The National Design Awards were conceived in 1997 by the Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum to honor the best in American design. First launched at the White House in 2000 as an official project of the White House Millennium Council, the annual Awards program celebrates design in various disciplines as a vital humanistic tool in shaping the world, and seeks to increase national awareness of design by educating the public and promoting excellence, innovation, and lasting achievement. The Awards are truly national in scope–nominations for the 2005 Awards were solicited from a committee of more than 800 leading designers, educators, journalists, cultural figures, and corporate leaders from every state in the nation. Reflecting the ever-growing scope of design, the Awards program has expanded this year to include three new categoriesÑlandscape design, interior design, and design mind-for a total of 10 awards.

The National Design Awards is one of the few programs of its kind structured to continue to benefit the nation long after the Awards ceremony and gala. A suite of educational programs will be announced this summer in conjunction with the Awards by Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum's award-winning Education Department, including a series of public programs, lectures, roundtables, and workshops based on the vision and work of the National Design Award winners.

THE AWARD

The Award object, developed using the most advanced materials technology, embodies the National Design Awards' celebration of innovation and excellence in American design. A unique collaboration between design and engineering firms, the award was designed by Helfand Drenttel and produced by Norton Electronics, a division of Saint Gobain Advanced Ceramics and a world leader in the manufacture and sales of igniter products and semiconductor components.