Spark Design Awards Launched -- August 15 Early Deadline

New York, NY - August 15 is the entry deadline for this year's Spark Design and Architecture Awards. Spark celebrates the best in design - from dazzling architecture and interiors to the bravest digital design. All types of product entries are encouraged too, from mobility to medical, along with the best in fields such as branding, graphics, advertising, digital and experiential design.

"Design is the most exciting place to work today," explains Peter Kuchnicki, executive director of Spark. "Spark pits the best design firms against each other, and thrusts great independent work into the spotlight, often from under the radar."

Last year's winners included the Growbike, a brilliant wooden children's bicycle that adapts as your kid grows up, the Dyson Airblade hand dryer, a radical mobile concert venue, the Vite Rescue Stretcher and the Whirlpool Green Kitchen.

"Spark is unique because it understands that design is about networks of talented people who sometimes work together, sometimes alone, to create design that solves new problems," explains 2009 Jury Executive Chair, Chee Pearlman, former editor of I.D. Magazine and president of Chee Company. "The world needs more design talent and Spark's mission is to find it, showcase it and support it."

Spark finalist entries are put in front of 20 jury members from all types of design, plus noted journalists and other influencers. The jury for '09 includes Chee, Hanru Hau, director of exhibitions at San Francisco Art Institute, Sally Dominguez at Rainwater Hog and Nathan Shedroff, chair of Design Strategy MBA at California College of Arts and Mark Davis, director of user experience at Autodesk. They come together to define the value of Design--what deserves attention? What deserves to be talked about? This is the quest of the 2009 Spark Judges.

QUICK ONLINE ENTRY PROCESS

Spark is a two-phase competition. Work is first submitted online with a brief mission statement. Those who become "Challengers" may pass to Phase 2 and ship their design to Spark HQ in San Francisco, where they are pored over by a jury of top design experts. Entry fees for Phase 1 are just US $125 per design for professionals and $75 per design for students and non-professionals, until August 15. (Late deadline fees then apply until September 12.)

Phase 2 Winner's will have their work promoted in Spark's unique design gallery at San Francisco hot-spot, the Autodesk Design Gallery. This prestigious new venue at One Market Street will feature all winners work for three months, following the Spark Creative Seminar, Awards Celebration and grand opening on October 30.

Spark is now in its third year and is partnered with many companies including Hewlett-Packard and Autodesk, media partners Bravo, Core 77, ArchNewsNow, California Magazine, Archinect, Curve Magazine (Australia), Guangzhou Design Week, Design 360 (China) and web host FGI Interactive.

For more information on the Spark Awards and other related information, visit its website at www.sparkawards.com.