The exhibition: Brit Insurance Design Awards 2011

Now a fixed event on the international design calendar, the fourth edition of the Brit Insurance Design Awards once again showcases an eclectic array of almost 100 objects - from clothing to computer games - produced in the previous year, that together reflect the latest developments in global design.

'It is fascinating to see how the character and feel of the shortlist changes from year to year, highlighting current trends in both design and a wider visual culture' said exhibition curator Alex Newson of this year's selection. 'One noticeable trend is the emergence of the iPad and other tablet devices... [And] the continued presence of sustainable and environmental design is also apparent. However, rather than being treated as an exclusive factor, sustainable elements are now frequently embedded within the design process - an indicator that sustainability is becoming the rule rather than the exception.

The 2011 line-up is again divided into seven disciplines: architecture, fashion, furniture, graphics, interactive, product and transport, which are divided up around the physical exhibition (currently on show at the Design Museum, London, until 7 August) into five areas: city, play, learn, home and share.

This is a show with something for everyone, from design buffs to the uninitiated. No less than seven apps dominate the interactive section for example, of which most visitors will be familiar with the simplistic yet addictive Angry Birds game. At the other end of the spectrum is Mimosa, a highly inventive 'mix of creative flair and artistry' which brings together organic LED technology with motion sensors to create a captivating artwork.

The architecture category equally offers a range of nominations. The group includes the Balancing Barn, by Holland-based MVRDV Architects for Alain de Botton's now-familiar Living Architecture project, and Heatherwick Studio's headline-grabbing Seed Cathedral, the UK pavilion for the Shanghai Expo 2010, as well as projects like Tape Installations - a series of web-like installations created out of multiple layers of sticky tape by Croatian-Austrian collective Numen/For Use, which has been billed as a project which 'could lead to new ways of constructing cocoon-like structures'.

If it is structure in cloth rather than concrete that you are after, then the collection also has rich pickings for fashionistas; highlights from this group include the SS11 Lanvin collection and Naim Josefi and Souzan Youssouf's Melonia Shoe, a 3D 'print' which is created from a scan of the intended wearer's foot.

If previous years are anything to go by, the transport, furniture and product categories will be the most hotly-contested. This year's line-up for the transport category includes the Barclays-sponsored London Cycle Hire scheme, which has been pitted against the Electric-Networked Vehicle (E-N V), 'designed to meet the needs of an increasing urban population' - two passengers and light luggage can fit into a vehicle about a third the size of a traditional car - and the futuristic Yikebike, 'the smallest and lightest electric folding bike in the world'. The furniture section features a total of eight chairs or benches, of which Spun - a second nomination for Heatherwick - and Thin Black Lines, by Japanese design studio Nendo - are the most arresting (the simple yet delightful Drop Table, by Junya Ishigami, is possibly the most pleasing object to the eye in this group). The product category looks like it might be the hardest to judge; the list features a hugely-diverse range of objects, from the iPad to the Dyson Air Multiplyer Fan, as well as coffins, clocks and wheelchairs.

Last but not least, the graphics section this year deserves closer examination. The scope of the discipline takes in a community graffiti project in the US (A Love Letter for You, by Stephen Powers), the flat pack-style images of ingredients for the Ikea cookbook, Homemade is Best (Forsman & Bodenfors) and a miniature book (measuring just 5cm high) containing a complete overview of the work of Dutch designer Irma Boom, complete with 450 full-colour illustrations - 'a refreshing antidote to the usual coffee table design books'.

Nominations from the 2011 shortlist were made by figures from the international design community as well as members of the Design Museum. Chairing the judging panel this year is Stephen Bayley, previously director of the Museum, who will be joined by novelist Will Self, official spokesman for the awards, who has a self-declared interest in 'designy' things, particularly objects of beauty as well as use; 'practicality and aesthetics should not be divorced'.

The shortlist has just been announced. Category winners are:

Architecture - Open Air Library, KARO Architekten, Germany 
Fashion - Uniqlo +J Autumn/Winter '10, Jil Sander for Uniqlo, Japan
Furniture - Branca, Industrial Facility, Italy 
Graphics - Homemade is Best, Forsman & Bodenfors for IKEA, Sweden
Interactive - Flipboard, Mike McCue and Evan Doll, USA
Product - Plumen 001, Hulger and Samuel Wilkinson, UK
Transport - Barclays Cycle Hire, Transport for London and Serco, UK

The overall winner from these finalists will be presented with a trophy designed by Ross Lovegrove on 15 March.

Susannah Glynn