LONDON.- They are all on the shortlist for the Brit Insurance Design Awards. Following the tremendous success of their inaugural year in 2008, Brit Insurance Design Awards and supporting Brit Insurance Designs of the Year exhibition return for their second year, making them an annual fixture on the design industry calendar.

The world’s most interesting and forward looking designs have been nominated by industry experts spanning seven categories: Architecture, Fashion, Furniture, Graphics, Interactive, Product and Transport, to be judged by a high profile panel, chaired by Alan Yentob and including the designer and environmentalist Karen Blincoe, and the architect Peter Cook.

The shortlist will be on show at the Brit Insurance Designs of the Year Exhibition from 12 February until 14 June at the Design Museum in London. From this comprehensive list, the panel will decide the category winners in each of the seven disciplines to be announced at the end of February. These finalists will go forward to vie for the 2009 Brit Insurance Design of the Year, to be revealed at the Awards Dinner on18 March 2009.

Brit Insurance Design Awards recognise the important achievements in design over the past twelve months as well as bringing lesser known design triumphs to the fore. Public participation has also been encouraged this year, with a People’s Choice Vote open from 1 January 2009 and a blog for the general public to express their views at http://www.designsoftheyear.com.

Deyan Sudjic, Director of the Design Museum said, “Design touches every aspect of our daily lives. This exciting shortlist reflects its impact on politics as well as fashion. It highlights great architecture, and smart technology. In the midst of economic chaos, creative thinking is more important than ever. Alan Yentob makes an excellent chair for an international jury that is going to have its work cut out choosing winners.”

Brit Insurance Chief Executive Dane Douetil added, “Sustainability and efficiency are clearly growing in importance, underling the important role that intelligent design has in the reduction of risk. The shortlist for this year’s Brit Insurance Design Awards certainly lives up to the exceptional standards set by last year’s 100 nominees and last year’s winner, One Laptop per Child. We look forward to seeing which design the judges will choose from the very wide range on this year’s shortlist.”