Homes and Gardens

When Homes & Gardens joined forces with the Victoria and Albert Museum and HRH The Prince of Wales, none of us could have foreseen the sheer weight of design talent the Classic Design Awards would recognise. Over the past decade the winning designs, from Jonathan Ive's iPod to Barber & Osgerby's Zero-In table, have demonstrated the flourishing state of Britain's design tradition.

The Lifetime Achievement Award, added four years ago, allowed us to celebrate those who have made a significant and lasting contribution to British domestic design, a group including Sir Terence Conran, Robin and Lucienne Day, David Mellor, Tricia Guild and, now, Robin Levien. The awards also stimulate debate. What role does good design play in our everyday lives? What are its related eco issues? What is novelty for novelty's sake and what is genuine innovation? As long as design remains a burning issue, we hope that consumers will demand the highest standards and designers will be encouraged to excel.

These awards would never have been possible without the generous help and encouragement of our partners. In particular, we are indebted to two successive directors of the V&A, Dr Alan Borg and Mark Jones and their teams, and to Graham & Brown and Palmes d'Or Champagne. This year we are linking up with Harrods, which will be celebrating the awards and showcasing the CDA winners in its instore Design Icons event from 14 April to 24 May. Please join us in looking forward to another inspirational decade of great design.