Rene Smeets Award
The René Smeets Award is given annually to a BA student who demonstrates exceptional professionalism during the design process and in the execution of their graduation project. The shortlist is made up of graduates nominated by the head of each BA Studio and is announced following the final exams at the end of the academic year. The winner is announced during the Graduation Show at Dutch Design Week in October.
Winners receive €2000 and a trophy designed by a DAE alum. They may also be offered mentorship, guidance or support from specific institutions connected to the René Smeets Foundation or DAE.
History
In 1977, Philips NV, Lecturis BV printing company, Gamma Holding NV, Mosa NV and weaving mill de Ploeg NV, together with the Eindhoven Chamber of Commerce and the Academy for Industrial Design Eindhoven (later Design Academy Eindhoven), created a foundation to promote a positive connection between design education and broader society. The foundation was named after René Smeets, founding director of the Academy of Industrial Design.
Its first activity was establishing prizes for exam candidates at the institution, and a small prize fund was created. Candidates were nominated by the head of each department – one per department –, and a winner was selected by a jury composed of members of the foundation's board and an external expert.
The assessment criteria included originality, realisability, social orientation, documentation of the design process, and design integrity, among others. The winner received €2,000 and an art object. For a period, this object was replaced by a street sign with the winner's name that decorated the square in front of the Academy Building for a year. The signs can still be seen at the entrance to the Academy.
In 2001, the board was revamped and expanded to include representatives of various well-known and widely respected businesses working in and around the design field. One of the outcomes was a rethink of the prize, resulting in two different awards. For BA students, the René Smeets Award for professionalism is now complemented by the Melkweg Award for unique vision and talent. A third prize was added in 2014, the Gijs Bakker Award, for MA graduates.
