Boulderball Training Tool and Game by Martin Oberhauser Receives the A' Design Award in Toys, Games and Hobby Products Design

The international grand jury of the 2023 - 2024 A' Design Award & Competition recognizes Martin Oberhauser for toys, games and hobby products design

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COMO, Italy, April 17, 2024 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has announced that Boulderball Training Tool and Game by Martin Oberhauser, designed for Boulderball, has been granted the A' Design Award in the Toys, Games and Hobby Products Design category. The award was conferred within the 2023 - 2024 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 evaluated 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.

Regarding Boulderball Training Tool and Game

The smallest bouldering wall in the world. Boulderball is the first combined training tool and game specifically made for climbers, finger-strength training and climbing technique. Inspired by climbers, the Boulderball packs an ideal climb-training tool and fidgeting game for climbers into a small ball that can be brought along everywhere. Through an innovative assembling system (plug and play) the climbing holds keep the structure together and provide the connection points for the primary structure.

About Martin Oberhauser

Martin Oberhauser graduated as a designer from the University of Bolzano, Italy. He continued his studies with a postgraduate degree at the University ECAL - Ecole Cantonale D'Art de Lausanne in Switzerland as scholar of Ronan Bouroullec and at the Designlabor Bremerhaven as a scholarship holder of the state of Bremen tutored by Werner Aisslinger. After graduating, Oberhauser worked with Patrick Jouin in Paris, where he deepened and refined his craft. Oberhauser strives for sustainability driven flagship projects, uniting a multidisciplinary team of creative and innovative minds operating in the fields of product design, interior design and art.

Award Record

This recognition makes Martin Oberhauser a winner of 1 A' Design Award.

About the A' Toys, Games and Hobby Products Design Award

The A' Toy Design Award is an international toy design competition recognizing good toy designs by best toy designers, manufacturers and brands worldwide. The competition is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to toy designers, game studios, industrial designers and hobby product manufacturers from all countries. Entries typically include dolls, action figures, board games, puzzles, plush toys and educational toys. Awarded toy designs are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/toy

About A' Design Award & Competition

A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade organized annually since 2008. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The A' Design Award has a philanthropic mission 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. Entries are peer reviewed and anonymously evaluated 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. The A' Design Prize granted to eligible laureates 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, the upload of a work and the 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. Further information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com

Press Resources

Winner Page: https://dezigners.org/156938
A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/156938
Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!156938
Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/351451
Further Information from the Laureate: https://www.boulderball.it

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: Boulderball Training Tool and Game
Function: Training Tool and Game
Category: Toys, Games and Hobby Products Design
Discipline: Industrial Design
Industry: Kids
Colors: Dark Slate Blue, Dark Slate Gray, Slate Gray, Sandy Brown and Dark Salmon
Images: 5
Client: Boulderball

The Recognition

Laureate: Martin Oberhauser
Country: Italy
Recognition: A' Design Award
Edition: 2023 - 2024
Design ID: #156938

Credits

Design Details

Unique Properties: The smallest bouldering wall in the world Boulderball, the first combined training tool and game specifically made for climbers, finger-strength training and climbing technique. Inspired by climbers, the Boulderball packs an ideal climb-training tool and fidgeting game for climbers into a small ball that can be brought along everywhere.
Inspiration: Bouldering is not just about physical strength; it requires the creativity to identify the shortest route, the strength to keep fingers on the holds, and the concentration to focus on the fingertips of both hands and feet. These are skills necessary not just for bouldering but for people of all ages, though daily training is needed to develop them. The rules of Boulderball are simple: use up to three fingers to move the ball to the designated hold parts without dropping it. The surface of Boulderball features variously sized and textured hold parts designed to be supported just with fingertips, mimicking the sensation of actual bouldering.
Research: Boulderball is a strategic and cognitive game derived from bouldering training, aimed at improving mental acuity and physical dexterity. Developed by experts in sports science and cognitive science, this game uniquely combines physical engagement with cognitive challenges to enhance creativity, concentration, and finger grip strength. Manufactured in Italy, its innovative design allows for cost-effective production without compromising quality. The game has undergone extensive testing with both world-class climbing athletes and children, demonstrating its versatility and effectiveness in training across all ages.
Challenge: The difficulty was finding a design that would reduce production costs, enabling the product to be manufactured in Italy.
Realization and Technology: Injection molding made in Italy. The primary structure consists solely of a uniform element held together by the handles. The Boulderball is made of the probably most versatile plastic on the market due to its heat resistance and moisture and chemical barriers. It is a product growing in recyclable popularity and can be recycled to create hard-wearing plastic materials such as bins, handles, cases etc.
Operation and Interaction: Boulderball teaches you problem solving. The playing cards are inspired by the greatest climbing routes on the world's most difficult peaks. The cards set your next steps and can be used to challenge yourself or your friends, teaching you new handgrips and problem solving. Different climbing holds of different shapes and sizes guide you through the route to the end point. Strength, conditioning and finger-technique can thus be trained on the go, whether at home, in the office, at school or as warm-up before a climbing session.
Project Duration and Location: The project started in Bolzano in 2022 and finished in Bolzano in 2023.
Specifications: 110 mm x 110 mm x 110 mm
Keywords: game, training tool, boulderball, studiooberhauser, climb