The Design & Innovation Award is the only award that tests products in the real world, assessing them in their entirety and reaching well-considered verdicts. Our independent award team spent two weeks analysing and testing each entry for you, putting every product through its paces before making a final judgement. But what is true innovation as we understand it at the Design & Innovation Award?
For many years, the bike industry seemed to strive for progress for progress’ sake, where “new” was the maxim and manufacturers paid little attention to sustainability and cost-effectiveness. All that mattered was who’s got the latest, most out-there product. But “new” isn’t always better. Only when innovation solves problems and significantly improves factors such as performance, durability or handling, can we speak of innovation.
Once again, we have spared no effort to test the latest products on the incredibly diverse range of mountain bike routes and alpine roads around the Dolomites paradise of St. Vigil in South Tyrol. And like every year, there were lots of very exciting entries both from unknown underdogs and well-established brands – and even some brands that weren’t considered too innovative before. Both the bike market and brands are changing quicker than ever, which requires us to be open minded, flexible and to remap our thinking patterns quickly – provided that the end-consumer wants to make an optimal purchase decision.
There is no such thing as a perfect product for everyone, but there is one perfect product for each of us!
Among the numerous submissions, there were many exciting products and a number of ground-breaking, tangible innovations – and while some actually solve real-life problems, others are just old-acquaintances in a new fancy dress … some others even create entirely new problems! Not only does the Design & Innovation Award honour the most outstanding products of the coming season, but it also provides guidance in a complex era of ever-changing trends and would-be trends.
Who tested all these products?
How do you quantify true innovation? How is it possible to test hundreds of products? What distinguishes the Design & Innovation Award from the plethora of other awards out there?
Our highly experienced test team is bound by a unifying passion – a deep love for cycling in all its forms. This visceral passion is the foundation stone of the award, a desire to pick out the best products that will bring you the best experiences.
Our award team is broad and interdisciplinary, which helps it to break free from traditional thought patterns and expectations, and instead analyse products from different perspectives and backgrounds. The jury of the Design & Innovation Award isn’t easily fooled by major brands and elaborate marketing campaigns either, giving the supposed underdogs enough attention to try to convince the jury with what they’ve got to offer.
CREDIBLE, KNOWLEDGEABLE, PROFESSIONAL – Our international award team consists of 30 professionals. Amongst them are journalists, test riders and engineers who are recognised as the most renowned experts in their segment.
As a team we invest countless hours in the Design & Innovation Award process, testing, discussing and debating each contender thoroughly. Behind each and every award, there are countless hours of sweat, work, laughter, pain, occasional heated arguments and extensive testing and experience. Not only is the Design & Innovation Award the industry’s leading award, but also the most authentic one.
Where and how did we test the products?
You cannot simply measure a product’s potential or worth in a boardroom or laboratory. A good product often adds up to more than the sum of its parts and to truly understand it, you have to go out and use it.
From the cobbled streets of the bustling San Vigilio mountain village, the savage rock gardens of the Herrensteig trail in Kronplatz, to the surreal ruggedness of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Fanes-Sennes-Braies Nature Park, there’s no better awe-inspiring backdrop to put the most exciting products of 2020 to the test.
Only those who test products under real conditions can make a recommendation and provide orientation for customers and the industry. The Design & Innovation Award is not an award for guesswork, unfounded product assessments and inflationary marketing add-ons that can lead to confusion and disappointment among customers and industry.
THE LEADING AWARD OF THE BIKE WORLD – The Design & Innovation Award is the seal of quality for the most outstanding bike products.
The Design & Innovation Award can rely on its partners
“The Art of Performance” – Jaguar is well known for striking an optimal balance between impressive performance and powerful design language. As the official automotive partner of the Design & Innovation Award, Jaguar provided us with a vehicle that perfectly suits the needs of our award team and allows us to quietly glide through this picturesque UNESCO World Heritage, the Dolomites. Please welcome the new, fully-electric I-PACE.
Komoot offers an innovative and, above all, intuitive approach to route planning. Cyclists, hikers and bike-packers can plan and adapt future outdoor adventures in advance either using the desktop version or the handy smartphone app, which allows for on-the-fly planning. Komoot’s corporate mission to make the active lifestyle more flexible and more accessible, makes it the ideal partner for the Design & Innovation Award.
For the fourth time in a row, the Design & Innovation Award took place in San Vigilio / Kronplatz. This long-term partnership is based on an optimal infrastructure, first-class test routes and the breath-taking landscape of the Fanes-Sennes-Braies nature park, which is part of the Dolomites UNESCO World Natural Heritage.
