The 2014 Good Design Awards Festival held their gala event on the 28th of May to announce the winners of the Good Design Awards, in association with Vivid Sydney.
The awards, formerly the Australian International Design Awards, were established in 1958 by the Industrial Design Council of Australia and are the country’s only national awards that recognise industrial design.
The playground design by KOMPAN, which is based on the popular fairytales of Hans Christian Andersen won a prestigious “Good Design Award” in the Sport and Leisure category.
The Good Design judges conduct a rigorous design assessment on all entries and commented on the SMART playgrounds flawless design, which considers evaluation criteria of form, function, safety, sustainability, quality, commerciality and innovation.
This submission was KOMPAN’s second award entry, having taken out top honors in 2011 for their ICON range.
Sue Simpson, Managing Director of KOMPAN, collected the award and was delighted to have been honored once more.
To win for a second time against the best product and service designs on an international scale is a very special achievement for the KOMPAN group.
“The new product range which connects the physical playground to a digital curriculum compliant learning experience is something never seen before in the industry.”
Sue also explains that it is the world’s first playground with its very own app based on stories we all know and love, The Little Mermaid, The Ugly Duckling and The Tinderbox.
With the SMART playground, KOMPAN has used children’s interest in technology as an asset to engage them in outdoor play.
The universe and characters that are featured in the apps spark the imagination of children and open the door for themed play.
It offers children aged one – eight physical and cognitive challenges to improve their physical health, learning, and social skills.
Through QR codes placed on the playground equipment – or via the Apple iTunes or Android store – kids can download the Hans Christian Andersen Play Gate app.
When the app is opened, a world of augmented reality appears, adding an extra dimension of characters and stories to the playground and taking the learning potential to a whole new unprecedented level.
The range was officially launched in March this year and is expected to revolutionise the way children play and learn.
For more information visit: www.kompan.com.au/
*Copy Supplied by KOMPAN
