Etienne Delessert, born in Lausanne in 1941 and based in Lakeville, Connecticut, made his name as a graphic designer and illustrator in Paris and New York with advertising campaigns and posters, and later gained wide renown for his illustrations, animated films, and paintings. He has illustrated more than 80 books, all of which have become worldwide successes. Eleonore Peduzzi Riva, born in Basel in 1936, worked as a designer and design consultant for major brands such as Cassina, Artemide, and De Sede. The DS-600 modular sofa of 1972, created in collaboration with Ueli Berger, Heinz Ulrich, and Klaus Vogt, is an expression of her goal to enable people to design their personal habitat. Chantal ProdHom, also born in Lausanne in 1957, founded the Asher Edelman Foundation in the 1990s, where she staged visionary exhibitions featuring little-known artists, and traveled the world in search of design talent for Benettons famous Fabrica. Between 2000 and 2022, she directed her native citys Musée cantonal de design et darts appliqués contemporains (mudac). Through her tireless commitment, she shapes and fosters public perception of design. Switzerlands Federal Office of Culture has awarded the 2023 Swiss Grand Award for Design to Etienne Delessert, Eleonore Peduzzi Riva, and Chantal ProdHom. This book introduces each of them through a concise text and an interview, as well as a brief biography, illustrated with images from their archives.

The Federal Office of Culture in Bern is part of Switzerlands Federal Department of Home Affairs. Its responsibility is to promote Swiss culture in the fields of literature, performance arts, film, visual arts, and design, and to preserve the countrys cultural heritage.