Sep. 17, 2021

Lexus Announces Mentors for LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2022Up-And-Coming Creators to be Guided by Prominent Stars to Design a Better Tomorrow

: From left: Sam Baron © Cyrille Jerusalmi, Joe Doucet, Yosuke Hayano and Sabine Marcelis © ANNETIMMER

TOKYO, Japan (September 17, 2021)―Lexus today announced the four mentors for the LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2022, which is now open for entries. Since the LEXUS DESIGN AWARD's launch in 2013, up-and-coming creators have been given the once-in-a-lifetime experience of mentorship from some of the design world's most renowned names from around the globe. For the 2022 edition, Beijing-based architect Yosuke Hayano and France and Portugal based designer Sam Baron will join designer Joe Doucet, in his third year as a trusted mentor, and designer Sabine Marcelis, a dedicated mentor from the previous year.

The LEXUS DESIGN AWARD's mentorship program sets this international design competition apart by affording finalists direct access to elite working professional creators, who guide them in exploring potential solutions and finalizing prototypes and presentations.

Yosuke Hayano is a principal partner of MAD Architects, directing teams known for their fresh vision of Asian architecture as expressed in major projects worldwide. Sam Baron, a visionary creative leader, creates products and experiences, mixing art and design, from concept to completion for some of the world's leading brands.

"To be part of the mentor team is an honor, as the LEXUS DESIGN AWARD is about creative empowerment of the next generation," said new mentor Sam Baron. "To share explorations and experiences with the selected candidates is a unique opportunity to get to know young international talents who will challenge themselves to be among the finalists. I will enjoy my time with them on my mission of finding their key assets, making them grow and glow―to express their concept and also their personalities."

The judging criteria for LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2022 draws on the three key principles of the Lexus brand: Anticipate, Innovate, and Captivate. Entries are expected to anticipate global challenges facing future society and suggest engaging and innovative ways to contribute to a sustainable future, while seamlessly enhancing the happiness of all. Lexus is looking for captivating designs that intersect with thoughtful solutions, designs that can truly make a brighter future for people and societies in diverse circumstances.

An all-star judging committee will review the entries from around the globe, announcing the six finalists in early 2022. Lexus funds the finalists' prototype development with a budget of up to JPY 3-million (over USD 25,000) per design. In the spring of 2022, the six finalists will present their final proposals to the judges, who will then select one Grand Prix winner.

Entries for the LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2022 will be accepted until October 10.

For more information, please visit LexusDesignAward.com

Official Hashtag: #lexusdesignaward

CALL FOR ENTRIES TO THE LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2022 COMPETITION

Title	LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2022
Application Period	July 13 - October 10, 2021
Judging Criteria	How the design can enhance the happiness of everyone. How the design embodies the three principles of the Lexus brand: Anticipate, Innovate, and Captivate. Anticipate Does the concept and design anticipate global challenges facing future society? Innovate Does the design demonstrate new thinking and originality in its proposal and execution? Captivate Is the design intriguing and compelling in concept and execution?
Judges	Paola Antonelli, Senior Curator, Department of Architecture and Design, MoMA, NY Anupama Kundoo, Architect / Founder of Anupama Kundoo Architects Bruce Mau, Co-Founder & CEO, Massive Change Network Simon Humphries, Head of Toyota & Lexus Global Design
Mentors	Sam Baron, Designer / Creative Director, SAM BARON & Co Joe Doucet, Founder, Joe Doucet x Partners Yosuke Hayano, Principal Partner, MAD Architects Sabine Marcelis, Designer / Founder, Studio Sabine Marcelis
Award Categories	One Grand Prix winner (selected from the six finalists) Six Finalists
Prizes / Benefits	Six finalists to be invited to mentorship―a series of sessions with mentors from diverse fields who guide finalists in developing ideas into prototypes. Six finalists will have global media exposure to help drive career advancement. Six finalists to receive up to 3 million JPY (over $25K USD) each for prototype production costs. Six finalists will have an opportunity to expand their professional horizons by engaging the four judges in unique, one-on-one, personal and professional development sessions. See Official Rules for more details.
Organizer	Lexus International

LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2022 PANEL OF MENTORS

SAM BARON

DESIGNER / CREATIVE DIRECTOR, SAM BARON & Co

A visionary creative leader, Sam Baron creates products and experiences, giving life to cross-over works mixing art and design that drive innovative ideas from concept to completion. His work touches many fields across hospitality, retail, design, fashion, and culture. From a global perspective, Baron leads sophisticated initiatives that create an experience for some of the world's leading brands. For a decade, he has been a consultant as Design director for Fabrica, an international communication research center based in Italy.

In 2009 Baron received the "Grand Prix de la Creation de la Ville de Paris" in the design category, and in 2010 Philippe Starck selected him as one of the ten important designers of the next decade. His work is continuously featured in the international press, and included in international museum collections. Recently Sam has been awarded the special PAD Paris fair prize. Sam Baron currently lives and works between Portugal and France.

JOE DOUCET

FOUNDER, JOE DOUCET X PARTNERS

A designer, entrepreneur, inventor and creative director, Joe Doucet is one of the most sought-after creative talents working in America today. His work deftly hybridizes function and visual appeal while conveying layers of meaning and message. Doucet believes that design and, more importantly, a designer's thought process can play a larger role in innovation and problem solving, as well as aesthetics. He currently holds numerous patents for his designs and inventions.

Doucet's work has been exhibited globally and has received numerous international awards, including a World Technology Award for Design Innovation and multiple Good Design Awards. Doucet was named the 2017 Winner of the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award as Product Designer―the highest honor in his field. He is also Designer of the Year 2019 finalist by Dezeen, and a recipient of Fast Company's Most Important Design Companies of 2019.

YOSUKE HAYANO

PRINCIPAL PARTNER, MAD ARCHITECTS

Yosuke Hayano, an architect from Japan, is principal partner of MAD Architects based in Beijing, China. MAD is led by Ma Yansong, Dang Qun, and Yosuke and it is committed to developing futuristic, organic, technologically advanced designs that embody a contemporary interpretation of the Eastern affinity for nature. With a vision for the city of the future based in the spiritual and emotional needs of residents, MAD endeavors to create a balance between humanity, the city, and the environment.

Yosuke has been the winner of several high-profile awards, including the Architecture League of New York Young Architects Award (2006), the Design for Asia Award (2011), and the Kumamoto Artpolis Award (2011). He served as a visiting lecturer at the Waseda Art and Architecture School from 2008 to 2012, and at Tokyo University from 2010 to 2012. In addition, he acted as an external examiner at the Architectural Association of London from 2015 to 2019.

SABINE MARCELIS

DESIGNER / FOUNDER, STUDIO SABINE MARCELIS

Sabine Marcelis is a Dutch designer who runs her practice from the harbor of Rotterdam. After graduating from the Design Academy of Eindhoven in 2011, Marcelis began working as an independent designer within the fields of product, installation and spatial design with a strong focus on materiality. Her work is characterized by pure forms which highlight material properties.

Marcelis applies a strong aesthetic point of view to her collaborations with industry specialists. This method of working allows her to intervene in the manufacturing process, using material research and experimentation to achieve new and surprising visual effects for projects both showcased in musea and commissioned by commercial clients and fashion houses.

Sabine recently won the prestigious Wallpaper awards 'Designer of the year 2020', The Elle Deco International Design award 2019 'Young designer of the year' and 'GQ Men of the year 2019' International Artist of the year.

LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2022 PANEL OF JUDGES

PAOLA ANTONELLI

SENIOR CURATOR, DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN, MoMA, NY

Paola Antonelli is Senior Curator of Architecture & Design at The Museum of Modern Art, as well as MoMA's founding Director of Research & Development. Her goal is to promote design's understanding, until its positive influence on the world is universally acknowledged. Her work investigates design's impact on everyday experience, often including overlooked objects and practices, and combining design, architecture, art, science, and technology.

She has curated shows, written books, lectured worldwide, and taught in several schools, including Harvard and UCLA. Among her most recent exhibitions are Broken Nature, devoted to the idea of restorative design (conceived as the XXII Triennale di Milano) and Material Ecology, on the groundbreaking work of architect Neri Oxman. She is currently working on several new sessions of her MoMA R&D Salons; and on the Instagram series @design.emergency, conceived with design critic Alice Rawsthorn and devoted to the role of design in the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond. Alice and Paola's book, Design Emergency, will be published in 2022.

ANUPAMA KUNDOO

ARCHITECT / FOUNDER OF ANUPAMA KUNDOO ARCHITECTS

Anupama Kundoo graduated from University of Mumbai in 1989 and received her PhD degree from the TU Berlin in 2008. Her research-oriented practice has generated people centric architecture based on spatial and material research for low environmental impact while being socio-economically beneficial. Her body of works was recently exhibited as a solo show 'Taking Time' at Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Denmark in Spring of 2021. She has taught Architecture and Urban Management at various international universities strengthening her expertise in rapid urbanization and climate change related development issues, and was the Davenport Visiting Professor at Yale University in Spring 2020.

She is currently Professor at Potsdam School of Architecture, Germany and the winner of the 2021 Auguste Perret Prize for her contribution to architectural technologies and the 2021 recipient of the RIBA Charles Jencks Award.

BRUCE MAU

CO-FOUNDER & CEO, MASSIVE CHANGE NETWORK

Designer, author, educator, artist and entrepreneur Bruce Mau practices a holistic life-centered design approach grounded in empathy and fact-based optimism to help clients and collaborators envision and articulate their purpose and future. Across thirty years of design innovation, he's worked with global brands and companies, leading organizations, heads of state, renowned artists and fellow optimists. He became an international figure with the publication of S,M,L,XL, designed and co-authored with Rem Koolhaas. His most recent book, Mau: MC24―Bruce Mau's 24 Principles for Designing Massive Change in Your Life and Work, offers readers a mindset and toolkit that can be applied to any type of challenge at any scale to create impact and positive transformation.

SIMON HUMPHRIES

HEAD OF TOYOTA & LEXUS GLOBAL DESIGN

Simon Humphries is Head of Toyota & Lexus Global Design. He was appointed to oversee design for both brands in 2018. As Head of Lexus Global Design Humphries seeks to define Lexus' unique values in the form of a brand philosophy, incorporating a clear cultural reference to Lexus' Japanese heritage and building a design direction that is relevant to users around the world.

Humphries joined the company in 1994. His many roles in leadership and advanced design include defining the signature spindle grille that has become an icon for the Lexus brand. In 2016 he became President of ED2 (Toyota Europe Design Development) where his team spearheaded development of mobility concepts such as the Toyota e-Palette concept as part of the brand's transition from "automotive company" to "mobility company." Humphries began his career in design in 1988 when he was awarded the Royal Society of Arts Bursary Prize for Product Design in the UK. The award gave him the opportunity to work for Sony, which jumpstarted his passion for living and working in Japan. In his spare time Humphries enjoys carpentry and is restoring a 100-year-old Japanese farmhouse.

ABOUT LEXUS

Lexus launched in 1989 with a flagship sedan and a guest experience that helped define the premium automotive industry. In 1998, Lexus introduced the luxury crossover category with the launch of the Lexus RX. The luxury hybrid sales leader, Lexus delivered the world's first luxury hybrid in 2006, and has since sold over 2.02 million hybrid vehicles.

A global luxury automotive brand with an unwavering commitment to bold, uncompromising design, exceptional craftsmanship, and exhilarating performance, Lexus has developed its lineup to meet the needs of the next generation of global luxury guests, and is currently available in over 90 countries worldwide.

Lexus associates/team members across the world are dedicated to crafting amazing experiences that are uniquely Lexus, and that excite and change the world.

ABOUT LEXUS DESIGN AWARD

Launched in 2013, the LEXUS DESIGN AWARD is an international competition for up-and-coming creators from around the world. The Award seeks to contribute to society by supporting designers and creators whose work shows potential to shape a better future. Six finalists gain a rare opportunity to prototype their designs under the mentorship of leading designers. The LEXUS DESIGN AWARD provides global media exposure to drive professional career advancement.

Toyota Motor Corporation works to develop and manufacture innovative, safe and high-quality products and services that create happiness by providing mobility for all. We believe that true achievement comes from supporting our customers, partners, employees, and the communities in which we operate. Since our founding over 80 years ago in 1937, we have applied our Guiding Principles in pursuit of a safer, greener and more inclusive society. Today, as we transform into a mobility company developing connected, automated, shared and electrified technologies, we also remain true to our Guiding Principles and many of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals to help realize an ever-better world, where everyone is free to move.