The innovative product developments of David Wojcik help people. Some are even made to save lives, such as “Bloop”, a medical tool for collecting autologous blood, and “Balloo”, a signal balloon that locates people in need of help in the middle of a crowd at a glance. Now the designer from Augsburg has been awarded the title of Newcomer of the Year of the German Design Award 2021 for his work.
They are consistently strong products with clever solutions, some of which are so simple that one wonders why nobody has ever thought of them before. For example, “Woodscale”, a mechanical wooden scale, and “Hebix”, a mobile folding solution that can help adults who fall down back into an upright position, are impressive in their functional simplicity. But it’s not just the idea that’s convincing; it’s also the high design quality in execution and the modern aesthetics that distinguish these products. And as simple as some solutions may seem, one has to come up with them first and then have the visionary power to turn them into a veritable product. David Wojcik has proven that he can do both.
As part of “All Eyes On”, the digital programme surrounding the German Design Award 2021, David Wojcik was presented with the coveted Newcomer Award. He successfully prevailed among more than 300 nominees and four other finalists:
Interview with Newcomer David Wojcik
You are a »Newcomer Finalist« at the German Design Awards 2021. What does this award mean for you and your work?
For my work the meaning’s obvious: validation. For me as a »Newcomer Finalist« it offers a »motivational boost« and hopefully a lot of new opportunities and people alongside the award
»Bloop« is a medical product that works in an impressively simple way. But it’s often a long journey to get from the idea to the finished product. How long did the design process for »Bloop« take?
Bloop’s entire development process took four months. Most of the time, however, I was concerned with its conception. Bloop works very simply, but this made the prototype phase all the more difficult. I was able to define the final design language and the design of the expansion modules relatively quickly within two to three weeks.
Your portfolio features very different products. Which is your personal favourite and why?
I have three favourites that have impacted me differently and shaped me as a designer. I won my first design award for the design for the »Tupp« water tap. That’s the kind of thing you don’t forget. The »Hebix« stand-up aid is one of my favourites, because it was my first product that made it onto the market while I was still a student. Last but not least, »Bloop«. Thanks to enormous media coverage, the product has managed to sensitise people from all over the world to the problem of blood shortages. This showed me that innovative products can create positive change well beyond the target group.
What does »contemporary product design« mean to you?
Could you define the term? For me, good contemporary product design is both iconic and reserved, giving the user space to identify with the product. It solves at least one problem without creating a new one and always serves a purpose.
German Design Award. »All Eyes On«
The interview was first published in the catalogue of the German Design Award 2021. The video was produced for »All Eyes On«, the digital programme for the 2021 German Design Awards. Over a period of four weeks, the German Design Council will present to you the recipients of the Gold Awards and their projects, as well as interviews and round-table discussions with design experts, entrepreneurs and journalists. The talks will focus on current trends and design topics related to innovation, branding, sustainability and digitalisation.
In addition to the presentation of the Newcomer Finalists and the selection of the »Newcomer of the Year 2021«, special highlights of this year were the interview with »Personality of the Year« Paola Antonelli, architect and curator of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York.
You can watch the whole programme on the »All Eyes On« website and on the YouTube channel of the German Design Council.
More on ndion
Find more information on newcomer David Wojcik and his projects on ndion and the German Design Awards website.
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