Hong Kong Design Center (HKDC) announced Friday nine winners of the first Design for Asia and the World's Outstanding Chinese Designer.  

Design for Asia Award winners include Apple iMac desktop computer, Apple iPod digital music player, Bang & Olufsen BeoCom 2 cordless phone, Casio EXILIM EX-S2 digital camera, Nokia 6108 mobile phone, Philips KEY004 wearable digital audio player and Philips KEY007 wearable digital camera, Samsung SGH-T100 mobile phone, Sony AIBO ERS-220A entertainment robot and TOTO NEOREST EX and SD toilet series.

The award is sponsored by the HKDC and co-sponsored by Hong Kong Trade Development Council. The award aims to recognize the outstanding achievements of companies, for innovative and pragmatic use of design that have created a major influence on Asians' lifestyles.

In addition, it aims to recognized good designs in the areas of products, interiors, apparels and communication designs that are commercially successful in one or more Asian markets.

A panel of overseas and local judges of international standing selected the award winners.

As a special acknowledgment for the many outstanding design achievements coming out of China, which affirms its growing influence both as a manufacturing economy and a consumer market, the HKDC also presents Distinguished Designs from China and the four winners are: Eu Yan Sang's total branding solution, Legend Lenovo FengXing PC, Nokia 6108 mobile phone, Philips KEY004 wearable digital audio player and Philips KEY007 wearable digital camera.

Clement Mok has been selected as the first recipient of the World's Outstanding Chinese Designer. Mok is a designer, digital pioneer, software publisher/developer and design patent holder. The Chinese-American designer served as creative director at Apple and founded multiple successful design-related businesses.

The establishment of the reward is aimed at helping pull together a global network of designers with a common cultural heritage to drive an active exchange platform of knowledge and experience.

All these awards are the special highlight of the Business of Design Week 2003, which will be held from Dec. 6 to 9 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center.

"We are very proud to organize the first Design for Asia Award in recognition of great designs from around the world that have achieved commercial success in Asia and have made a proactive impact on Asian lifestyle, "said Victor Lo, Chairman of the Board of Governors of HKDC.

Hong Kong Design Center was founded in September, 2002, with the objective to encourage and promote local design excellence and a vision to establish Hong Kong as a design hub in the international arena.

(Xinhua News Agency December 6, 2003)