Alex Donahue Is Honored with the A' Design Award for Pride Watch in Jewelry Design

Alex Donahue honored for jewelry design by the international grand jury of the 2020 - 2021 A' Design Award & Competition

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COMO, Italy, April 23, 2021 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has announced that Pride Watch by Alex Donahue has been granted the A' Design Award in the Jewelry Design category. The award was conferred within the 2020 - 2021 A' Design Award & Competition and was determined through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who assessed anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.

About the A' Design Award

The Iron A' Design Award is awarded to good designs that meet the rigorous professional and industrial standards set by the A' Design Awards. This recognition is reserved for works that demonstrate a solid understanding of design principles and show creativity within their execution. Recipients of the Iron A' Design Award are acknowledged for their practical innovations and contributions to their respective fields, providing solutions that improve quality of life and foster positive change. These designs are a testament to the skill and dedication of their creators, showcasing their ability to address real-world challenges through thoughtful design.

More About Pride Watch

Pride is a unisex wristwatch inspired by the annual pride parades held around the world. The hour, minute and second hands carry the six colors of the rainbow and move continually across the face, forming changing compositions through the day. At noon and at midnight the hands align to form a full rainbow, a symbol of unity. The case is made of black IP stainless steel with hidden lugs that join the black leather band seamlessly. A Japanese quartz movement is housed inside the 40 mm case.

About Alex Donahue

In addition to product design, he has practiced architecture at several internationally recognized design firms in both New York City and Washington, D.C. which include Skidmore Owings & Merrill (SOM), Pei Cobb Freed and SITE. He holds a professional Bachelor of Architecture, post-professional Master of Architecture and a Master of Real Estate. He conducts design studios at University of Maryland, College Park and George Washington University.

Award Record

Alex Donahue is a winner of 1 A' Design Award, including this recognition.

About the A' Jewelry Design Award

The A' Jewelry Design Award is an international jewelry design competition recognizing good jewelry designs by best jewelry designers worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to jewelry designers, jewelry brands, jewelers and goldsmiths from all countries. Typical entries include rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, brooches and pendants. The awarded jewelry designs are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/jewelry

About A' Design Award & Competition

Organized annually since 2008, A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The philanthropic mission of the A' Design Award is to advance society through good design, by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Nominations are peer reviewed and evaluated anonymously by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. Eligible laureates receive the A' Design Prize, which includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, uploading a work and receiving a preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. More information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com

Press Resources

Winner Page: https://dezigners.org/121836
A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/121836
Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!121836
Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/298799
Further Information from the Laureate: http://corcoran.gwu.edu/alex-donahue

Media Contact

Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953

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Fact Sheet

The Work

Project: Pride Watch
Function: Watch
Category: Jewelry Design
Discipline: Fashion Design
Industry: Luxury and Fashion
Colors: Sienna, Tan, Peru, Dark Slate Gray and Rosy Brown
Images: 5

The Recognition

Laureate: Alex Donahue
Country: United States of America
Recognition: A' Design Award
Edition: 2020 - 2021
Design ID: #121836

Credits

Image Credits: All photos copyright: Project Watches

Design Details

Unique Properties: The watch features six colors that continually move about the face. Twice a day, at both noon and midnight, the colors come together to create the shape of a rainbow. Beauty comes in all colors and is heightened by those colors' alignment. Show your pride with this meaningful timepiece.
Inspiration: The pride watch is a timepiece dedicated to those individuals who have bravely stood with pride for the rights of all people. The design is inspired by pride parades that occur annually worldwide, which focus on the global civil rights movement for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, and queer social acceptance.
Research: After extensive research on the symbolism of the LGBTQ rights global movement, it was found that the rainbow is the most prevalent symbol. Several design concepts were then created using the rainbow, with the selected option as one in which the hour, minute, and second hands are the rainbow and move about the watch. This was preferred over a graphic application of the rainbow for two reasons: 1. The rainbow would become intrinsic to the function of the watch, 2. The hands come together and form the rainbow, which is a metaphor for unity.
Challenge: The design challenge was to create a watch where the primary imagery was part of the watch's function rather than an applied graphic. The hour, minute, and second hands move about the watch, creating varied compositions throughout the day. The watch hands are colorful, but the case and band provide a monochrome, elegant backdrop.
Realization and Technology: The pride watch is unisex. It is made of black stainless steel with hidden lugs that connect the band seamlessly. The watch was developed from a combination of watercolor painting, drawing, technical drawings, and models were made using digital design software.
Operation and Interaction: The watch continually transforms as the rainbow bands move about the case to indicate the hour, minute, and second. They align at midnight and noon to form a full rainbow, a symbol of unity.
Project Duration and Location: Alex Donahue created the conceptual and technical drawings in Fall 2019. The watch began production in Spring 2020 and was released in Summer 2020. It has been bought by design stores and individuals throughout the world.
Specifications: The watch weighs .5 lbs, the case's diameter is 40mm and made from Black IP Stainless Steel. The case height is 8.85mm (0.35"). Inside the case, the watch contains a Japanese quartz movement. The watch is water-resistant up to 3 ATM. The band size is 20mm. The band is black and made from leather.
Keywords: Pride, LGBTQ+, Rainbow, Unity, Kinetic