Now in their 14th year, the WIN Awards are intended to celebrate the best interior designers, and their most dazzling work, on an international scale. Get started on your entry today to benefit from the last week of the early bird entry rate, which ends on June 13.
Every project entered in the WIN Awards is assessed by an expert panel of senior industry judges from across the world.
Professor James Postell is the faculty member at the Department of Design (Product Design) at Politecnico di Milano, Italy. With a passion for teaching and design thinking, he focused his research, teaching, and writing on furniture, interiors, and materials. His interest in Italian design stems from his experiences in graduate school, where he studied in Venice and worked briefly in Pierluigi Ghianda's bottega in Brianza. Now, his research agenda aims to explore how making, materials, and technology shape the culture and disciplines of design.
James believes that the WIN awards are important because “design recognition is always an important matter - it gives validation and credibility to the design work”.
He advises entrants “to be clear regarding their ideas and concepts and to present the ideas through the images, drawings, and research of the work.”
Tina Norden, a partner at Conran and Partners, is an interior designer and architect with a diverse portfolio including hotel and restaurant design, high-end residential and boutique retail projects. She leads design teams in both the UK and Hong Kong and was instrumental in building the firm’s team in Asia. She believes in style over fashion in design to ensure the result is timeless and remains fresh.
Tina believes the WIN Awards are vital because “being acknowledged by your industry and peers is one of the most exciting rewards for your work - people who know what we do and how we do it are the best and most critical judges!”
She advises potential entrant to “be thoughtful, be creative and be yourself! Design should be timeless and experiential without trying to follow trends.”
Xiaojun Bu is co-founder and chief architect of China-based Atelier Alter Architects, which he set up with partner Yingfan Zhang in 2009. Recent projects include Senior Center of Guangxi, Xinglong Visitor Center, Yangzhou Science Center, Yingliang Stone Archive, No. 5 Warehouse Museum, Wuli Epoch Experiment Center and Ruian Highrise.
Xiaojun believes the WIN awards offer recognition for designers and provide a platform for organizations to see more people's work and the ideas behind it.
He advises WIN Award entrants ‘not to be limited to so-called trends’.
“Start from humanistic concepts and local thinking, so that your design can showcase more social care and sustainable value,” he says.