The handheld transmitters MC441-II and TC445-II have been awarded an international design prize.

 

 

The outstanding and innovative design of the two handheld transmitters managed to impress the jury of this internationally-renowned design competition. The “red dot” seal of quality has been much sought after by companies since its introduction in 2000: This year, the jury members of the “red dot award: product design” had their work cut out with 4,252 products from 57 nations: – an increase of more than 30 per cent compared to last year.

 

The “red dot award: product design” jury, made up of thirty international design experts, ensured that decisions in the 17 product groups were fair and unbiased. They travelled to Essen/Germany from around the world to rate the presented products. It was not an easy task: They had to judge and select the award winners after a detailed assessment based on criteria ranging from degree of innovation to functionality, self-explanatory quality and ecological compatibility. The design experts, who judged the products according to strict rules, were carefully selected for each and every product category. In addition to this high-level of expertise, the jury members also guarantee absolute impartiality – a factor which plays a particularly important role for the red dot design award.

 

Becker-Antriebe has always placed great emphasis on the style of its products. “The handheld transmitters are not only stylish, but also designed for intuitive and easy use. This was also important for the award,” explains Erwin Pauwels, head of marketing at Becker-Antriebe. The German company specialises in roller shutter and sun protection drives, and in the corresponding control units and automation systems.

 

The “Centronic MC441-II” handheld transmitter can be used to easily and intuitively operate the electric drives of roller shutters, awnings and Venetian blinds from the comfort of an armchair. The slender handheld transmitter is able to control a single drive or a defined group of drives. The clear layout and the simple but efficient design ensure simple operation. “The transmitter provides effective features which considerably increase user comfort,” says Erwin Pauwels. For example, with the memory function switched on, the control stores the time point when a button was pressed for several seconds: The roller shutters then automatically open or close at this specific time.

 

The “Centronic TC445-II” boasts 5 control channels, which can be used to control a single drive or a defined group of drives. The layout of this transmitter is also extremely harmonious. The clear layout of the buttons and displays guarantees uncomplicated operation – even though the range of functions is extremely diverse. The clever features, e.g. the integrated timer with astro evening function, provide outstanding user comfort: If desired, it closes roller shutters automatically at sunset and re-opens them the next morning. LEDs display the selected transmission channel. The transmission channels can be clearly specified in the labelling space on the rear of the handheld transmitter via the labelling aid which can be downloaded from the Internet.

 

The Centronic-II transmitters have a pure and simple design. All the members of the product family blend harmoniously into any environment. A system concept is the centrepiece: Standard components and shaped elements are used for all the transmitters in the series. The same operating functions are always located at the same position and on the same scale. “Once you’ve used one Centronic-II transmitter, you’ll have no problems using the other transmitters of this product line,” claims Erwin Pauwels.

 

What impressed the red dot jury the most were the sophisticated and stylish features of the transmitters. “All the products that have won a red dot design award stand out from the masses with their excellent design and innovative approaches,” explains design expert Professor Dr Peter Zec, initiator of the red dot design award. “They have proved their quality in one of the toughest design competitions worldwide”.

 

The festive award ceremony with more than 1,000 guests will take place in the Essen opera house, the Aalto-Theater, on 5 July 2010. The handheld transmitters, along with all the other award winning products, will then be presented from 6 July to 1 August 2010 at the exhibition “Design on stage – winners red dot award: product design 2010” at the red dot design museum on the site of the Zollverein colliery in Essen. They will subsequently go on show in the permanent exhibition of the red dot design museum. The museum houses the largest permanent exhibition of contemporary designs worldwide, displaying roughly 1,500 products across 4,000 square metres of exhibition space – and is definitely worth a visit.