Housed within the iconic red dot traffic building in the prime central business district, the red dot design museum is the first contemporary museum of its kind in Singapore and Asia, and attracts some 80,000 visitors from around the world annually.

The red dot design museum

The museum was set up in 2005 to exhibit the works of the newly launched red dot award: design concept, the first and only professional concept award open to design professionals, design schools and companies worldwide.

The museum

“The red dot design museum is the unique part of the award,” says Ken Koo, Asia President of the red dot design award. “This is the cornerstone of what we do – selecting what is good from the industry and presenting it to the public.”

The museum

The concept award is the newest entry in the internationally renowned red dot competition, which dates back to the mid-1950s. The competition includes awards for product design and communication design, and submitted works are housed within the red dot design museum in Germany.

The museum

The organisers had wanted the concept competition to be based in Asia, and choosing Singapore as the location for the award had been a well considered move, says Ken.

Singapore was chosen because “it is a highly developed country” Koo shares, adding that as a small and independent nation, it can offer a level of impartiality that is important to an international award competition.

Winner of the 2012 red dot: luminary (top prize) – Float Base Station by Huang Hsin Ya and Huang Pin Chen, Taiwan

Winner of the 2011 red dot: luminary – Microbial Home by Philips Design, the Netherlands

Entries for the red dot award: design concept has grown steadily over the years. In 2012, the award received 3,672 entries from 57 countries, and Koo anticipates even stronger numbers this year.

Mobile Tail (South Korea): Concept won a red dot in 2010. Subsequently developed and sold out quickly at Singapore’s Museum Shop.

Koo shares that the organisation has gradually evolved over the years.

“Now we are dancing a little bit. We are [more] lifestyle driven. We are going into [new] areas of development… one of the key words that we will hold ourselves to is ‘sexy’”.

The Museum Shop sells one of the largest collections of award winning design products in Singapore

Besides its role as a museum to showcase red dot competition entries from around the world, the red dot design museum also organises fun, design-related activities to reach out to the public and make design more accessible to the man on the street.

MAAD Pyjamas

MAAD Pyjamas

One night every month, the museum holds a flea market called MAAD Pyjamas – a platform for people in diverse creative fields to sell their products. Also included in this lively party are a range of creative activities, live music performed by local bands, and food and drink.

MAAD Pyjamas

MAAD Pyjamas

The museum also organises a self-guided tour called Design Journey to offer visitors an alternative and unconventional experience of Singapore, and a broader perspective of design (follow the journey, below).

In addition, red dot recently launched a new initiative called red dot 21, a global design web directory that allows anyone to post their work online.

“We have two hats always. As a museum for an international award, we are about benchmarking, inspiring and and educating,” says Koo. “ The other role… with MAAD Pyjamas and Design Journey, is where we let our hair down and party with the local community.”

“I think we try to show a spectrum [of design] and people can choose what they want, what they like, and what they relate to. That is very much what we hope to do,” says Koo.

The red dot award: design concept now has 3 new categories. Final submission deadline is 19 June.

Visit the red dot award: design concept website for more information and to submit your competition entries.