LOS ANGELES, California--Karten Design, a Southern California product consultancy, received accolades on a global stage with the announcement that two of the firm’s projects were honored as winners in the 2011 International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) program.

The program is a celebration of design excellence in products, sustainability, interaction design, packaging, strategy, research, and concepts.

Karten Design’s two-year research program for Starkey Laboratories, which has informed the company’s product development strategy and long-term product roadmap--from hearing aids to accessories--was honored with an IDEA Silver in the design research category. The Zen Cordless Prophy, created for Discus Dental, won an IDEA Bronze for design in the field of medical and scientific products.

“We believe in using research and design to create positive impact and solve real world problems,” said principal Stuart Karten. “It’s an honor to receive recognition for projects that have accomplished this goal.”

Improving the hearing aid experience
No one wants a hearing aid. In fact, research has shown that people with hearing impairment live in denial for five to nine years before seeking treatment. Working with Starkey, Karten Design set out to redefine an undesirable experience by understanding and meeting the physical and emotional needs of 60- to 80-year olds with hearing impairment.

Karten’s ongoing research has helped Starkey to drive product innovation rooted in real user needs. During a four-year partnership, Karten has led a multi-disciplinary team of researchers, designers, product managers, and engineers in using research insights to develop and test products. This includes a line of hearing aids that reduce a strong stigma and improve the user experience with innovations such as the hearing industry’s first touch control.

VALO wins International Design Excellence Award

Taking the fear out of a trip to the dentist
At least 5% of the U.S. population would rather suffer unspeakable pain than visit a dentist, where they find a room full of sharp and scary metallic dental instruments. The design of the Discus Dental Zen—a cordless tooth polisher—helps to change users’ perception of the dental visit.

With Zen Cordless Prophy, Karten Design created a clean, iconic esthetic more at home in a health spa than a traditional dentist’s office. Not only does the Zen improve the patient experience, it creates a safer, more comfortable work environment for dental hygienists.

Corded prophies often cause hand strain, sometimes leading to carpel tunnel syndrome for hygienists who routinely perform 40 or more dental polishing procedures weekly. Designed to rest comfortably in the hygienist’s hand, the cordless Zen facilitates freedom of movement and incorporates ergonomic details to reduce stress and strain. A silhouette integrates ergonomic details like an axial symmetrical shape in the grip area that balances its weight and reduces hand strain. Zen’s design makes infection control easier with autoclavable barrier shells and disposable cleaning angles.

In addition it its winning projects, Karten Design also had two finalists in this year’s program--the LifeStudio Mobile Plus external hard drive for Hitachi GST, and the Spyder Avant Goggles designed for paintball equipment manufacturer Kingman.

The IDEA program is considered one of the most preeminent design competitions in the nation with its scope and influence reaching far beyond U.S. boundaries. With a record-breaking 2,000 entries, the 2011 selection process was especially rigorous, with winners chosen by a judging panel of 20 design experts. Each of the 2011 IDEA award winners will be featured online by Fast Company and included in the IDSA’s annual Yearbook of Industrial Design Excellence.

For more information, go to www.kartendesign.com/.

To comment on this topic, go to community.pennwelldentalgroup.com/.