KGM 6+ is a Red Dot Award 2022 winner
Schenker Storen’s cassette awning KGM 6+ wins the Red Dot Award 2022 in the Product Design category. The Red Dot Award is one of the world’s largest design competitions.
The jury of the first competition held in 1955 issued awards to products in recognition of their exceptional design. Since then, it has established itself as one of the most sought-after international seals of outstanding design quality. From products to creative projects and design concepts, the Red Dot Award chronicles the world’s leading trends. The KGM 6+ was among the designs that caught the international jury’s eye in 2022.
How do you win a design award?
We asked Product Manager Emine Krasniqi, and Project Manager Development Simon Baumann.
What motivated Schenker Storen to submit the KGM 6+ for the award?
Emine Krasniqi: The thought came to us when we held the prototype arm in our hands and were blown away by the way it looked and worked. We instantly knew it had the potential for winning the Red Dot Design Award.
Simon Baumann:With the new generation of articulated arms, we have developed a solution for integrating the LED lighting that we are very proud of.
What challenges did you have to overcome when developing the KGM 6+?
Simon Baumann:Our biggest challenge was fitting all the electronics for the lighting inside the articulated arm. The articulated arms with built-in LEDs in all other products on the market have bigger external dimensions. With our product, the articulated arm is always the same size, regardless of whether it has LED lighting built in or not. This way the lighting is fully integrated.
How did the idea of putting LEDs in the articulated arms come about?
Emine Krasniqi:If you keep your eyes open, you can discover lots of creative ways of doing things and new ideas that just need a little tweaking. That’s exactly how the idea came about. I noticed that restaurateurs were winding fairy lights or paper lanterns around the articulated arms on our sun blinds. They are in exactly the right spot for creating the desired lighting, mood and ambience.
Simon Baumann: LED lighting is fitted in the box profile of individual sun blinds. I always thought it would be best to integrate the LEDs in the articulated arms as this way the light shines down directly from above. As we embarked on this project to design the next generation of articulated arms, we seized the opportunity to develop the addition of elegant LED lighting.
Can you adjust the light to how you want it?
Simon Baumann: Yes, you can. You can dim or increase the brightness of the LED lighting how you like. Because the LED lighting is so efficient and sophisticated, it can be used to both actively light an area or to create an ambient setting.
Who is the KGM 6+ suitable for?
Emine Krasniqi: The KGM 6+ is suitable for anyone looking for a timeless, durable sun blind that offers a modern and elegant lighting solution.
Who is the KGM 6+ suitable for?
Emine Krasniqi: The KGM 6+ is suitable for anyone looking for a timeless, durable sun blind that offers a modern and elegant lighting solution.
Can you retrofit a KGM 6?
Emine Krasniqi: Because the lighting function of the KGM 6+ is so perfectly integrated, it meets the highest requirements that cannot be achieved with a retrofit. Much the same as with a car: a convertible isn’t just the corresponding coupé model without a roof. They are made up of lots of different design elements that make the construction of both the coupé and the convertible compelling in their own right. They are two completely separate objects, meaning that one cannot be retrofitted to create the other.
Simon Baumann: At first glance you wouldn’t think it, but the LED lighting is not confined to just the LEDS built into the articulated arms. To facilitate the lighting, we skilfully install a complex arrangement of individual parts in the awning.
