news release

Professional Associations Honor Acoustiguide for Outstanding Audio Tour Content

Acoustiguide's 2000 Series Wand, the popular digital audio player introduced worldwide last year, was published in I.D. Magazine's 2001 Annual Design Review in the August issue. The Wand received an honorable mention (in effect, third place) in the equipment category along with a prestigious lineup of products that included New York's latest, high-tech subway cars and the IBM E-Server computer tower.

Each year I.D. surveys the best designs for consumer products, equipment, graphics, packaging, environments and furniture. The equipment category judges were Susan Yelavich, Assistant Director for Public Programs at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in New York, and Sonja Schiefer, a design professional who holds 12 patents. The Wand was developed by ION Design of Edgewater, New Jersey, and Acoustiguide. Its engineering was jointly created by Acoustiguide and Digital 5.

"Our goal at Acoustiguide is to bring quality audio interpretation and beautiful, functional design to the museum visitor's experience," said Barbara Roberts, President and CEO. "In addition to being an attractive product to hold in one's hand, the Wand is engineered for accessibility. From its telephone-style keypad to the colored and shaped buttons, this player is easy to use for people of all ages, from children to older adults who may have sight and mobility impairments."

Mario Turchi is the co-founder of ION Design, listed on Business Week's roster of top design firms in the United States. "Designing a product for the museum environment was a task we enjoyed immensely," he said. "Acoustiguide players must live up to the aesthetic expectations of museum professionals, endure heavy use by their visitors, and deliver a level of performance in audio tour technology unimaginable just a few years ago."

Acoustiguide Wins Professional Awards for Audio Tour Content

In addition to several awards for outstanding creativity received last spring, Acoustiguide has recently garnered independent honors for audio tours at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Detroit Institute of Arts.

The International Association of Business Communicators gave Acoustiguide a regional Ace Award for the MoMA2000: Open Ends audio tour and national Silver Quill Awards for both MoMA2000: Open Ends and Van Gogh: Face to Face. IABC is a prestigious association with chapters of communications professionals worldwide. In addition, the National Association for Interpretation honored Acoustiguide with a Media Award for Van Gogh: Face to Face.

"The recognition of independent professional associations means a great deal to us," Roberts said. "It is a validation of our high standards for the effectiveness of audio tours as both communications and educational tools."

The Van Gogh program was narrated by Graham Beal, Director of the Detroit Institute of Arts, and featured insightful excerpts from the artist's letters. The MoMA program was narrated by noted museum curators and prominently featured the unscripted commentaries of many contemporary artists whose work was on display.