Every hand-painted Royal Delft vase is an unmistakable, one of a kind, traditional piece of Delft Blue. Even when the specific decoration is translated into other objects, real or virtual, the distinctive ‘blueware’ identity is undeniably in evidence. This project is a clever fusion of centuries-old craftsmanship and advanced digital augmented reality technology. Augmented Blueware is the product of close collaboration. Royal Delft wanted to launch a range of extraordinary tableware on the consumer market. To create a concept that would stand out in an already overcrowded marketplace, FLEX / design came up with a smart concept: an exclusive range of Blueware in which each individual dinner service is based on a unique, hand-painted Delft Blue vase. This innovative project was made possible thanks to the technical expertise of TWNKLS / Augmented Reality, a leader in the field of computer vision.

The jury feels that this is a wonderful case. A project that cleverly combines traditional craftsmanship with new techniques. The sum of the parts is so much more than the whole. A deep-rooted brand with a very rich history interacts with innovative technologies and new partners. The outcome is about unicity versus the multiple, and costly versus affordable factory goods. It is clear to the jury that this royal company is continuing to evolve and understands what design can do to give new impetus to their ‘business’.