KIDP Announces List of 2009 GD Mark Products

Reflects such trends of the times as 'green design'and 'universal design'

The Ministry of Knowledge Economy (MKE) and the Korea Institute of Design Promotion (KIDP) has announced the first half list of the Year 2009 Good Design (GD) products from 163 companies. The GD Product Awards, marking its 24th year, are presented in the first and second half of each year.
2009 Good Design products highlight "green design,"grafting energy conservation and green technology, as well as "universal design"for lowering barriers for access by the elderly and the disabled, reflecting the trends of the current times. Public, architectural and environmental designs account for 28 percent of the total entries, showing the tendency to spread design innovation to all industries in addition to general manufacturing of products.
Design has so far been playing a role in enhancing corporate value through product and service innovation. Design is now spreading its role to creating social values by improving the quality of human lives and contributing to society.














Attracting public attention is a new type of welfare facility, built by Ssangyong Engineering and Construction Co., combining the roles of a public health center of the Seongnam City government and a health care center for the elderly. The Seongnam City Health Care Center for the Elderly-Jungwon Ward Health Center structure was constructed based on an environmental design made to consolidate the roles of a welfare facility for the elderly who need social protection and stability as well as a public health center for residents whose health and safety should be promoted.
Design Mexo was awarded with a GD mark product award for producing an environmentally-friendly new-concept bus stop installation tailored to provide guidance to the disabled and the underprivileged. The traffic bus stop facility in Gyeonggi Province is furnished with an advanced bus information system (BIS) terminal that provides bus riders information on the arrival of buses, brail blocks for the blind and chairs in exclusive use for the disabled.
Kumho Industrial Co. was presented with a GD award for designing a bathroom chair/device for washing feet. The device combines the roles of a chair and a plate for washing feet for both men and women, young and old, and is designed to create a new sense of space in the bathroom.
Vatech won a GD award for designing digital dental equipment for X-raying not only able-bodied people, but also the disabled and the weak. The equipment is designed to separate movements by machinery operators and beneficiaries and to readjust the height by a remote-control method so that the disabled in wheelchairs and the weak persons can be x-rayed. It adopts a sliding method for adjusting itself instead of the conventional method of reassembling several parts.
GD product awards are selected on the basis of not just design creativity, but also on overall assessment of functionality, quality, safety and other factors considering the comfort of human beings, thus having positive effects on consumers'purchases by raising the reliability of the awarded products.
GD mark products are given diverse benefits, including attaching an AIDA mark in accordance with a deal on joint certification with Australian International Design Awards (AIDA). The most excellent GD mark products ― the presidential award and the prime minister's award ― are presented at year's end and are the nation's top honor for designers.
The MKE and the KIDP plan to readjust downward the domestic GD award winners and in return encourage foreign companies to proactively participate in the GD awards.
Here is a look into 28 GD mark products nominated for Most Excellent GD Products, to be selected at year-end.
Goth Design Co. (remote control device) in the electric and electronics category: It stresses simplicity by separating frequently used buttons and hiding ones for special circumstances to fix the complexity of consolidation remote control devices. The GD product adopts a new standing type of design, departing from the conventional devices'"lying bar format."
Samsung Electronics Co. (Two-door refrigerator/SRT746 XWLM) in the electric and electronics category: It realizes an expanded "big home-bar"with a "trimless design"that is simple and is well-suited to any kitchen environment naturally. The GD refrigerator provides the voltaic vegetable section furnished with ultraviolet LED with an effect of emitting the sun's ultraviolet rays. Its reinforced panel can easily change with diverse colors and patterns.
Soricom Co. (maverick character "mashimaro" MP3 player) in the telecommunications sector: It is the sole Korean-made MP3 player taking the shape of the maverick character Mashimaro. The MP3 player adopts a witty, unconventional concept that music can be played by inserting the earphone jack into the buttocks of the character. A case in focus is adding a function of lighting at the ears, something users may find interesting.
TriGem (15.6-inch All-In-One PC) in the telecommunications device sector: It is the Zen-style Mini-All-In-On PC designed with ceramics as its motif for the first time in Korea. It has a user-friendly tunnel-type power button. The PC is finished with spray, high-gloss materials.
Samsung Electronics Co. (handset/GT-M7600) in the electric and electronics category: It is a music-focused handset adopting a DJing concept so that his or her tastes can be expressed and shared. The GD handset adopts the LP record as a metaphor and realizes the DJing concept. It has music-oriented features with B&O's ICEpower amp, high-quality stereo speaker, and 3.5Φ earphone jack. nw

The Seongnam City Health Care for the Elderly-Jungwon Ward Health Center structure

Design Mexo's GD product

Kumho Industrial Co.'s GD product

Vatech's GD product

Goth Design's remote control device

Samsung Electronics' two-door refrigerator

Soricom's MP3 player

TriGem's All-In-One PC

The inside of the KIDP building