ow important is good design? Just ask brands like Oxo Good Grips, Vibram, and Dyson. Their products are kitchen utensils, shoes, and vacuum cleaners, respectively, but the value their companies place on design elevates these premium products from ordinary offerings to gallery-worthy works of art. Furthermore, on an aesthetic level, good design is the difference between "eh" and "amazing." Simply compare a Bic to a Montblanc, an Eames Armchair to a Barcalounger, a Ford Taurus to a Bugatti Veyron, or a Jaclyn Smith dress to a Gaultier gown.

Clearly, design makes a difference in terms of both form and function. And that's exactly why EXHIBITOR Magazine hosts the annual Exhibit Design Awards. Now in its 27th year, the competition honors the world's best exhibit designs and delivers them to readers via our May issue.

The 2013 competition – which drew 38 percent more entries than last year's program – was judged in Miami Beach, FL, by a bevy of world-renowned design experts. After careful analysis, the panel selected 18 winners that prove design doesn't merely make a difference; it solves problems, catches the eye, and maybe even delights the imagination.

Consider the Brunner GmbH exhibit, which took home the competition's top honor. Designers used an astounding 54,000 white plastic letters to line three walls of the 39-by-25-foot space with 3-D illustrations, depicting everything from geese soaring through the sky to people seemingly resting atop real Brunner furniture.

Meanwhile, the design for Off On New Lighting GmbH comprised two steel cargo containers, featuring the company's new line of LED lighting. The structure doubled as a road-show marketing medium – and also functioned as the exhibit's shipping crates. Another power player, Molo Design Ltd. earned a Gold Award in the Elements category for the inventive application of its own offerings, corrugated paper products that are functional and durable.

So hat's off to this year's winners. They demonstrate that good exhibit design is often the difference between a booth that functions and one that flops. Indeed, good design isn't only important; it's a crucial contributor to marketing success. E