Winning Post

Hari Nallan, Co-Founder & CEO, ThinkDesign, was a Jury at the iF Design Awards 2018. He shares with POOL what it meant to be part of the judging process in Hamburg recently…

How did it feel to be a juror for the iF Design Awards?

HN: I was quite delighted. Being in front of the world’s best design manifestations and among several accomplished leaders is a different feeling altogether. More importantly, I could feel the energy in the atmosphere that I’m still carrying with me. World leading designs across multiple disciplines of design, impacting businesses, users and society at large; and yet, very relevant to the unique situations… that’s how I would describe each of the products I have seen there.

What kind of work was up for judging?

HN: I was on the panel judging the Software/ Apps category. A lot of the work was in the direction of some kind of advancement of society. The entries that got Gold were ground breaking of course, and yet very easy to comprehend and seemingly easy to use. I guess that is the essence of good design: it should be innovative to the extent that it challenges existing norms and sets new benchmarks and yet, easy to understand and use. Among the great designs were:

• A VR+AR solution for tourists to explore a city like a bird would.

• A banking app that pushes the limits of its existence by helping users manage their finances with an underlying concept of saving money; this takes it far beyond mere accounts and transactions management.

• An embedded interface in a water purifier that through its sensorial design, attempts to include cultural nuances and introduce calmness while using it.

Tell us about the Jury process and other jurors.