International product design award goes to Volvo Trucks
The new Volvo FH from Volvo Trucks beat thousands of international products and impressed a panel of design experts to win one of the prestigious If product design awards.
The If product design awards recognise outstanding design achievement and have been doing so for more than 60 years. Only the very best designs in 17 categories were selected by the international jury and this year 3249 products were entered from around the world.
The new Volvo FH was awarded the prize in category 1: transportation design and special vehicles. The jury thoroughly examined each entry on the basis of evaluation criteria which included design quality, degree of innovation, environmental impact, functionality and safety. Professor Fritz Frenkler, the chairman of the jury, said that he was impressed by the consistently high quality of the entries, the passion for innovation and the courage manufacturers showed in pursuing their own design approaches. The ECR88D compact excavator from Volvo Construction Equipment also won an If product design award, making this a double success for the Volvo Group.
“This award represents several years of hard work and it is a tribute to the creativity and innovative spirit we have at Volvo Trucks,” says Rikard Orell, design director at Volvo Trucks. Last year, the new Volvo FH was awarded a Red dot product design award. The international Red dot product design awards recognise outstanding industrial design and celebrate the team behind the concept.
Design identity
“When creating the new Volvo FH, a great deal of emphasis was placed on the design and emotional aspect of the truck – something that isn’t usually given high priority in commercial vehicle design,” says Rikard. “We considered every function, feature line, curve, angle and surface material in order to ensure that we created one cohesive entity. This has resulted in a truck that is both an emotionally and practically satisfying vehicle to work and rest in. There is no conflict between form and function – instead the two work together in perfect harmony.”
“Designed to look as if it’s moving”
When creating the new FH, the design team wanted to retain the dynamic attitude and distinctive personality of the original FH while also expressing the greater efficiency and improved quality of the new truck. “The new Volvo FH has been designed to look as if it’s moving, even when it’s standing still,” explains Rikard. “The truck has a unique profile and appears to lean forward – an agile stance that conveys its eagerness to work. This impression is generated through the angled profile of the roof and the lines and features on the side of the cab.”
Around 2000 guests from the world of international design, media, business and politics are expected to celebrate the If award winners today in Munich, Germany.
Designing the new Volvo FH on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y194ZJioiwI
For further information, please contact:
Marie Vassiliadis, Volvo Trucks media relations, phone: +46 31 322 41 27, e-mail: marie.vassiliadis@volvo.com
For broadcast-quality videos supporting this press release and more, please visit http://www.thenewsmarket.com/volvotrucks
Press images and films are available in the Volvo Trucks image and film gallery at http://images.volvotrucks.com.
Volvo Trucks provides complete transport solutions for professional and demanding customers, offering a full range of medium to heavy duty trucks. Customer support is secured via a global network of 2,300 dealers and workshops in more than 140 countries. Volvo trucks are assembled in 16 countries across the globe. In 2012 more than 105,000 Volvo trucks were delivered worldwide. Volvo Trucks is part of the Volvo Group, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of trucks, buses and construction equipment, and drive systems for marine and industrial applications. The Group also provides solutions for financing and service. Volvo´s work is based on the core values quality, safety and environmental care.
Tags:
