SWARTHMORE, Pa., Dec. 5, 2005 - For his design of a computer, “Totemo,” that operates in complete silence, Swarthmore College senior Joseph Roth has been named a winner in the prestigious 2005 Red Dot: Design Concept Competition.  Roth attended the award ceremony in Singapore on Nov. 17.

“Totemo’s design paradigm is one of restraint, both in its physical design and completely silent operation,” Roth says.  “Unlike most computer cases today, it is constructed from natural materials that have been used in the creation of human artifacts for centuries.  I want users to consider the system housed within Totemo less in terms of its technology or complexity and more in terms of the creative possibilities it affords.”

Red Dot (www.red-dot.de) is a design competition based in Germany that has been held since 1955. Roth’s was one of 50 winners, mainly individuals with their own design firms, chosen from a field of 630 entries from 32 countries.  As one of the winning entries, Roth’s design will be exhibited in Red Dot museums in Germany and Singapore.

“I entered the competition almost as a lark, since I thought only companies won these things,” Roth says.  “I was pretty surprised when I found out I won.”

Totemo, which Roth says took him three days to complete last winter, incorporates sustainable materials such as a bamboo base and a cooling system that removes the often loud exhaust fans found in current machines.  In addition to eliminating noise — helpful in recording studios and in rooms with many computers — Roth says his asymmetrical design affords more accurate touch-based navigation, which can be of use to people with visual impairments.  He is currently in talks with a number of major computer manufacturers about possible licensing agreements. 

Roth’s silent computer is not his first design to receive widespread attention.  His concept for a steel and glass teapot, named “Sorapot,” was featured earlier this year in Gizmodo (www.gizmodo.com), an influential gadgets weblog, and in the high-end style magazine Zink (www.zinkmag.com).  Images of Roth’s designs can be seen on his website, www.joeyroth.com.

Roth, originally an English major, designed his own course of study, in industrial design theory.  The son of Suzanne and Mark Roth of Montclair, N.J., he is a 2002 graduate of Montclair High School.  As a freshman at Swarthmore, Roth helped found Qüb, a late-night campus café and lounge that features sushi and bubble tea.  In 2004 he received a National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance Advanced E-Team Grant to develop consumer LED  lighting products.  Also last year, Roth won a campus competition for his design of a new student lounge in Parrish Hall, Swarthmore’s iconic main building.

Located near Philadelphia, Swarthmore is a highly selective liberal arts college whose mission combines academic rigor with social responsibility.  Swarthmore, with an enrollment of 1,450, is consistently ranked among the top liberal arts colleges in the country.