Kohler wins iF product design award 2012

For 58 years, the iF product design award has been an internationally recognised label for award-winning design and the iF brand has become a symbol for outstanding achievements in design.
The iF product design award 2012 was assessed in 16 different categories. Numi was entered in the bathroom category.

The jury considered criteria such as design quality, finish, choice of materials, degree of innovation, environmental impact, functionality, ergonomics, visualisation of intended use, safety, brand value and branding and aspects of universal design.  iF is well known for its strict criterion when it comes to evaluating a product’s design.

Judges of the award are experts and top designers from countries such as the UK, USA, Germany, Switzerland, Japan, Korea, Singapore and China.

Launched in 2011, Numi is a celebration of the most technologically inspired experience in personal convenience. Adopting legendary architect Mies van der Rohe’s “Less is more” mantra, the Kohler design team took a minimalist approach to Numi’s creation, arranging complex technological functions internally within a limited space, all while presenting extreme simplicity externally. The result: a figment of beauty and geometry with high attention to detail, featuring a series of intersecting planes.

Numi boasts a range of luxurious features. These include a sleek, interactive LCD touch-screen interface, built-in bidet and deodorizer, a dual-flush capability, an intuitive automatic open-and-close lid, a built-in music system and a heated seat. Numi was singled out for special praise by the judges for managing to combine complex internal technological functions within a limited space while presenting tasteful simplicity externally.

 “It’s truly an innovative product that makes a bold design statement,” said Jim Lewis, Kohler’s vice president of marketing. “We envisioned a toilet that creates a category of its own. Numi packs technology into a compact toilet and is controlled by an advanced and intuitive interface. It’s an astounding example of modern industrial design where form and function go hand in hand.”

Founded in 1873 and headquartered in Kohler, Wis., Kohler Co. is one of America’s oldest and largest privately held companies.  Kohler is a global leader in the manufacture of kitchen and bath products, engines and power generation systems, cabinetry, tile and home interiors, and an international host to award-winning hospitality and world-class golf destinations.