Whipsaw Inc, a Silicon Valley-based industrial design and engineering firm that creates innovative products for companies around the globe, announces its win of 5 2015 International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA). It won 3 Silver/Gold and 2 Bronze awards, plus boasted 7 additional finalists.
“Our five wins this year are quite diverse, ranging from networking and entertainment to bike safety, to sleep apnea treatment and a life-saving surgical device. They are united in purpose—making life better. Thanks to our clients for believing in deep innovation and to IDEA for continuing to put excellence on a pedestal,” says Dan Harden, president/CEO and principal designer of Whipsaw, in a release.

Jury chair Matthew Marzynski sees IDEA as history in the making, stating “When we look at a design, we’re not just looking at what’s trendy or fashionable at the moment. We have the context of that history, of that long line of designers that came before us. That collective knowledge within IDSA is kind of like a living treasure.”

The Whipsaw wins include:

  • ApniCure Winx (silver/gold)—a small and silent machine for treating obstructive sleep apnea (a common sleep-related breathing disorder) that uses a slight vacuum instead of forced air.
  • Eton Rugged Rukus and Rukus Xtreme (silver/gold)—a solar-powered wireless sound system, designed for outdoor use.
  • Flux Router (silver/gold)—a high-end router intended to reveal how routers work by showcasing the beautifully complex antennas inside.
  • Halfdome Bike Helmet (bronze)—a bike helmet that easily folds in half by dropping the top half of the helmet inside the bottom half, so you can stuff it in a backpack or locker when not in use.
  • Silk Road Medical Enroute Transcarotid Neuroprotection System (bronze)—a revolutionary new type of vascular surgery device designed to significantly reduce the risk of stroke during carotid artery stenting.

Whipsaw-designed finalists include the HUBB Oil Filter, Livescribe 3 Smartpen, Mimosa C5i gateway-to-home, Nod Labs gesture control ring, Eton FRX4/5 emergency radios, Yubo Lunch Tote, and the TP-Link Design Strategy.

IDEA is an initiative of the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA), which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. More than 1,700 projects from around the world entered IDEA, and only 164 were selected as winners.