Two IDEA Awards for Philips Design

Something for everyone
"Creating value for people is at the core of Philips Design's vision and mission and I’m proud that the work we have done to improve people's quality of life in all societies has been recognized with these awards." -- Stefano Marzano, CEO and Chief Creative Director, Philips Design

This year, Philips Design received two Industrial Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) from the Industrial Design Society of America (IDSA): a Silver award for the Philips Moisturizing Shaving System and a Bronze for the Chulha low-smoke stove. Although these two products address very different needs, the awards show that Philips Design’s people-focused approach can be applied to many challenges, across different cultures.

Healthy cooking
The Chulha stove is just one project from Philips Design’s Philanthropy by Design program, which promotes social empowerment through knowledge sharing, creativity and co-design. The Chulha tackles the challenge of indoor air pollution from biomass stoves—a problem that kills 1.6 million people each year through respiratory illness.

Feedback from real people is a cornerstone of Philips Design’s people-focused design approach. Insights came from collaboration with end-users in rural India. The Chulha’s modular design allows for quick and easy transport, assembly, repair and cleaning—all important factors for rural users. Further, keeping costs low (only five or eight euros per stove) and allowing for cheap repairs was a key factor in the design of the stove.

more on Philanthropy by Design

Flexibility in shaving
On the other side of the world, the people-focused design approach led to a revolutionary shaver which integrates a moisturizing skin conditioner into the design. The Silver award winning Philips Moisturizing Shaving System is a result of a multi-disciplinary design strategy. The sturdy and compact design increases control for the user while the flexibility of the shaving heads allows a closer and quicker shave.

What these two products have in common—a deep commitment from Philips Design to address the real needs of real people.