Tools That Made a Statement at the Red Dot Awards 2022 

The construction industry made a real splash at the 2022 Red Dot Awards, with more than a dozen tool manufacturing brands being recognised for their excellent and innovative product designs. 

For the last 60 years, the Red Dot Award has stood for the best in design and business. Since the jury’s first meeting in 1955, the international design competition has aimed to distinguish excellent design and presentation in business. 

Since those early days, the Red Dot has continued to expand across the globe, with museums in Essen, Germany, Xiamen, China, and Singapore. There you can find exhibitions of past winners of the award, as well as current contenders. 

With more than 18,000 entries yearly from design professionals, companies and organisations from over 70 countries, the Red Dot Award is now one of the largest, and the most renowned, design competitions in the world. 

The Red Dot is awarded in three different categories: 

• Red Dot Award: Product Design 

• The oldest of the three awards, the Red Dot Award: Product Design, is open to several fields of manufacturing, including furniture, home appliances, machines, cars, and tools.  

• Red Dot Award: Brands & Communication Design 

• The Red Dot Award: Brands & Communication Design recognizes the best brands and creative works of the year. 

• Red Dot Award: Design Concept 

• Established in 2005, the Red Dot Award: Design Concept focuses on design concepts, ideas, and visions. The competition is targeted toward young, up-and-coming creative talents, designers, and design companies around the world. 

Over time, the Red Dot Award has become synonymous with high quality design and creativity, and it offers an exclusive opportunity for winners to communicate news of their success, as well as broadening the reach of their brand. 

Product Design 

Two different distinctions are awarded as part of the Red Dot Award: Product Design.  

The Red Dot: Best of the Best is the highest distinction in the competition and is awarded to pioneering designs, while the Red Dot is awarded for high design quality, and this year’s award ceremony for the Product Design Award took place in Essen, Germany, on 20^th June. 

Only around 1% of entries receive the “Best of the Best” distinction. This award celebrates: 

• Innovative design 
• Extraordinary quality 

• Outstanding aesthetic 
• Top-notch quality of use 

As an award celebrating design excellency on a global scale, the Red Dot international panel of judges includes professionals hailing from China, Japan, Slovenia, Germany, Brazil, and many more countries around the world.  

Some of this year’s juries include, though not exclusively, David Andersen, Renne Angerlvuo, Professor Masayo Ave, Dr. Luisa Bocchietto, Gustavo Greco, Gisbert L. Brunner, Vivian Wai-kwan Cheng, and Akira Kobayashi.  

These professionals come from all walks of life and industries, and, while you can find the expected graphic, communication and sensory-based designers in the mix, the panel of juries is also comprised of animators, marketing experts, creative directors, typographers, architects, and so many more different professions, for a truly holistic assessment of the products and designs up for contention. 

Tool Winners in 2022 

On the tool side of things, there were two big winners this year: high-profile industry giant DeWalt, and long-time Red Dot darling Hilti, tied at 4 wins each. While DeWalt has tripled their accolades this year, bringing their total up to 6 Red Dot Awards, Hilti’s wins bring them up to an astounding 63 Red Dots.  

Below, we’ve compiled a list of all the construction brands that were recognised by Red Dot this year for their innovative tool designs, as well as the feedback these products received from the jury panel.  

Hilti  

• DX 6 – Best of the Best 2022 – Embodies contemporary, innovative tool design par excellence. With its high functionality, ergonomic handling and efficient productivity, the compact yet elegantly designed device not only meets all the requirements placed on a modern working tool, but also impresses with the experience of its versatility in use. 
• TE 3000-AVR – Best of the Best 2022 – With the new edition of its pneumatic hammer, Hilti presents another innovation in terms of functionality and ergonomics. As a fully electric tool, the TE 3000-AVR only needs electricity and no longer requires a compressor, which results in significantly more comfort and ease of work. It reduces the transmission of vibrations to the body, thus noticeably relieving the user and at the same time increasing productivity, and overall represents a successful combination of design, function and user benefit. 
• AG 4S-A22 – Red Dot 2022 – Characterised by its robust workmanship and impresses with its balanced ergonomics 
• DSW 1510-CA – Red Dot 2022 – Well thought-out design concept ensures efficient and safe operation. 

DEWALT  

• DCH072 / DCH172 Product Line – Red Dot 2022 – These compact, powerful cordless hammer drills are convincingly designed, especially in terms of user-friendliness and making everyday work easier. 
• Tough Series Handtools – Red Dot 2022 – Offers sophisticated, user-friendly functionality and impresses with robust workmanship. 
• Toughsystem® 2.0 Storage – Red Dot 2022 – Convinces with its simple functionality and compact robustness. 
• 2100 MAX PSI* Electric Jobsite Pressure Washer – Red Dot 2022 – impressive thanks to the consistent focus on convenience, making the appliance very useful. 

Protago (Fein) Cordless 18V Angle Grinder – Best of the Best 2022 – Impresses with its high-quality design and the well-thought-out functionality of its innovative, six-way adjustable auxiliary handle. Its clearly structured design conveys power and embodies an impressive advancement. With its exclusive two-hand operation and a safety hood that can no longer be removed by the user, this angle grinder sets new standards in terms of safety and ergonomics for such a tool. 

Titan 18V Combi Drill – Red Dot 2022 – Presents itself as an exceptionally reliable tool, thanks to its versatility and suitability for everyday use. 

Streicher Horizontal Directional Drilling Rig HDD80-E – Red Dot 2022 – The aesthetically and ergonomically impressive electrically operated HDD80-E drilling rig convinces with its low noise levels and furthermore makes a valuable contribution to environmental protection. 

Granberg EX Impact Series (Gloves) – Red Dot 2022 – Through a well thought-through selection of materials and a sophisticated design, the EX Impact protective gloves combine safety and freedom of movement. 

BLACK+DECKER Reviva Power Tools Range – Red Dot 2022 – The development of the Reviva power tools placed focus on environmental responsibility – a task that was approached and solved in the design with great creative effort and well thought-out strategies. 

Husqvarna K1 PACE – Red Dot 2022 – Shows how design expression and user-friendly functionality can be successfully combined in a machine to form a united whole. 

RYOBI USB Lithium Power Carver Kit – Red Dot 2022 – Ergonomically balanced and impresses with its high performance and efficiency. 

RYOBI USB Lithium Rotary Tool Kit – Red Dot 2022 – Versatile tool that offers powerful performance yet is easy to use. 

Hyundai HX Series (HX35Az, HX40A, HX48Az) – Red Dot 2022 – These mini excavators feature a reduced and coherent exterior design and a user-centred design for the cab workstation. 

While not all brands went home with an award this year, industry icons such as Festool and Milwaukee have also been previously recognised by the Red Dot Award for their products, such as: 

Festool Systainer³ – Red Dot 2020 – The boxes of this well-thought-out case system ensure clarity and manageability. They also integrate well into other systems. 

Milwaukee M12 Fuel 3’’ Compact Cut Off Tool – Red Dot 2019 – Combines ergonomic and functional aspects with precision and high performance in a harmonious way. 

In the Winners section of the Red Dot website, you can find every product, brand, communication design project and concept that has won an award since 2011. With over 26,000 entries, it is the largest online archive of contemporary design. 

Winners’ Benefits 

Visibility, valuable industry contacts and moments to celebrate with the entire team – winners in the Red Dot Award: Product Design can look forward to the following benefits: 

• Global visibility for your product and your brand across different sectors 
• Positioning as a design-oriented company and an enhanced image 
• Content for your corporate communications 
• Access to an international community of designers, manufacturers and potential customers 
• Global perception as an attractive employer 

What new tool are you most excited to try out? Who do you think was snubbed this year? What are your predictions for next year’s Red Dot Award? Get in touch and let us know in the comments below.