LOOK FOR A "HARMONY MAKER" - 2017 NATUZZI DESIGN COMPETITION

1. Background

The word "home" is an abstract word that could mean a lot of things. It is both a physical space where we live, and a life style which we choose to have. What kind of spaces, surroundings and life styles are the ones that are most suitable for the Chinese people? To answer it, designers are asked to make the full use of their innovative and creative ideas, in order to create the kind of home spaces that are inspiring, harmonious, and elegant.

Different from the previous home design competitions, the "Find Your Harmonious Home" competition will be based on both the comprehensive and innovative / creative features of the word "home". Natuzzi would like to see that new trends such as the growth of internet and IT, as well as the emerging sharing economy, are identified; housing challenges with the special background of China social development are addressed, via new design approaches that are able to take a bigger picture and be more people-focused. New housing concepts will be displayed from different aspects by combining the new development ideas of innovation, eco-friendliness, harmony, openess, sharing with new IT, multimedia, and internet. The "home" in those designs shall become more real and more personal, have more content, be more expressive, and ready to reachout. In one word, participants should have their own understanding of "home", and show to others these understandings via their designs.

Winners of the competition will have the opportunity to have their designs displayed in the windows of Natuzzi shops nationwide, in order to show, in a scaled-down scene, what a harmonious home could look like. Therefore, participants of the competition should think about it before they set about doing the design, what is home? What is harmony? What is a quality living environment? And how to make our city better via betting housing?

It has been Natuzzi’s tradition since long time ago that novel designs are displayed and realized via their shop windows, because Natuzzi believes that just like good shop window designs, excellent home designs can also make people stop in front of them, have them deeply touched, interact with them, resonate with them, inspire them, and have them enlightened. These are exactly what Natuzzi wants to show via the competition: good designs - with pure texture and rich feelings - could bring people closer to each other, and create a wonderful space - harmonious and co-existing.

We look forward to meeting you here!

2. Organization structure and procedures

(a) Organization structure
Sponsored by: NATUZZI TRADING (SHANGHAI) CO., LTD.
Competition news release and works submission platform: aki (http://www.aki.com.cn)
Official website: Wechat of Natuzzi (ID:NATUZZI_OFFICIAL)

(b) How to proceed
Registration: today - September 10, 2017
Art works submission: today - September 10, 2017
Initial review: September, 2017
Final review: October, 2017
Post-contest events: October - November, 2017

(c) The organizing committee
For information and works submission backup email: designerclub@dicreator.com
Competition official platform and works collection platform Aki (www.aki.com.cn/natuzzi) will issue important notices at certain key nodes, please pay attention to it.
QQ forum for Competition question & answers: 307412774
Contact 1: VK, mobile phone 15900985725, WeChat: 15721311370 (work days, 8:30 - 12:00, 14:00 - 17:30)
Contact 2: Li Dan, mobile phone & WeChat: 15901408805 (work days, 8:30 - 12:00, 14:00 - 17:30)

3. About the theme

(a) Target: to look for the harmony maker

(b) Theme: "Find your harmonious home", option: a miniature scenery - home in Natuzzi’s world

(c) Theme statement:
Harmony is an ideal state, while a harmonious residential space is a coordinated integration of various design elements, coupled with scrutinized arrangement of functional elements which are not decoration related, such as the timeliness, privacy, and publicness. In addition, human, culture, family relationship and social relationship are injected into the space, so that the overal design of the space in terms of tendency, tightness, density, and brightness can be used to give expression to the general connection between the space and the environment, that is, a harmonious relationship, which will bestow a long-lasting meaning to the space, one that will not be worn away as time goes by.

A balance between privacy and publicness is a key point that you can not go around in home space design. A living space that is shared with other members of the family is also a central point where family members can gather, and it is a spiritual reflection of how harmonious the family is. As sharing economy is gaining its foothold in our society, new claims and new living styles have been put forward for the shared family space, and for sure, people will feel the influence from the balance level between the shared space and the private space.

The concept of harmony and co-existence can also be seen in how to understand "home+" by looking beyond and looking forward. From the following different dimensions the new ideas of home and living can be represented, and the concept of home can be explored in a deeper, broader and more meaningful way:
• Respectful, inclusive, diversified
• Smart, eco-friendly
• To facilitate learning
• To encourage artistic creation
• To protect the environment
• Change with the times, and corresponding to different people
• Parenthood
• Aging
• Sense of freedom
• To inherit cultural tradition
• Social welfare and individual’s happiness……

4. Targets and requirements

(a) Targets
1) To represent your design in a multi-dimensional way and from different aspects, based on the theme, and taking the background of this competition and social hot topics into consideration.
2) Those which show a profound understanding of design and creativity will be displayed in shop windows, therefore participants should be able to express their design philosophy via shop window design.
3) The area to be designed should be 30 - 50 sqm, could be a miniature home, or a part of the home, for example, the living room or the bedroom.

(b) Requirements
1) An all-around, multi-dimensional, interpretation of the theme from various aspects shall be available. The text description should include: what is home, what is harmony, what is high quality living environment, and what is "to make the city better via better residence"?
2) Furniture should be selected to achieve a harmonious style: taking Natuzzi’s furniture as an inspiration, and based on their understandings of Natuzzi’s brand and individual products from the aspects of color, season, trends, visual impression, and commercial issues, participants are encouraged to scrutinize their designs focusing on the overall structure and visual effects in terms of the shapes, colors, and materials, so that an organic and harmonious whole can be achieved via profound creativity and expression.
3) More creative ideas should be injected into the design, information technology and multimedia technology can be used if necessary, in order to highlight the scenarized, immersive, interactive and artistic effects of the design. Starting from a certain point, expanding via transboundary concepts, a home harmony that is totally different from others can be placed into a shop window design.
4) Respect, inclusiveness, diversification should be further discussed based on the population’s characteristics, family structure, social relations and their development trends. The design should also have the following features; being both intelligent and eco-friendly; encouraging learning; encouraging artistic creativity; protecting our environment; responding to changes of time and people. The design should also include in its family life/residential conception the following elements: parenthood; aging; sense of freedom; inheritance of cultural tradition; social welfare and individual’s happiness, and try to become an important guide and a driver to in-depth interpretation of "harmony and co-existence".

(c) Items that could win extra points
1) Theme interpretation - contents (both tangible and intangible) that the participant wish to include in Natuzzi windows can be incorporated (delivered).
2) Design creativity: design concepts, solution rehearsal, effects realization, display of quick sellers, scenario description, display and switching.
3) Methods of display: creative drawings, models, perspective drawings, effect picture, photo and video clips, as much as possible.
4) Contents beyond the theme: interactive modes and artistic installations making use of the creative ideas and new media…

5. Procedures and criteria

(a) The review process
1) Primary review: online, 8 to 10 reviewers, those from the organizer included, shall select 20 groups of works which shall go to the next round. Meanwhile the public can take part in an online polling to vote for their favorites. The design which wins the first place will get an Award of Popularity, and shall go to the final round of review.
2) The second round /Final review: offline, 7 professional reviewers will perform on site reviews. Authors of all the 21 groups will present their works and their design philosophy via slide shows, speeches, video descriptions, Q&A sessions.

(b) Criteria and methods (TBD)
1) Theme interpretation: interpretation of various aspects of"harmony and co-existence", and novel presentation
2) Creativeness: innovation in design philosophy, design dimensions, and method of expression.
3) Aesthetics: overal style, color scheme, atmosphere built by furniture / decoration
4) People focused: insight of what people need and what they feel. A people-focusing concept should be thoroughly displayed.
5) Application: a thorough understanding of, fusion with and presentation of Natuzzi’s products.

6. Awards

(a) Winners’ awards
Total award: EURO 13000
First place ( 1 group): EURO 5000 + invitation to visit Milan Furniture Fair 2018
Second place (2 groups): Euro 2000 + invitation to visit Milan Furniture Fair 2018
Third place (3 groups): Euro 1000 + Awarding ceremony VIP seat Award for Student Participant ( 1 group): Euro 500 + Awarding ceremony VIP seat
Internet Popularity Award (1 group): Euro 500 + Awarding ceremony VIP seat
Award for Excellence (20 groups): for those who enter the second round, a reward certificate will be issued and media coverage will ge provided.

(b) Other prizes
1) Publication: winners will have their works covered in international art and design media, and will become sticky post in Natuzzi design blog.
2) Certificate: reward certificates and trophies will be issued by the organizer.
3) Works display: winner’s works will be displayed in Natuzzi shops as well as in Awarding ceremony as creative products.
4) Every winner will receive an issue of design magazine and a Natuzzi designer’s gift package.
5) All the participants who have successfully delivered their works will get a certificate of honor.

7. Downloads

Task statement
Task Statement of 2017 Natuzzi Design Competition (0.21 MB)

Digital list of reference products
2017 MENU(73.42 MB)
BED(1.83 MB)
FURNISHING(153.17 MB)
SOFA(36.51 MB)

8. How to deliver the design

(a) How to deliver
1) Participants should log on to the official website of the competition - Aki (www.aki.com.cn/natuzzi), and click on "register" to fill in detailed personal info. The registration for the competition is free of charge, and design works can be delivered by clicking "deliver design" after successful registration. Note: design works can only be delivered after successful registration.
2) This competition only accepts design works delivered online, any designs delivered via mail service or in hard copies will be declined.
3) Participants who successfully go into the final competition stage will be informed to prepair display boards, with specific dimensions being included. Primary registration does not need to prepare display boards, but source document shall be provided.
4) Participants’ names and organizations in the forms of text or drawings should not be included in any of the digitaldrawings, description documents, and photos.

(b) Contents to be delivered should include:
1) Design concepts, solution rehearsal, effects realization, display of quick sellers, scenario description, display and switching. Can be presented in one PDF document.
2) Design presentation and documents for review: design presentation to be uploaded together with attachments (up to 30 pages, a ratio of 4:3 is recommended. PDF files should be uploaded as attachments, and pictures on each page shall have the format as required, with size no bigger than 10.0MB. For detailed requirements please see attachment "Designs Upload Requirement").
3) The design presentation and documents for review (contents required in item 2) should include floor plans, perspective drawings, descriptions, at least 3 design renderings, description of the detailed parts, description of design philosophy and design itself, brief description of the materials. Handmade drawings, illustrations, models and video clips can also be included.
4) Other supplementary contents allowed include: event ideas behind the design, interactive methods such as animation, video clips and models that are created with the help of new media, or artistic installations.
5) For other contents participants want to deliver, please see the detailed dimensional requirements posted on the official website (the attached "Design Upload Requirements") and further notification.

9. Copyright statement

Following related laws and regulations of China, and for all the voluntary participants in this contest,the sponsor will regard it as true that irrevsible statements about the ownership of the copyrights of the works submitted have been made as follows:

(a) Originality statement
All works have to be the original works of the participant’s, and no infringement of anybody else's or other organizations' patents, copyrights, trademark right, and other intellectual rights will be allowed. If anybody is found in violation of the above-mentioned, the organizer has the right to revoke his/her participation, nomination, or qualification to receive funding, withdraw any funds or materials granted, and reserves the right for further legal actions.

(b) Ownership of the intellectual property rights of the works
The copyrights of the works submitted for this contest shall remain with the authors, but the organizer has the right to use the words, drawings, illustrations of the works in its own publications, exhibitions, and promotions in other ways and forms. No third party shall transfer, copy, reprint, disseminate, excerptmand compile, publish, distribute and issue permission to use any of the works submitted without permission in advance.

(c)Statement of usage
If the organizer has the intention to settle down, manufacture, implement, modify or start construction of a proposal, it should counsel with the author and get the approval required. If expenses occur, the author and the organizor shall negotiate a solution.

(d)Statement of consent
Since online review is adopted in this contest, participants shall be regarded as expressing their consent as long as they submit their works online, that they agree their works will be displayed to everybody in an anonymous way, and accept the way to review the works by the contest. Before submitting their works, participants have already read the above-mentioned articles, fully understand them, and clearly showed their agreement that the review board has the final say about their works.

2017-July-01