Auckland based strategic design company, Alt Group, has been shortlisted in the editorial design category of the Design Week Awards 2009 in the United Kingdom.

Alt was shortlisted for Hum Research Book, a 40,000 word book the group wrote and produced about the creative development of the HUM- Minds at Work furniture system, an innovative workspace system produced by Formway Furniture, which is already being sold in the United States.Auckland based strategic design company, Alt Group, has been shortlisted in the editorial design category of the Design Week Awards 2009 in the United Kingdom.

Alt was shortlisted for Hum Research Book, a 40,000 word book the group wrote and produced about the creative development of the HUM- Minds at Work furniture system, an innovative workspace system produced by Formway Furniture, which is already being sold in the United States.HUM Research Book is the design story about the "thinking" over four years that went into the Formway project, itself an award winner (HUM was a joint Stringer - Supreme - winner in the product design discipline of the 2008 BeST Design Awards in New Zealand).

Dean Poole, creative director of Alt Group, said the book was conceived as a record of the development process and research behind the product to be presented to architectural and design influencers, rather than as a standard sales tool for the revolutionary office system.

Says Poole: "The book is really about cognitive ergonomics and the changing workplace - how the mind works and the context that it works within"

The Design Week Awards, now in its 21st year, is the largest awards scheme of its kind in the UK and recognises creative excellence and innovation in design across 20 design specialisations from corporate identity and packaging through to websites and consumer products.

The event attracts more than 1500 entries from design companies throughout the world and the judging panel comprises some of the most well respected designers (and clients) in the UK.

This is the first time that Alt Group has entered the awards, with the shortlist announcement topping off a hugely successful year for the company, which won a coveted Pinnacle Award at the recent AGDA Awards in Adelaide, as well as an impressive 31 awards at this year's 2008 BeST Awards, New Zealand's Design Oscars.

Ben Corban, managing director at Alt Group, said the UK shortlisting was a great Christmas present for the company.

"We are honoured to have made it onto the shortlist in our first outing at the Design Week Awards, alongside companies we see as international benchmarks such as Pentagram and The Partners. Ultimately that's what awards are about: benchmarking against the best companies in the world and promoting New Zealand design internationally."

The Design Week Awards will be announced on March 3, 2009 at the Hilton Hotel, London.

10/12/08