The Design Museum has announced the nominations for the Designs of the Year 2014. This platform for cutting-edge innovation and original talent showcases the best in global architecture, digital, fashion, furniture, graphic, product and transport design. This year’s 76 nominees include diverse designs such as Kate Moss’ favourite app, a floating school in a Nigerian lagoon, friendly lamp posts and virtual mountain rescue teams.

The exhibition which opens on 26 March will run until 25 August with works from nominees including international design stars such as Zaha Hadid, John Pawson, Stephen Jones, David Chipperfield and Miuccia Prada, alongside these are crowd-funded start ups and student projects.The winners will be announced later in the year with a panel of experts choosing a winner from each category in addition to an overall winner.

With a diverse range of designs, the nominations encompass everything from The Dumb Ways To Die app which features cute characters who meet increasingly nasty ends, accompanied by a very catchy tune; On another note, the PEEK Portable Eye Examination Kit utilises smartphone technology to revolutionise eye care in developing countries. In addition to these are numerous new ideas, a calendar made of Lego that syncs with your diary and the fire alarm that sends text messages straight to you to let you know everything is OK.

Harnessing Twitter and Facebook, and new for 2014, the Social Vote allows people from all over the world to participate in Designs of the Year 2014. Two nominated works will battle it out daily through social platforms and broadcast to over one million of the Design Museum’s Twitter and Facebook followers.The Visitor Vote will also make a welcome return after the success of 2013 and will give the visitors a chance to pick their favourite design from the exhibition.

For more information on The Design Museum see www.designmuseum.org

Credits:
Makoko Floating School– Designed by NLÉ, Makoko Community Building Team, Courtesy of the Design Museum.