The book will be published by Hannibal Publishing and presented for the first time at the opening event of Kortrijk Creativity Week. A selection of products can be seen during the DESIGNX50 expo.
Innovative products from Designregio Kortrijk
Every two years Designregio Kortrijk presents awards for the best and most innovative products from West Flanders. This year, the concepts of design thinking and sustainability were central to the jury's choice.
From delicate light creations in the form of a Japanese lotus, through invisible doors, smart backpacks and modular swings, to state-of-the-art home automation and solutions in the fight against skin cancer. The diversity of contemporary, creative design products is immense and feeds the belief in a positive development of the future.
In an introductory essay, Tim F. Vander Mensbrugghe focuses on the precise meaning of design thinking. He gives the floor to a number of experts and tests the definition in practice by engaging in dialogue with interesting young entrepreneurs.
This is a book for everyone who loves innovation, product development and creative entrepreneurship.
Author Tim F. Van der Mensbrugghe and others.
Graphic design by Tim Bisschop
Publishing house Hannibal Publishing
Scenography Charlotte Debussche
DESIGNX50 is an initiative of Designregio Kortrijk.
Exhibition in collaboration with Voka West-Flanders.
The book is for sale via: http://www.uitgeverijkannibaal.be/designx50-designregio-kortrijk-award or via lise@designregio-kortrijk.be
In 2006, DesignX50 published its first selection of Kortrijk's most innovative products and its most striking design. This ranged from mirrors to lighting, from floor coverings to textile machines and from trailers to airplanes. There was only one constant. All of them were companies that firmly believe in the leap forward as the only survival strategy in our rapidly evolving society.
In 2008, Designregio Kortrijk published the following story: a new selection of fifty design products that were developed and marketed in the region around Kortrijk. Together they form the symbol of what this region represents on an economic level and where it wants to go. Designregio Kortrijk also linked an exhibition to the book, in collaboration with the Broelmuseum. The scenography was in the hands of architect Steven Vandenborre.
In 2010, the third edition of DesignX50 was released at the start of the Innovation Festival Kortrijk. Together with the previous two publications 'Design x 50', this book forms a very special triptych. We selected a third wave of 50 design products that will be developed and marketed in the broad region around Kortrijk. A professional jury made a strict selection from a wide range of high-quality entries and provided a qualitative representation in a surprising publication. This third realisation, 'DesignX50', is not intended to be a showpiece, but to invite the reader to discover this region and its ambitions.
The fourth publication was presented during Design Week 2013. An expert jury led by top designer Stefan Schöning made a well-considered selection from a wide range of high-quality entries. They selected a fourth collection of fifty products and remarkable cases that are developed in the broad region around Kortrijk and are often marketed worldwide. Once again, the aim was to create a formally beautiful presentation with the cooperation of graphic designers Koen Bruyneel & Rosalien Eggermont and photographer Joost Demuynck. This fourth edition of 'DesignX50' invites the reader to further explore this region and its economic dynamics.
In the autumn of 2015 the fifth edition appeared with a selection of 50 innovative products: DX50 nr.5.
The book is more than just an enumeration, it also contains a number of stories that make it clear that companies from the region are chosen for important projects at home and abroad. The world-renowned French fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier called on Barco for his project in Paris. Bossuyt Grootkeukens worked on the kitchens for one of the top restaurants in Flanders, Duke Jan in Bruges. For a new shop concept Hieronymus in Zurich, architect Glenn Sestig worked together with the Kortrijk company Descamps. Thanks to their extensive technical knowledge and possibilities, Desmet, a family business specialising in the bending of wood, was commissioned to work out a bed for Leander in Denmark. In piano construction, the company Maene is an internationally renowned name. The book deals with the Beethoven-Broadwood project. In the sixth story Verilin is presented, a company from Heule with high quality textile production. They have recently started to profile themselves with customization and complete furnishings in the field of textiles. Verilin collaborated with the French designer Rodolphe Parente, who created the Nuée collection.
Six stories about craftsmanship, innovation and ambition of companies that are always looking for new challenges and markets. The diversity of the 50 selected products is very great, it is no longer just about furniture or lighting.
The publication in three languages (NL-FR-ENG) is a showpiece of an ambitious region. Koen Bruyñeel, Jessy Van Durme and photographer Piet-Albert Goethals took care of the clear design. This time the book is a publication of Lannoo, a large and trendsetting publisher from the region, and of Designregio Kortrijk.
In 2017, the innovative and creative power of regional products, included in the book DesignX50, was awarded the Designregio Kortrijk Award for the first time. In this way, innovative products are given the recognition they deserve on the basis of best practices.
The design of the publication itself also strives for an inventive form that enhances the content. The book tells the stories behind the innovative companies and products; an essay by An Michiels (Biennale Interieur Kortrijk) outlines innovative design in the broader context of architecture and urban planning.
With columns by design historian and curator Katarina Serulus and design journalist Leen Creve.
