Impressive list with photos of audio devices which got a design award over the last 70 years

[thewas]

iF Design - Explore all winners of all iF DESIGN AWARDS – gain insight into the best designs of the year: iF DESIGN AWARD GOLD

Check out the amazing winners of the iF DESIGN AWARD. Get inspired by what the design world currently has to offer.

ifdesign.com

I find it fascinating to see while browsing it chronologically how the size, categories, design, colours, brands and nationalities change over the decades from portable radios, to classic hifi systems, midi/mini, bluetooth etc.

Please keep in mind that the iF Design institute was created in Germany so in the early years you will see more German products than from other countries but that changes over time as you can see. https://ifdesign.com/en/if-story

If I had endless money and time, I would try to buy as many of them as possible and make an exhibition/museum displaying them chronologically too.

 

[Old_School_Brad]

I owned a surprising number of products on that list from Blaupunkt, Sony, Technics, and B&O.

I feel like the FI design awards started to lose their way around the mid-2000s -or maybe I just don’t care for the design language from that era onward.
Guess my username might be a bit of a hint as to why...

 

[Willem]

For me, the designs by Dieter Rams for Braun still stand out for their beautiful clarity and simplicity.

 

[Old_School_Brad]

For me, the designs by Dieter Rams for Braun still stand out for their beautiful clarity and simplicity.

Yes, he was a genius. I’d also give an honorable mention to B&O and Apple during Jonathan Ive’s era -beautiful designs that, in my view, share some common traits across them.

 

[thewas]

For me, the designs by Dieter Rams for Braun still stand out for their beautiful clarity and simplicity.

It is the same for me, hope one day I can afford and add a Last Edition set

https://www.hifi-archiv.info/Braun/1990%20Braun%20Die%20letzte%20Edition.pdf

Here is more about it in German language (use browser to translate to English).

 

[JeffS7444]

Seems like a mixed bag, and some choices, such as 1954's Telefunken Jubilate are real head scratchers. Because design-wise, said radio was virtually indistinguishable from any number of German radios of the era, and the following year would see the release of products by Braun which would make it's design language of polished wood (real or simulated) and ivory-colored plastic with gold accents seem quaint.

 

[thewas]

Yes, he was a genius. I’d also give an honorable mention to B&O and Apple during Jonathan Ive’s era -beautiful designs that, in my view, share some common traits across them.

Yes, Apple used his design and from what I remember in an interview he had no problem with such.