IDI Award for Ina Koenig and Anthony Cleary, the design team of Unleaded

Unleaded is a young and dynamic new lighting and product design brand that is driven by aesthetics and design. For, Ina Koenig and Anthony Cleary, the design team of Unleaded, continuously pursuing ways of creating and developing new products is essential to establishing their fresh company.

They are driven in this pursuit to prove their capabilities and exhibit the highest quality and excellence. When they won the 50% Scheme Award from the Crafts Council of Ireland this summer, they had the unique opportunity to bring an exciting design concept to life. The Crafts Council offered them the chance to create what turned out to be one of their signature design pieces. an employment grant from Dublin City Enterprise Board also helped with their cashflow. Their objective was to develop a modular lighting system, based primarily on two dimensional flat sheet components. Secondary processes such as folding or rolling were used to form three dimensional units which would provide lamp housings and could be interconnected into expanding structures. The result is Ply, a modular wall and ceiling lighting system. Ply represents infinite possibilities, in both design and concept. Its Y-shaped, three dimensional units interconnect to form a self-supporting architectural structure. Ply spreads fluidly along a surface, washing it with a crisp radiating glow. The system modifies to any size; it can exist as a two piece ambient feature light or grow to become a large scale installation. They have endeavoured to create an energy efficient and environmentally friendly product utilising contemporary and clean manufacturing processes and materials. Having received a great deal of positive response to the product, entering Ply in the biannual Design Awards 2007 of the Institute of Designers in Ireland was a very logical progression. On the 17th of October they won a highly commended IDI Award in the category of product design. The prize was assessed by an international panel of jurors from a high number of excellent entries. "We were honoured and delighted to receive this very important and acknowledged national Irish design award. This award certifies Unleaded’s capabilities and design talent. For us it is a symbol of our hard work and the possibilities that await Unleaded in the future" Ina Koenig and Anthony Cleary.

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