The Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum will honor the recipients of the ninth annual National Design Awards program at a gala dinner on Oct. 23 at Cooper-Hewitt.

The 2008 National Design Awards nominations were solicited from a committee comprised of more than 1,500 designers, educators, journalists, cultural figures and corporate leaders. This year's jury of design experts convened by Cooper-Hewitt took the nominations and selected a lifetime achievement recipient and winners and finalists in eight categories: corporate achievement; design mind; architecture; communications; fashion; interior; landscape; product design. Jury members included Tim Brown, jury chair and CEO and president, IDEO; James Carpenter, principal, James Carpenter Design Associates; Francisco Costa, creative director, Calvin Klein Collection for women, Calvin Klein, Inc.; Camilo Pardo, design chief, Special Vehicles Team and Living Legends Studio, Ford Motor Company; Mark Robbins, dean, Syracuse University School of Architecture; Georgianna Stout, founding partner and creative director 2x4; Raquel Tudela, global creative director, Bloomberg L.P.; Lauren Zalaznick, president, Bravo and Oxygen Media.

"The work of this year's honorees has made a broad and powerful impact on our society," says Paul Warwick Thompson, Cooper-Hewitt director. "The innovations of visionaries like Google, this year's corporate achievement winner, and lifetime achievement recipient Charles Harrison, are a testament to design's ability to connect with a wide audience and affect all areas of daily life, from the way we work, use technology and interact with our environment."

The National Design Awards were first launched at the White House in 2000, as a project of the White House Millenium Council.  

The 2008 National Design Award recipients are:

Lifetime Achievement: Charles Harrison

The Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing the work of an individual who has made a long-term contribution to the practice of design, is presented to Charles Harrison. An industrial designer at Sears, Roebuck Company for more than three decades, Harrison has improved the quality of life for millions of Americans through the breadth and innovation of his product designs. One of the first African Americans to enter the design field, Harrison began working for Sears in 1961 and eventually became the company's chief designer.

Corporate Achievement: Google, Inc.

The corporate achievement award recognizes a corporation that uses design as a strategic tool of its mission and helps to advance the relationship between design and quality of life. The 2008 Corporate Achievement award is presented to Google, Inc. Google has transformed the way millions of Internet users around the globe access information every day. Founded in 1998, the company has married a simple, easy-to-use interface with complex engineering, making it the leading source for news, images and locations on the Web.

Design Mind: Michael Bierut

The Design Mind Award recognizes visionary individuals or firms that have affected a shift in design thinking or practice through writing, research and scholarship. The 2008 recipient is Michael Bierut, a partner at the New York design firm Pentagram.

Architecture Design: Tom Kundig

The Architecture Design Award is given to Tom Kundig, a partner in the Seattle-based firm Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects. Kundig's projects integrate architecture  and landscape, and pay meticulous attention to detail and the materials used, which are often left in their natural, raw state.

Communications Design: Scott Stowell

The Communications Design Award, honoring work in graphic or multimedia design, is presented to Scott Stowell. Since 1998, Stowell has been the proprietor of Open, an independent, New York-based design studio that works across a range of media.

Fashion Design: Ralph Rucci

Recognizing work in clothing, accessory or footwear design, the Fashion Design Award is presented to Ralph Rucci, who established his womenswear label, Chado Ralph Rucci, in 1994.

Interior Design: Rockwell Group

The Interior Design Award, given for work in domestic, corporate, cultural or interior design, is awarded to the Rockwell Group, specializing in cultural, hospitality, retail, product, and set design. The firm was founded in 1984 by David Rockwell and his interest in theater has informed much of the firm's work.

Landscape Design: Olin Partnership

The recipient of the Landscape Design Award, which is presented for work in urban planning or park and garden design, is Olin Partnership, a leading American landscape architecture firm.

Product Design: Antenna Design

Given for work in the design of consumer goods, technology or home and office furnishings, the 2007 Product Design Award is presented to Antenna Design. Co-founded by Sigi Moeslinger and Masamichi Udagawa in 1997, the firm often blurs the line between installation and product, incorporating new media and an interactive element to engage the user. The firm designed three new fleets of subway cars and the MetroCard ticket vending machines for New York City's Metropolitan Transportation Authority.