Sasa Clock™ (Housatonic, MA) designed by Thorunn Arnadottir for HeadsUp Design Company Inc., for “its interpretation on the concept of time in an artistic and poetic manner.” Made of a polished stainless steel hub and beech wood beads, time can be read from a color coded necklace—with each bead representing a 5 minute increment. The necklace is available in both 12 and 24 hour versions; natural wood with white, “hour” beads and blue stained wood, with orange “hour” beads. www.necklaceclock.com

In addition to these award winners, the Selection Committee also applauded the direction of the following collectives: American Design Club, Object Design League, JOIN DESIGN Seattle. Together, these collectives – from New York City, Chicago and Seattle – are presenting the work of more than 20 young designers.

These awards recognized standout creativity and ingenuity in product design. Judging criteria included innovation, function, originality and design.

The summer 2009 Accent on Design selection committee included: Miguel Calvo, Design & Research; David Alhadeff, The Future Perfect; David Reid and James Klein, KleinReid; Jamie Gray, Matter; and Ilene Shaw, Shaw + Co! Productions.

Excellence in Product Design
DESU DESIGN™ (Brooklyn, NY) for its Pendulum Door Knocker, which unlike traditional door knockers, is minimalist and often not recognized as an object but as sculpture. www.desudesign.com

Excellence in Product Design
Design House Stockholm (Stockholm, Sweden) for Family Chairs, a ubiquitous foursome of traditional Swedish stickback chairs made novel and beautiful at a price point suited for this economy. www.designhousestockholm.com

Best Overall Collection
neo-utility (Brooklyn, NY) for its excellence in curatorial choices offering a diverse range of utilitarian categories with an uplifting approach. neo-utility promotes products that are inherently useful but also approach design in a new and dynamic way. www.neo-utility.com