Lexus. Everyone knows this famed Japanese manufacturer that took the luxury market by storm. The car that became the object of desire for the enthusiasts and the chauffeur-driven.
The car that requires a bit less than luxury German car money and delivers that premium car feeling in spades. The car company that created a car that has an engine so refined that even if you keep a pyramid of glasses on the hood, they won’t even move, let alone break, even at full throttle.
Lexus as a Brand
There are multiple feats that Lexus has achieved that other car companies might deem impossible, but if I would have to sum up what Lexus means, then I would say that it stands for three things-Excellence, Perfection, and accepting nothing less than the best. And that is why I believe that Lexus is the ideal host for a Design Competition, and it actually is hosting one.
Lexus Design Awards India
The Lexus Design Award India (LDAI) seeks to recognize and reward the best industrial design executed by Indian designers, institutions, design consultancy firms, and in-house design teams of companies. Good design is defined by LDAI as the synthesis of ergonomic, aesthetic, commercial, industrial, and scientific disciplines to create products that simplify, enrich, and better human existence. Lexus, as a brand, has always stood for excellence in design, ergonomics, sustainability, technological superiority, and responsible consumption; and the LDAI will mirror these brand values.
So, what’s the big news? Lexus India today announced the winners of the 6th edition of the prestigious design awards, the LDAI, at an event held in Delhi. The winners were selected from over 1000 high-quality entries basis Lexus’ three key design principles: Anticipate, Innovate and Captivate, in the pursuit to craft a better tomorrow.
The Association of Designers of India (ADI) and STIR World partnered with Lexus to bring the sixth edition of LDAI awards ceremony as knowledge partners and curation partners. The awards night returned to its offline avatar after 2 years of being hosted virtually.
Judges
The diverse panel of judges this year comprised of
- Shrikant Nivsarkar – Principal Architect of Nivsarkar Consultancy who was also the Jury Chairperson this year,
- Balkrishna Mahajan – Co-founder, director and principal designer of the product design and innovation consulting firm Ticket Design,
- David Abraham – Co-founder of Abraham & Thakore, Sundar S. – Co-founder and managing director of India-based Dovetail Furniture,
- Rashmi Ranade – Founder and lead designer of Pune-based Studio Coppre,
- Pradip Krishen – acclaimed habitat expert, author, and National Award winning Indian filmmaker, and
- Giri Venkatash – Vice President, Lexus Asia Pacific Division.
Mentors
The esteemed panel of mentors included
- Praveen Nahar – the Director at National Institute of Design,
- Satish Gokhale – Founder and Director of India-based design company – Design Directions,
- Michael Foley – Founder of Foley Designs, Anuj Sharma – fashion designer,
- Dinesh Korjan– founder and partner of Studio Korjan and
- Dr.B.K. Chakravarthy – professor and project head for the Industrial Design Centre (IDC) at IIT Bombay, and founder of Shenoy Studio.
This year, the LDAI mentorship program for the conceptual category finalists was conducted where a stellar ensemble of creative pioneers and industry stalwarts helped the finalists refine their projects. The winners were chosen after multiple rounds of extensive deliberation by the esteemed panel of jurors.
The LDAI 2023 was a confluence of amazing designers from across the country, coming together for this prestigious award. The award nights were hosted at SITRWorld, where Sumant Jayakrishnan, renowned space designer and installation artist brought in the theme of an Electrified Future through a spectacular design aesthetic. Martand Khosla and Pratap Morey also displayed their installations, inspired by Lexus and its design philosophy.
The winners walked away with a coveted Lexus Design Award India trophy designed by renowned designer, Michael Foley. This year, Lexus committed upto Rs 5,00,000 each for the Conceptual Category winners to support the development and market realization of their projects.
The night also had some esteemed professionals from the design fraternity come together in a host of panel discussions to share their views on the design industry.