The innovative swim company, FINIS, impressed a 37-member jury of design experts with their newest product, the Neptune MP3 Player, to receive the “red dot award: product design 2013”. The international jury only awards this sought-after seal of quality to products that set themselves apart significantly from comparable products because of excellent design. The jury members received 4,662 entries in 19 different categories in this year’s competition, and the Neptune came out an award winner.
The international awards ceremony for the seal of quality will take place on July 1, 2013 as part of the traditional red dot gala. The ceremony – held in Essen’s opera house, the impressive Aalto Theatre – has become established as a celebratory ceremony with innovators, designers and guests attending from around the world. The Neptune will be put on display at the ceremony and during a four-week special exhibition in the red dot design museum.
The Neptune MP3 Player, the next generation of the popular SwiMP3, uses revolutionary Bone Conduction technology to transmit crystal clear audio through the cheekbone directly into the inner ear. The Neptune has a 3-piece design with 2 side speakers that attach to goggle straps and a high contrast OLED screen that sits comfortably on the back of the head. Important to the design of the Neptune was the hydrodynamic look that does not use earbuds, creating a unique experience in the water and keeps the ears free from obstruction.
Professor Dr. Peter Zec, initiator and CEO of the red dot, has pointed out that strong design competence and economic success go hand in hand: “The winners of the ‘red dot award: product design 2013’ are the protagonists of a highly developed design culture and design industry. These days it is becoming more and more difficult to distinguish between well-designed products. It is often only in the details that the special qualities become apparent. However, those product creations that pass the test before the critical eyes of the international red dot jury will not disappear into the crowd and will be able to fend off global competition.”
John Mix, CEO of FINIS, commented on the special red dot recognition, “We are enamoured that the newest product to FINIS, the Neptune, has already been recognized for its premium design with the ‘red dot’ award. Feedback from valued customers helps to shape the next generations of our products. Countless hours have gone into our development of the Neptune’s design and we are thrilled that they have been recognized with the prestigious ‘red dot’ award.”
The Neptune launched worldwide on May 21st and is available online at FINISinc.com.
Founded in 1993 in Northern California, FINIS was started by John Mix and Olympic Gold Medal Swimmer Pablo Morales. The Monofin and the Swimmer’s Snorkel were the first products they developed for the US market; afterwards, they continued to focus on creating training tools for swimmers and coaches worldwide. FINIS products are currently available in over 65 countries and are used by US and International Olympic teams, elite triathletes, and fitness swimmers.
Innovative research and design is FINIS’ highest priority. This dedication has resulted in truly unique products such as: the Swimmer’s Snorkel, which is recognized as the paramount tool to improve a swimmer’s technique, the SwiMP3 that uses bone conduction technology to transmit music to the inner ear instead of using ear buds, and the Z2 Zoomers fins, which demonstrate an intimate understanding of swimming musculature, hydrodynamics, and engineering.
Visit the FINIS Blog at http://www.finisinc.com/blog/
This is an unedited press release.