The interplay of aesthetics, sustainability and functionality of the Zenomenon automotive colour by BASF fascinated the Red Dot jury.
The international paints and coatings manufacturer BASF has recently announced that its Zenomenon colour had received the Red Dot Award for product design. The colour developed by the Coatings division of the company is the only automotive paint to be honoured this year during the Red Dot Award celebration, one of the most prestigious design competitions in the world.
The innovative technology and the special aesthetics of the coating
have impressed the independent experts on the Red Dot jury in the ‘Materials and Surfaces’ category: “The development of Zenomenon is remarkably future-oriented. In particular, the interplay of aesthetics, sustainability and functionality is fascinating.”
Instead of classic pigments, the formulation of Zenomenon is based on special polymer structures (suitable for LIDAR or radar sensor systems) with a high proportion of renewable materials developed by the cooperation partner Cypris Materials. So, the colour represents a more sustainable alternative in the area of surface aesthetics for automotive coatings.
The result is a unique colour effect that arises from self-assembled layered structures, reflecting light in the visible spectrum with a flop effect – giving the surface a shimmering and strikingly iridescent shine.
“Being awarded the Red Dot prize for product design is a very special honour for us, especially as a chemical company. The award underlines our design and technology expertise and the trust in innovative solutions that our customers in the automotive industry place in us,” has stated Mark Gutjahr, the global head of automotive colour design for BASF.
All submissions had been assessed based on the four basic principles of good design: the quality of function, the quality of seduction, the quality of use and the quality of responsibility. The award-winning products, including a sample coated with Zenomenon, will be showcased until May 2025 as part of an exhibition at the Red Dot Design Museum in the UNESCO World Heritage Site Zollverein in Essen (Germany).