Red Dot Award winners' show is proof good design can make life easier

It's small, but it's still significant. In the often wacky world of design, a little coloured globe can denote the difference between a transparent gimmick and a thoughtful contribution to modern life.

That's because, since 1992, a Red Dot Award has been a globally recognised hallmark of good design. In 1954, the Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen, Germany, a major European institution in design promotion, began acting as a go-between for designers, industry and business.

The following year a jury was assembled to evaluate the most promising product designs and award honours, after which the inaugural exhibition of Elegant Industrial Products was held at Villa Hügel in Essen.

In 1992, Design Zentrum president Peter Zec took what had been considered a largely German competition international, expanding the concept still further in 2000 by creating new award categories to reflect a growing diversity of products and participants.

Since 1997, all Red Dot winning designs have been presented at the organisation's permanent home at the former Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex in Essen.

Today, Design Zentrum and the Red Dot Design Museum headquarters occupy what was the shaft 12 boiler house. Bauhaus in origin, and remodelled by Norman Foster, it's now a Unesco world heritage site.