- Introduction and competition goal
We would like to invite you for participation in an unusual competition: designing a modern, dynamic office chair that can be a symbol of fight against bureaucracy.
The Ministry of Economy is the driving force and organiser of this undertaking enjoying patronage of the international group Standard Cost Model Network, bringing together representatives of the ministries of economy and finance of 23 states. Group members cooperate and actively work for the benefit of limiting the broadly understood bureaucracy and reducing administrative burden to entrepreneurs.
Bureaucracy is a phenomenon inflicting everyone, frequently pointed as one of the main factors hampering enterprise growth and economic development.
Acknowledgement of the weight of the problem is corroborated by appointment in the ministries of many countries, including Poland, of special teams responsible for identification, simplification and elimination of bad law, improvement of law, reduction of administrative costs.
Historically, the chair-throne has always been a symbol of power and hierarchy. A modern, well-designed office chair may become a symbol of fight against bureaucracy and show that civil servant’s work can be creative. A dynamic chair provokes movement and activity, changes work habits and at the same time changes the existing stereotypes related to the image of a civil servant - from someone hiding behind legal catches and impracticable regulations into a person who is creative, efficient and successful.
The competition aims at promotion of the idea to reduce bureaucracy through application of innovative patterns in chair design. Attainment of this goal requires putting of the winning design into mass production – thousands of European civil servants will be potential users of the anti-bureaucratic chair.
Furniture industry is one of major sectors of Polish economy and furniture ranks third in Polish exports. Poland is one of world leaders in chair production. Competition organisers will present the awarded design to leading chair manufacturers with a view to purchasing the licence and putting the chair into production.
With participation of competition partners, the anti-bureaucratic chair will be promoted at international furniture fairs and recommended to office employees in 23 countries belonging to SCM Network.
- subject of the competition
A chair for office work.
The design should allow for the most recent knowledge in ergonomics of work in sitting position: active furniture, which provokes movement and enables “dynamic” sitting. Movement and changes of body posture prevent upper body musculoskeletal disorders – the civilisational disease of our times. The organisers look forward to good design patterns – innovative solutions that change habits of employees and prevent spinal diseases, and simultaneously are user-friendly and accepted by mass consumers.
After registration of the application, entrants will be sent a design brief (to the indicated e-mail address).
The official competition language is English.
by 1st June 2008: registration of applications at the organiser’s website
3rd October 2008 – the deadline for submission of entries to organiser’s address
15th October 2008 – announcement of the competition winner and opening of the exhibition of submitted designs
November 2008 – March 2009 – prototyping (cooperation of the author with the producer)
2nd April 2009 – The Competition Final – presentation of a prototype of the „anti-bureaucratic chair” in Poland and on EU forum
Prizes for the author of the winning design:
5000 euros (gross),
coverage of the costs of design author’s travel to the Competition Final,
guaranteed royalties when the anti-bureaucratic chair is put into production
- jury and evaluation criteria
Designs will be selected by a professional panel of judges.
The contest Jury is comprised of international design experts, representatives of ICSID, experts in ergonomics, competition organisers, representatives of prestigious furniture fairs and media in design area.
The personal contest Jury will be provided on the competition website at a later date.
Evaluation criteria
Evaluation of the designs will be based on the following criteria:
- compliance with competition rules
- method of design presentation, legibility of the concept
- originality, innovativeness
- aesthetic values, visual attractiveness
- functionality
- ergonomics and comfort of use
- feasibility and production costs
- compliance with the suggested technological conditions
- marketability
The judging panel’s decisions are confidential and final.