2011年什么让你印象最深刻?你还记得在这一年里国际上都发生了什么事吗?我想这一年里有一件事情是不得不提了：那就是英国王室威廉王子和凯特的堪称世纪级的婚礼。在婚礼上的亮点当属凯特王妃的婚纱了。象牙白的结婚礼服，是由英国服装品牌Alexander McQueen创意非凡的Sarah Burton设计的，被认为是一件非常成功的设计作品。
那么在2012年同样有一件大事你又知道吗?同样是在英国，那就是2012年的伦敦奥运会啦!而奥运会的亮点之一也当属这奥运火炬了，80厘米高的镂空金色设计，让它众多争议下进入了年度设计奖的提名。
两个不同的设计来竞逐具有设计界的奥斯卡之称的设计年度大奖，将会给我们带来什么样的理念呢?值得期待。
The Duchess of Cambridge's wedding dress and the London 2012 Olympic torch are among designs competing to be crowned the best of the year.
The duchess's ivory bridal gown, designed by Alexander McQueen's creative director Sarah Burton, was widely considered to be a roaring success when it was unveiled at the royal wedding last April.
The intricately decorated gown, handstitched by dozens of members of the Royal School of Needlework in Hampton Court, was deemed by some to bear a striking resemblance to the one worn by the actress Grace Kelly for her wedding to Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, in April 1956.
It went on display in the ballroom of Buckingham Palace during the annual summer opening last year.
Its rival is the controversial Olympic torch, created by east London design duo Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby. The conical gold torch has compared to a cheese grater or an ice cream cone.
The cutting edge design team said at the time they wanted it to resemble a piece of sporting equipment rather than a trophy. They described it as 'physically light and visually light', but the 80cm perforated gold design divided commentators. Nevertheless, it makes it firmly onto the Design Museum's annual awards nominees list.
The east London velodrome built for the 2012 Olympics finds its way onto the list - a good sign that the constructions for the British Olympics could be a lot more successful than that other infamous landmark venue, the Millenium Dome.
Dubbed the Oscars of the design world, the top award is much coveted among those in the industry. The long-listed designs are in seven different categories: architecture, fashion, furniture, graphics, product and transport.
A high profile judging panel will decide the best entries in each of the seven categories. Images of the items will go on show at an exhibition at the museum, in Shad Thames, south London, from February 8.A winner named for each category and an overall overall winner for Design of the Year will be announced at a ceremony at the museum on April 24.
Exhibition curator Ria Hawthorn said: 'From the everyday practicality of a carefully crafted dining chair to the thought-provoking solar powered 3D printing machine that points to the future, this year's nominees reflect the diversity of design in all its forms, showcasing designs that will have an impact on our everyday and future lives.'
