With preparations underway for the 2012 red dot award: design concept, we take a look back at some of last year’s hot favourites!

Preparations for the red dot award: design concept are picking up at a feverish pace with only one more week to go to the end of the standard submission period (27 April).

With the deadline looming, we decide that a little inspiration is in order! Here’s a look back at some of last year’s most popular entries, measured by the number of page views online.

Bloom Chips (red dot) by Kwon Do-Hyuk, Kim Seok-Woo, Seo Dong-Han, In Sung-Hoon, Lee Bum-Ho

Potato chip packaging often take the form of a hard cylinder, which protect the chips from damage. This type of packaging makes it difficult for people to share the chips, however. Only one person can use the tube at a time, and the remaining chips slide deep into the cylinder.

Bloom Chips is a wrinkled cylinder that ‘blooms’ into a bowl when opened, making it easier to share the chips. Stretching the folded tube apart with 2 hands converts it to a bowl.

Divisible (red dot award: best of the best) by Kwon Hansol

It is often a challenge to properly clean the wires of a typical balloon whisk. Thick mixtures can get stuck to the inner side of the wires, proving difficult to wipe off. Many users just rinse their whisk with water, which is not the most hygienic cleaning solution. Storing the bulbous whisk can generate further dilemmas; other kitchen implements can easily become tangled with the whisk wires.

Divisible is a balloon whisk that can be disassembled for easy cleaning and efficient storage. The handle splits into 2, unfurling the stainless steel wires so they can be thoroughly wiped and cleaned. The male and female parts of the interlocking handle are held together by magnets.

Microbial Home (red dot: luminary winner) by Philips Design

Microbial Home is a domestic ecosystem that challenges conventional design solutions to energy, cleaning, food preservation, lighting, human waste, and healthy lifestyles. It consists of a larder, bio-digester island, bio-light, and even an effluent-filtering squatting toilet!

In essence, Microbial Home proposes a return to a natural way of living in the distant future.

For more information and to submit your work, go to red-dot.sg/concept/index.htm