Michael Neumayr Designs Selected as Idea Awards Finalist
mnd design | news September 29, 2009
By Jefferson Coombs
Once again Michael Neumayr Design (MND) has
been recognized by a leading design
organization for two of his recent furniture
designs: the Stresemann Co01 Lounge Chair
and to Co25 i-tech chair. Both chairs were
selected 2009 finalists in the annual International
Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) by the
Industrial Designer’s Society of America (IDSA).
The IDEA awards recognize the most innovative
and exciting product and product-concept
designs from the past year. The awards
recognize accomplishment in the areas of
product, concept, industrial, interaction, package
and furniture design. The IDEA Awards are widely considered one of the most prestigious design
competitions in the United States (and
worldwide). Of the 1,517 entries from 25
countries, only 389 were named to the finalist
pool. The 2009 IDEA jury, comprised of 20
world-renowned designers and design thinkers,
spent weeks previewing entries online and twoand-
a-half days of intense, face-to-face
evaluation and debate on IDEA candidates.
Judging criteria for each entry focused on eight
areas of industrial design excellence: design
innovation; benefit to the user; benefit to the
client/business; benefit to society; ecological
responsibility; appropriate aesthetics and appeal; usability testing; rigor and reliability (Design
Research category); and internal factors and
methods, implementation (Design Strategy
category).
“That two of our designs were selected as IDEA
finalists is incredibly exciting to me,” says MND
principal Michael Neumayr. “I feel particularly
honored because the IDEA recognized the
principals of sustainability and innovation which
we applied to the fabrication and production of
the Stresemann Co01 Lounge Chair and to Co25
i-tech chair. Sustainable design and production
methods are core to our approach at MND and to
be recognized by the IDSA for this focus is very
personally meaningful,” said Neumayr,
interviewed from his studios in LA’s Silver Lake
district. MND’s recognition by the IDEA is an
exciting punctuation to a year of awards and
progress for the studio.
Earlier in 2009, Michael Neumayr’s Stresemann
CO 05 bar stool was awarded the Chicago
Athenaeum’s Good Design award as well as the
Deutscher Designer Club’s Good Design Award.
About the recent successes for MND, Neumayr
stated, “It’s been an exiting year of growth for
our studio. We are energized by the positive
response we have received from the design
community for our Stresemann collection. And
we are excited to debut a number of new
projects toward the end of 2009 and into the new
year. Despite the volatile economic times, or
perhaps because of them, we’ve found this to be
a time of rich creativity and inspiration. It’s really a
time to think in new ways and bring innovative,
useful, usable and beautiful solutions to the
marketplace.”
About the IDEA Awards
The IDEA® (International Design Excellence
Awards) program is the premier international
competition honoring design excellence in
products, ecodesign, interaction design,
packaging, strategy, research and concepts.
Entries are invited from designers, students and
companies worldwide.
Winning entries are announced on Business
Week.com and receive coverage in hundreds of
print and broadcast media networks around the
world. IDSA has been honoring design excellence
via the IDEA Awards since 1980. IDEA was
formerly known as the Industrial Design
Excellence Awards. The name changed in 2007
to emphasize the international reach and
influence of the competition.
About Neumayr Design
Based in Los Angeles, Neumayr Design
specializes in product design and the design of
custom environments. The company provides a
range of strategic design services including
product, brand, packaging, interior, retail and
environmental design. Since its founding 13
years ago in Munich, Neumayr Design as earned
a reputation for its timeless design language: a
fusion of modern technology, European design
history and Asian philosophy.
The company remains dedicated to the vision of
its founder, award-winning designer Michael
Neumayr. Half Danish, half Austrian, Neumayr
was educated both in the United States and in
Switzerland. Michael graduated from the
renowned Art Center College of Design which he
attended in both Pasadena and Switzerland.
Additionally, Michael began the study of the
ancient art of Feng Shui in 1994 with Feng Shui
Master Jes Lim. Following his formal studies
Neumayr began his career at Sieger Design,
Germany’s award-winning design studio, where
he designed a range of high-end consumer
products including bathroom fixtures for Duravit,
and glassware for Ritzenhoff.
In 1994 Michael founded Neumayr Design in
Munich. It was at this juncture when Neumayr
broadened his focus from individual objects to
total environments. Today the company satisfies
clients across a range of disciplines, including
custom home interiors, retail concepts and
convention areas, and consumer products.
Additionally, the company is developing lighting
systems and furniture programs for European
companies such as Atelier-Schneeweiss, Braun
Lockenhaus, Hiller, Design-L., AXO-light Italia,
etc.
Neumayr’s personal design philosophy guides all
of the studio’s work. This philosophy embraces a
holistic approach to design heavily influenced by
Feng Shui, the ancient Chinese rules of harmony.
Clients of Neumayr Design include: Aston Martin,
Audi, AutoScout24, BMG-Media, BMW, GM,
Ford, Lancôme, Lincoln, Vogl Gruppe, Philip
Morris, Saturn, Siemens and Yacht-Pool
International.
In 2008 Michael Neumayr was awarded the
prestigious Good Design Award, by the Chicago
Athenaeum ranking him amongst the world’s top
product designers. In 2009 he was honored with
German’s coveted DDC award. Both of these top
awards recognized Neumayr’s innovative
“Stresemann CO 05” bar stool – part of the 23-
item Stresemann collection designed for
Germany’s Hiller Group.
For a list of his other awards and recent articles
about Michael and Neumayr Design, please visit
us at www.neumayrdesign.com
Contact:
Jefferson Coombs
director of business development, marketing, and media relations
jefferson@neumayrdesign.com
