Sparks Fly in San Francisco

On Thursday, October 29th, the Autodesk Design Gallery in San Francisco hosted a “Celebration of Design” to showcase the winning selections. “Even with the Bay Bridge shut off for repairs, we had a good turnout, including Ravi from RKS, Yves from Fuse, Sam from HP, Kit from Studio Hinrichs and many more good solid designers who make up the true ‘creative stimulus’ of our community,” said Peter Kuchnicki, President of the Spark Design Awards.

“It was a wonderful event, combining the opportunities to see some of the world’s best designs and mingle with talented colleagues,” said Ravi Sawhney, RKS founder and C.E.O. “We’re delighted to have our designs which span the spectrum from sustainability to sustaining lives, honored by Spark.”

RKS was honored with a Spark! – a “best of the best” level award – for Laundry POD, an innovative, eco-conscious, hand-powered laundry device. Intended for hand-washables and small “in-between” loads, Laundry POD’s spinning action gently washes, rinses, and then extracts water to improve drying times. Laundry POD is designed to make consumers feel empowered by offering a choice that is environmentally sound and makes their lives easier. The overwhelming consumer response Laundry POD received after being awarded in the 2009 Greener Gadgets competition helped move the design from concept into product development.

The KOR ONE Hydration Vessel garnered a Bronze Spark Award, adding to earlier wins including the 2008 International Design Award for Sustainabilty. The eye-catching and innovative reusable water bottle was designed to inspire users to kick the bottled water habit, by providing them a healthy, sustainable, and environmentally sound way to stay hydrated. Based on a strategy developed by RKS, KOR Water’s “Thirst for Giving” program ties the four different KOR ONE colors to specific water-related charities. KOR donates 1% of all sales to this select group.

The Hamilton C2 Ventilator was also a Bronze Spark winner. The groundbreaking C2 was designed to create a better ICU experience for medical professionals, patients, and loved ones, and, by so doing, improve patient recovery. With inbuilt batteries and weighing under 21 pounds, the C2 can accompany a patient anywhere within the hospital, independent of central gas and power supplies. The C2 is designed to spread calm and reassurance through the ICU as it breathes life into patients.

In addition to the U.S. exhibition at the Autodesk Gallery, the Spark Winners will be featured at Guangzhou Design Week (December 4th through 8th). With the theme “Win by design,” Guangzhou Design Week is one of the largest, most influential and comprehensive international design festivals in China.

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