A new exhibition taking shape at the Red Dot Design Museum in Essen, Germany, will examine the significance of design as a driving force behind economic growth and commercial success. Highlighting companies such as Adidas, Miele, and Daimler-Chrysler firms such as the German Aluminum Association, “Return on Ideas–Better by Design” will run October 14–November 12.

Showcasing innovative materials and technologies, the exhibit intends to prove that commercial success is always preceded by a good idea. To wit, pioneering achievements such as Tupperware and Teflon have essentially revolutionized daily living via innovative materials, and the automobile industry has reached tremendous safety and luxury standards by incorporating various aspects of high-tech design. Sports equipment earns a place in the spotlight too, for the fact that soccer shoes are accurately tailored to meet 22 different foot shapes.

Seta hospital bed by Wiege for StiegelmeyerSpecifically, “Return on Ideas” offers insight into the development processes of great ideas that have—or aim to—become indispensable parts of our everyday lives. These “portraits” of success hope to both inspire and explain the back story that gave rise to the commercial success of various products and materials.

The impetus for the exhibit was a series of lectures by Dr. Peter Zec, a professor and head of the Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen, who has extensively studied the influence of creative and innovative ideas on companies’ commercial success. “Return on Ideas” is part of a larger overall exhibition called “ENTRY2006–How will we live tomorrow?” at the Red Dot Design Museum.

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 28th, 2006 at 2:01 pm and is filed under Exterior Doors, Interior Design. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.