Press Release
Excel Dryer and Artists for Humanity Is Honored with the Bronze A' Design Award for Complex Thoughts Hand Dryer in Bathroom Furniture and Sanitary Ware Design
Excel Dryer and Artists for Humanity of Excel Dryer acknowledged for bathroom furniture and sanitary ware design by the international grand jury of the 2023 - 2024 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 17, 2024 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has confirmed the Bronze A' Design Award in the Bathroom Furniture and Sanitary Ware Design category for Complex Thoughts Hand Dryer by Excel Dryer and Artists for Humanity of Excel Dryer, designed for Excel Dryer, Inc.. The award was conferred within the 2023 - 2024 A' Design Award & Competition and was decided through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who assessed anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
About the Bronze A' Design Award
The Bronze A' Design Award is given to outstanding designs that showcase a high degree of creativity and practicality. It recognizes the dedication and skill of designers who produce work that stands out for its thoughtful development and innovative use of materials and technology. These designs are acknowledged for their professional execution and potential to influence industry standards positively. Winning this award highlights the designer's ability to blend form and function effectively, offering solutions that enhance people's lives and wellbeing.
About Complex Thoughts Hand Dryer
Excel Dryer partnered with the Boston nonprofit organization Artists For Humanity to collaborate on creating the world's coolest hand dryers. Using their proprietary digital image technology, Excel was able to transfer the art created by the artists from Artists For Humanity on to their hand dryer covers. This transformed an industrial commercial product into a piece of art that reflected the mission of Artists For Humanity, blending functionality and creativity to keep their hands hygienic and clean while being an aesthetically pleasing product for their restrooms.
About Excel Dryer
Excel Dryer is a family-owned company that revolutionized the industry with the invention of the XLERATOR® Hand Dryer which set a new standard for performance, reliability, and customer satisfaction.
Award Record
Excel Dryer and Artists for Humanity of Excel Dryer is a winner of 1 A' Design Award, including this recognition.
About the A' Bathroom Furniture and Sanitary Ware Design Award
The A' Sanitary Ware Design Award is an international design competition recognizing good bathroom product designs by leading designers and brands worldwide. The competition is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to sanitary ware designers, bathroom furniture designers, industrial design studios and ceramic artists from all countries. Entries typically include toilets, sinks, bathtubs, showers, bidets and faucets. Awarded sanitary ware designs are published at https://designers.org/design-category/sanitary-ware
About A' Design Award & Competition
A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade organized annually since 2008. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The A' Design Award has a philanthropic mission to advance society through good design by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Entries are peer reviewed and anonymously evaluated by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. The A' Design Prize granted to eligible laureates includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, the upload of a work and the preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. Further information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://designers.org/158659
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/158659
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!158659
- Laureate Profile: https://designers.org/d/352373
- Further Information from the Laureate: https://bit.ly/4b6lp3b
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Complex Thoughts Hand Dryer
- Function
- Hand Dryer
- Category
- Bathroom Furniture and Sanitary Ware Design
- Discipline
- Industrial Design
- Industry
- Furniture & Home and Architecture
- Colors
- Saddle Brown, Dark Slate Blue, Gray, Dark Slate Gray and Black
- Images
- 5
- Client
- Excel Dryer, Inc.
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Excel Dryer and Artists for Humanity
- Country
- United States of America
- Brand
- Excel Dryer
- Recognition
- Bronze A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2023 - 2024
- Design ID
- #158659
Credits
- Team
- Richard Frank, Jason Talbot, Takii Samuels, Evelyn Trans, Lydia Disla, Samuel Quintin, Stephanie Wu, Jenny Nguyen, JingYi Li, Maradia Rene, Samantha Shave and William Gagnon and others
- Image Credits
- Photographer Jon Jones, Complex Thoughts, 2023; Photographer Jon Jones, Complex Thoughts, 2023 Videographer Tim O’Donnell, Pixela Pictures, The World’s Coolest Hand Dryers! – Artists for Humanity Turns Xlerators into Works of Art, 2023
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- The Complex Thoughts Xlerator retrofit kit transforms a commercial hand dryer into a functional art piece, enhancing aesthetic and utility in workspaces. Created by the teen artists from Artists for Humanity (AFH), this project exemplifies the integration of art with commercial products while enhancing the environment and fostering community collaboration. The initiative advances hygiene standards while supporting emerging artists, seamlessly merging functionality with creativity.
- Inspiration
- The inspiration for this project came from a desire to give back to the community and empower underutilized teens. Partnering with AFH, we aimed to inspire through a nontraditional medium: transforming everyday objects into art. This initiative reflected commitment to social responsibility, leveraging art and our dryers to give back to the community. The technical foundation is rooted in merging design principles with functional utility, blending creativity, innovation, and community engagement.
- Research
- The research aimed to transform hand dryers into pieces of art, enhancing restroom aesthetics and user engagement. We combined input from architects, designers, and AFH teens. Results showed increased user satisfaction and engagement. Insights and impacts gained include the importance of aesthetics and art in restrooms. The research influenced business by adding value to a standard product, positively impacted society, and reshaped design thinking by merging functionality with art.
- Challenge
- The main challenge was reimagining commercial appliances, traditionally designed for functionality, as artistic objects enhancing spaces. Using AFH's teen artists' art and Excel's proprietary digital image technology, we transferred Complex Thoughts onto the retrofit kit, overcoming creative and technical obstacles. Balancing aesthetic appeal with restroom function, we made a unique product that reflects AFH's artistic ethos, demonstrating innovation in blending art with utility.
- Realization and Technology
- Our design uses proprietary 3D image sublimation technology from France, enabling the transfer of custom artwork onto the hand dryers. A durable, top-seal coating prevents damage from chipping, scratching, or wear. We are the first in the world to have HPDs and EPDs for our products, illustrating the impact that our products have on health and the environment. Xlerator EPD: https://go.exceldryer.com/xlerator-epd Xlerator HPD: https://go.exceldryer.com/xlerator-hpd
- Operation and Interaction
- The Complex Thoughts Xlerator hand dryer retrofit kit is designed for touchless operation, ensuring hygiene and ease of use. Users simply place their hands under the unit to activate it. The speed and sound levels are adjustable, allowing for a customizable experience tailored to the environment's needs. By merging art with utility, the dryers not only promote proper hand hygiene but also enhance the overall atmosphere, leading to a superior user interaction.
- Project Duration and Location
- This project started in February 2023 in Boston at the Artists For Humanity facility and finished in April 2023 and will be showcased at a special event at their facility in June 2024.
- Specifications
- The retrofit hand dryer has dimensions of 415.925mm x 85.725mm x 660.4mm, optimized for efficient space usage while ensuring maximum performance. In our commitment to sustainability, all of our cardboard waste is transformed into robust inserts that ensure the product's durability and protection against shipping damage. This eco-friendly approach enhances product safety during transit while aligning with our environmental responsibilities.
- Keywords
- Hand Dryer, Artwork, Restroom, Custom Design, Sustainable, Bathroom, Hygiene, Green, Customizable, Xlerator
