The debate over whether the spirit of the age sets the tone for design or if design determines the zeitgeist is not about to be settled anytime soon. The relationship is intimate, and no matter how one sorts it out, this year’s STEP Design 100 competition was surely a product of our time. This is an uneasy age, with economic, environmental and social threats perceived on every front. From the thousands of entries to our competition, it was impossible not to extract an overall atmosphere of respectful realism, with tendencies toward straightforward presentation, subdued typography and perhaps a yearning for a return to elegance. There was plenty of humor in the competition, too, but shocking the middle class and testing the bounds of propriety were notably absent. Beautiful work was present in quantity, as our Design 100 judges panel noted repeatedly.

While our coverage of this year’s competition—which begins on page 51—extensively discusses the traits and trends our judges and commentators saw emerging, there are a few observations I believe are worth making here. First, we were gratified to see an increase in the number of entries from overseas. The Design 100 has traditionally drawn most of its entries from U.S. and Canadian studios, but this year’s entries also included a cosmopolitan element, with spectacular winning pieces from Eastern Europe, which is clearly becoming a locus of superior design. In particular, the Croatian firm Bruketa&Zinic was again honored this year with one of the competition’s top five judge’s selections; read about their work on page 64. Design, like all other aspects of the economy, is increasingly global in nature; we look forward to seeing more global influence in future competitions.

Another highlight of this year’s competition—very much in keeping with its overall tone, as you’ll learn on page 53 in Tiffany Meyers’ appraisal of emerging directions for the industry—was the emphasis on design for social good. Involvement with public causes was evident in both pro bono efforts (see coverage of John Bielenberg’s Project M entry, another of the show’s top five entries, on page 62) and projects submitted by firms specializing in work for nonprofits. One can only hope this positive and generous spirit will be present in all aspects of our society, and not limited to the design world.

Finally, I want to express our great thanks to the judges responsible for assembling the 2008 STEP Design 100: Kevin Grady, Bill Grant, Steven Ryan, Petrula Vrontikis and Ann Willoughby. They approached what can be a grueling task with professionalism, ready wit and a spirit of discovery. The character of this year’s Design 100 is also an expression of these gracious and accomplished individuals.