Scewo BRO wins gold.
We have a reason to celebrate! Our power wheelchair has been awarded the German Design Award for excellent design achievement. But the award stands for much more than outstanding design. In the interview, Simon Fanger, Head of Design, explained what the award means to him.
Our BRO wins gold! Not an Olympic medal (although we think our designers deserved one ;-)), but the gold award of the German Design Award in the category «Excellent Product Design». The German Design Council honored our power wheelchair with the highest mark for excellent design achievement. In doing so, it also acknowledges BRO as a pioneer of important design impulses for the entire medical technology industry. An award that we are happy to receive even without a victory celebration.
We want to inspire others with our wheelchair!
«I have always been interested in complex shapes of vehicles. Meanwhile, it has become my passion,» says Simon Fanger, Head of Design at Scewo. Working on the coolest power wheelchair in the world does justice to this challenge: «I get to give my signature to a product that changes people’s everyday lives for the better. That means more to me than just doing a job. With clearly defined lines and a reduction to the essentials, the design team developed a clear design language. That way, Scewo BRO is seen as a new generation of wheelchairs at first glance», Simon continues.
«For me as a designer, the greatest praise is when the eyes of pedestrians immediately fall on BRO, and they stop to admire our wheelchair.» With BRO, the design team created an exemplary combination of functionality and design. «Our goal is to show a complex technology – in a way that provides the observer with a sense of calm and elegance,» Simon describes the appearance of BRO.
Changing perceptions in society.
For Simon, the award is a confirmation of the hard work he has put in over the last two and a half years: «Being awarded such a prize confirms us that we have taken the right path. Our wheelchair shall not only extend the mobility of wheelchair users but also change the perception in society. This aspect matters a lot to me personally. Furthermore, the award shows us that there is still a lot of potential in medical technology.
With BRO, we have created a product, which allows a new perspective on the mobility of wheelchair users. By giving such a high priority to design, we want to inspire others in the industry to give more importance to appearance in addition to the functionality».
Jury statement.
The 37 members of the jury selected the BRO as the winner in the «Medical Rehabilitation and Health Care» category from over 4,200 entries from 60 countries. Nominations for the award can be made directly by the German Design Council or by submitting a project independently. These submissions are either accepted or rejected after being examined by the jury. What the jury said about our power wheelchair: «Scewo BRO is designed and technically equipped to climb stairs without any problems. Conventional wheelchairs have to pass around such obstacles. The compact and progressive design of the wheelchair makes it even more attractive. A fantastic product that gives wheelchair users significantly more freedom in terms of their mobility without having to rely on the help of others».
About the German Design Award.
The German Design Award is the international award of the German Design Council. The goal of the award is to discover, present and honor unique design trends. Every year, outstanding projects from product and communication design are honored. Each of these projects is in its way groundbreaking in the international design landscape. The German Design Award was presented for the first time in 2012 and is one of the most recognized design competitions worldwide, which also enjoys a high reputation beyond the professional circle.
