2021 Red Dot Award: Product Design 2021 winners

The jury for the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2021 has selected the year’s best products. The Red Dot Design Award is one of the three most prestigious professional design competitions in the world and the distinctive mark has become established internationally as one of the most sought-after seals of quality for exceptional design.

During the assessment process, the jurors take a holistic view of the entries.  In a second walkthrough, they then re-evaluate the products with more specific criteria in mind.  For smart products, the emphasis is on interaction design, connectivity and the system as a whole. For innovative designs, on the other hand, the experts concentrate especially on the degree of innovation.  Designers and companies from all over the world submitted their application from October 12, 2020 to February 19, 2021.  Among the winners are many major brands like Bose, Canyon, Fujifilm, Google, Hilti, Lenovo, Maserati, Philips, Polestar, Sony, and newcomers such as Noah Living and Studio Mixtura.   

Alongside the super sports cars like the Maserati MC20, there were several electric cars that impressed the Red Dot Jury in 2021.  Thanks to its powerful, fully electric drive and minimalist design, the Polestar 2 received the top distinction in the competition, the Red Dot: Best of the Best. This model from the Swedish manufacturer has clear surfaces, lines and contrasts.  

The ŠKODA ENYAQ iV, which won a Red Dot, is the first electric model to be produced by the Czech company. Its winning features include a range of up to 537 km and a customizable interiors concept. Last but not least, the electric moped “Brekr Model B” from Brekr in the Netherlands also won a Red Dot. The moped won over the jurors with its light aluminum frame. 

2021 was the first year in which manufacturers and designers entered their packaging in the Red Dot Award: Product Design. This year saw a clear focus on sustainable solutions. One of the Red Dot: Best of the Best winners is the packaging for the “Tree Dasher” performance running shoe from Allbirds. The packaging was created by the US studio Enlisted Design. Made from paper pulp and 100% compostable, it chimes perfectly with the manufacturer’s philosophy. 

The “Illan” lamp by Italian manufacturer “Luceplan” is produced using flexible plywood that was laser-cut in thin, filigree shapes. It doesn’t extend to its full size until mounted on the ceiling. Until then, it can be transported laid flat, which saves on packaging materials. The lamp was designed by Zsuzsanna Horvath from Denmark and won a Red Dot: Best of the Best.

For cameras and camera equipment, Sony ZV-1/ZV-1G compact digital camera, Blackmagic ATEM 2 M/E Advanced Panel, and Blackmagic ATEM 4 M/E Advanced Panel received the Red Dot Best of the Best award.  DJI Mini 2 Drone and DJI FPV Goggles received the award in the Drones and Action Cameras category.

Five products from Apple received the Red Dot Best of the Best design in Mobile phones, tablets and wearables category.  Sony Xperia PRO Smart Phone and Google Pixel 4a & 4a (5G) Smart Phone are also in the winners list for 2021 Red Dot Product Design.

Under the household appliances and household accessories category, some of the winners are Panasonic Drum Washing Machine (NH-6012P), Philips 8000 Series Pressurized Steam generator iron, and MÜLLEX X-LINE Waste Separation systems series.  Introduced at CES 2021, LG’s designer appliances is also honored with 5 awards including InstaView Door-in-Door refrigerator, Fridge and Freezer pair, CordZero stick vacuum, air conditioner and Styler.  Materials such as stainless steel, glass, metal and FENIX –  an innovative material with advanced coating technology developed by Arpa Industriale – are utilized to illuminate the refinement of each product in the collection.  Other honors include recognition for LG WashTower, a single-unit, vertical laundry solution that frees up more floor space while handling ultra-large loads. 

The winning products will also be on show in the Red Dot Design Museum Essen from June 21, 2021.