Oct 21, 2020

Share Led by CEO Enni Karikoski, Niimaar seeks to bring dynamic and sustainable designs with a uniquely Finnish twist for quality and function. Niimaar Finnish companies have been recognised in multiple categories at the German Design Awards, to be held in February 2021. The German Design Council organises the awards annually and this year gathered a total of 4 172 entries from 60 countries. Out of the entries, 362 winners and 67 gold medal recipients have been selected, along with 955 special mentions. The aim of the awards is to celebrate and advance pioneering design in three main areas – product design, communications design and architecture – which are divided into various subcategories. The Reima Weather app helps users to dress their kids according to the weather. Reima Woodio ’s tabletop washbasin Woodio Soft40 received a special mention. Meanwhile, Niimaar ’s sustainable innovation Ecogrande Design Recycling Station was recognised in the public design and eco design subcategories. “This is a huge honour and endorsement for what we stand for: accessible quality design with a sustainability aspect, built to serve and last generations,” commented Enni Karikoski, founder and CEO of Niimaar. Driving design Elsewhere, the Origo steering wheel has been named a gold winner in the human-machine interface (HMI) category for groundbreaking design. The brainchild of companies Canatu ,  Siili Auto ,  TactoTek ,  Northern Works  and  Rightware from the Finnish automotive ecosystem, the intelligent concept aims to enhance user experience, safety and driver’s decision-making. “The initial idea of the Origo steering wheel was to challenge the status quo of the existing steering wheel HMI and not just take the easy route of converting analog controls into digital versions,”  told  Miika Heikkinen, lead designer at Northern Works. “Our lives have become cluttered with information and overstimulated with choices, so we wanted to offer the driver clarity with our steering wheel concept and reduce functions and controls to just the bare necessities.” See a complete list of the winners here . Share