Roland has announced the Roland Digital Piano Design Awards, a unique opportunity for forward-thinking designers to create the piano of the future. Designers can begin submitting their digital concert grand piano concepts on November 10, 2015, with cash prizes awarded to the top three finalists. The theme of this design challenge is to unleash a piano design that breaks away from tradition, and Roland is inviting innovative thinkers from around the world to participate. Each participant’s goal will be to design the digital grand piano of the future, and the contest is open to all designers and design students worldwide. Designers are encouraged to focus on the look and outer structure of the digital piano cabinet, i.e. the outer shell, but can propose alternative digital functions and sounds as part of their overall design concept. Internal electronics diagrams (chips and wiring) do not need to be provided, if additional functions are proposed.
The judging panel will include professionals and experts from Roland, and the digital piano designs will be judged on the following criteria:
- novelty and originality
- aesthetic superiority
- alignment with theme
- elegance and presence as a concert grand piano
- how well the benefits of the digital piano are incorporated into the design.
The official entry period is November 10, 2015, to December 21, 2015. Awards and prizes will be presented to one Grand Prize Winner (500,000 Yen), one Excellence Award Winner (200,000 Yen) and one Incentive Award winner (100,000 Yen). Winning designs will be announced online on January 21, 2016, and during the 2016 Winter NAMM musical instruments trade show in Anaheim CA.
Contestants may enter as many designs as they want, but each design must be submitted individually. Visit the official Roland Digital Piano Design Awards website for contest entry details, or email designawards@roland.com.