By Patrick Avenell

SYDNEY: Miele has taken out an Australian International Design Award for its Telescopic Cooker Hood. The high-end, family-owned German manufacturers trumped their rivals, with major competitors such as Breville, Philips, Sunbeam and Electrolux only managing to win the less-prestigious Australian International Design Mark.

The awards, which were presented in Sydney last Friday, were welcome news for Miele, with a spokesperson saying, “We’re very happy about winning.”

Although happy with success, Miele were not celebrating like rock stars, with everyone at the company already looking forward to winning again next year. “We’re down to business again today,” said the spokesperson.

The significance of the win is in the history of this award, with the Australian International Design Awards celebrating 50 years in 2008. Speaking about the achievement was Australian International Design Awards manager Stephanie Watson. “We have a proud history of thorough testing and assessment by Australian and international design experts. The judges spend a week scrutinising all entries against rigorous criteria including innovation, visual/emotional appeal, functionality, quality and manufacture, ergonomics and safety, environmental sustainability and presentation,” said Watson.

The overall winner on the night was Flaik, a GPS tracking and monitoring system for snowboarders designed by CMD Product Design and Innovation.

Selected awards included:

Australian International Design Award

Miele Telescopic Cooker Hood

Australian International Design Mark

Miele Medicair Vacuum Cleaner
Miele Microwave Combination Oven
Miele Automatic Coffee Machine
Sunbeam Café Series Grill and Barbecue
Sunbeam Semi-Automatic Espresso Machine
Electrolux E:line Compact
Breville Professional Series Blender
Breville ikon Kettle and Toaster
Breville Professional Series Toaster
Philips Arcitec
Philips Aurea