Shapeways is a unique company, founded in the Netherlands with its head office in New York City. This blend of Dutch roots and US highlights[1] gives the company the opportunity to leverage its ties to both nations and offer such contests as the Dutch Design Competition. Shapeways, in conjunction with Kikkerland Design Inc. and the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD), has teamed up with the Netherlands Embassy in Washington, D.C. and the Consulate General in New York to seek out functional, yet quirky, items inspired by Dutch design.
The Dutch government has taken a cue from an exhibition at MAD, titled “Out of Hand: Materializing the Postdigital”, and is calling designers to conjure up objects that are distinctly “Dutch” looking to be printed by Shapeways. Here are the official criteria: “functionality, sustainability, and the renowned ‘subtle sense of humor’ of Dutch Design. The winning design must be marketable and fit to be given away to important contacts of the Dutch Embassy or Consulates General in the United States.” Functional, sustainable, and suitable for government work, all with a touch of Dutch humor.
The top ten entries will be judged by a jury of high profile people displayed in the picture below. All ten entries will be exhibited in New York before a second round of judging takes place, where the final winner will be chosen. The winner will not only have the chance to have their designs manufactured and sold by Kikkerland, including 500 copies that will be purchased by the Dutch government to be given away in the US, but they’ll be flown to New York to take on the role of Shapeways Designer in Residence for one week, with flights and accommodations included.
You don’t have to be a design veteran to enter the contest, says Dutch Ambassador Rudolf Bekink, “We’re opening up this competition to a wide range of people, whether they have decades of design experience or are a novice who designs as a hobby. We want to find a new giveaway item that everyone will know is distinctively Dutch the moment they see it.” You can apply for the contest here and the rules of engagement are listed here. You have until March 7 to start designing! I recommend that you, at the very least, read up on the Dutch Design entry on Wikipedia.
Source: Shapeways
[1] That’s a mixed hair metaphor for ya!
