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Dutch Design Awards rewards excellent commissioning
Royal FloraHolland has stuck its neck out with a new collaboration and by doing so has won the Best Client Award at Dutch Design Awards. “The company uses an internal change process to drive the broader implementation and application of design and design thinking”, the jury says. “Design that can support a transition and implement it too. The collaboration with Vandejong for the inspiration and innovation brand Let it Grow is evidence of daring and entrepreneurial spirit on both sides.”

The Best Client Award is the prize for clients who deploy designers and design strategically for their company or institute. This special prize from Dutch Design Awards (DDA) was presented during the DDA Awards Show on Saturday 28 October, as part of Dutch Design Week, rewarding good commissioning in relation to design. Important criteria are the level of professionalism, strategy, sustainability, and innovation.

At the end of 2015, Royal FloraHolland requested Vandejong Creative Agency to redesign their strategy for new consumers to guide the shift from the auction in Aalsmeer to digital trading. Based on research and strategic plans Vandejong developed “Let it Grow”: an inspiration and innovation brand that focuses on the forefront of responsible consumers in European cities.

“The collaboration between Royal FloraHolland and Vandejong in Let it Grow is evidence of daring and entrepreneurial spirit on both sides. This led to an unconventional and consequently very effective approach. The client’s ‘design mentality and approach’ together with the agency are pivotal. According to the evaluation committee, this case demands respect through its cooperation, process and clear division of roles.”

DDA winners
The major winner of DDA 2017 is DeFlat Kleiburg by NL Architects, they won the prominent Future Award. The other Dutch Design Awards this year went to: Vlisco Un à Un by Michiel Schuurman (Communication), ZandGlas by Atelier NL (Design Research), Bravado: a pretentious, swaggering display of courage (F/W 2017) by Das Leben Am Haverkamp (Fashion), Quooker Flexby Quooker (Product), White Spots by Studio Richard Vijgen (Service & Systems) and Frank Kolkman (Young Designer Award). Sheltersuit 4.0 by designer Bas Timmer received the most public votes online and during the exhibition and is therefore the winner of the Public Award.