This weekend the annual Dutch Design Awards were presented in Eindhoven. This year’s ceremony was the 13th time that these prestigious Dutch design awards were handed out. Design Awards were presented across six categories and in addition, there were some special prizes. The jury granted our logistical aid for PostNL a Dutch Design Award in the ‘product’ category.
The jury awarded our design as it clearly shows design’s surplus value. ”A great example of meaningful design. The design is robust and smart, designed ergonomically and realises real improvements”, according to the Dutch Design jury.
The ISM aid sits at the centre of PostNL’s new mail sorting process. We are all very aware of the fact that the amount of sent letters decreases while at the same time the amount of parcels increases. To efficiently cope with this shift in the incoming stream, meant investing in new sorting machines and other aids. Mail coming from these new machines has to be collected, transported and entered for sorting again. In developing the ISM, we optimized this logistical process. It ensures that there’s always enough input to be automatically sorted. The multifunctional trolley saves time in the sorting-hub’s and makes lighter work for the operators.
The ISM looks deceptively simple, but every little detail is thought out carefully. A minimal amount of moving parts ensures invulnerability, and enables the operator to easily hook the ISM onto the sorting machine. The trolleys nest compactly when not used, is emptied automatically, is ergonomically sound and very safe. An innovative addition to the caster wheels makes sure of smooth riding and even bumps or thresholds are not an obstacle anymore. During the design process our main focus was on efficiency in the logistical process and lessening the physical workload for the postal workers. The jury recognizes the complexity of processing post and rewards us for finding an elegant solution.
Dutch Design Awards are internationally renowned prizes for the best in the field of design in The Netherlands. The award ceremony, an exhibition of the work by all of the finalists during Dutch Design Week and the publication of the Dutch Design Yearbook jointly form a platform for the full spectrum of Dutch design.
