Design Academia - 国公立デザイン系大学会議

SDGs Design International Awards 2019 "Final Presentation and Award Ceremony" Part 2

The results have finally been announced (click here for the previous part). After the presentation, Professor Yasuyuki Hirai of Kyushu University, Faculty of Design, gave a comment on each work and a general comment on this award. In addition, the comments of the three groups who were interviewed at the venue on that day will also be posted.

Grand Prize:
Extended Island
Zhejiang A&F University
Tang Zhongyu, Zheng Qingqing, Xu Mengting, Zhang Qing and Miao Wenqi

Review
The floating mass system, which uses seaweed cultivation, creates a sea forest in the intertidal zone and the coast to restore the ecosystem, is convincing and highly evaluated. It is also wonderful that the scope has expanded from a human-centric design to life-centric design. The depiction of a sustainable industrial design is also impressive.

Comments
Through actual surveys, I witnessed the lives of locals and wondered if there was a way to help without disturbing the pace of their peaceful and quiet lives. Taking this opportunity, I would like to further share this idea among universities and students to protect the landscape and realize this plan to solve ecological problems.

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Second Prize:
The Mobile Footbath
Ito Mayumi / Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yosuke Moriyama / Kyushu University, Hwang Jinwook / Aalto University

Review
The fact that an actual experiment was carried out is an appealing point. A unique idea that only the SDGs of design can bring together, and I found the idea of combining the traditional cultures of Japan and Finland interesting. I appreciate the fact that you takes into the account of the mental aspect of design, with the keyword “relaxation”.

Comments
The focus of the design was how to ensure mobility, and the design which would create dialogue. The “Mobile Footbath” is able to create an extraordinary place anywhere. We usually communicate in a place with a given purpose, but this design made me feel the potential of a place where a lack of purpose or even silence is fine.

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Third prize:
Capricious Growth, Tenacious Growth
Zhejiang A&F University
Fu Yifan, Cheng Qiuyi, Zhao Yehua, Li Pengpeng and Zhou Yadi

Review
With the use of traditional Chinese oyster reefs, the concept of constructing artificial structures was converted to create a new type of breakwater. I felt that it was suitable for the design of SDGs because it aims to create a village that enriches the lives of fishermen and is not only limited to the seawall.

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Special Encouragement Award:
Tomodachi Connection
Graduate School of Design,Kyushu University Bangladesh Survey Team, School of Design
Chiaki Wakahara, Ryota Tanaka, Noriko Ogura and Ryotaro Haratake

Review
I find it persuasive because it is based on actual research. The design is meant to create a community where children can interact and help each other. I especially liked the fact that the shape of “Tomo Connector” was cute and designed for children’s play and creativity.

Comments
The concept of visualizing friendships remained the same from the beginning, but it took a lot of trial and error to finalize the design of the Tomo Connector. We focused on coming up with a playful design that would be fun to collect. We consulted with a research student from Bangladesh for that which we felt that we would not be able to imagine as people from Japan, and brought the project closer to realization.

Special Encouragement Award:
Baby Cocoon
University of Applied Sciences Darmstadt
Lilith Reiß

Review
The design was easy to understand, with an actual prototype prepared. It was a design conceived for both everyday use and emergencies and to be able to respond to the harsh natural and human environments. We appreciated the fact that a solution was considered for the SOS. I feel that it would be good if such designs became more widespread, not just as mere products but as designs to protect citizens.

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Head Judge Professor Hirai, looking back on this award, said, “We want to be a focal point where people and ideas come and go, and we would like to create new value going forward. We received more than 220 submissions in the first round. From the sheer number of submissions, it feels like there is a high potential for social contribution through design. l hope that we will get ‘personal designs’ next time as well.”

With over 220 ideas submitted during this first competition, even with “design” as the uniting concept, the submissions were diverse, varying from product ideas to landscapes, architecture to communication tools. It has become clear that this diversity is both the challenge and the potential currently held by designs. The way the participants connected the SDG themes that tend to be broad and abstract to their own lives when coming up with their designs also made it clear how this is important in connecting the designs to reality and making the designs convincing. We are expecting designs that combine the flexible perspectives and the expertise of students in the future.

The themes have been announced for the second “SDGs Design International Awards” that will be held in 2020, and submissions are accepted until August 31st, 2020. The final presentation and award ceremony is scheduled for November 2020.

●Overview of SDGs Design International Awards 2019
Schedule
First Review: June 1st, 2019 to October 31st, 2019
Final Presentation and Award Ceremony: March 14th, 2020
(*The Final Presentation was conducted online with no audience)

Entry themes
Three themes based on SDGs 10, 13 and 14
A: Designs to counter damage caused by natural disasters
B: Designs to protect the oceans’ abundance and beauty
C: Designs for human coexistence beyond nationality, ethnicity, or age

Prize money
Grand Prize: ¥300,000 and other additions

Judges
Head Judge: Yasuyuki Hirai (Professor, Faculty of Design, Kyushu University)
Judges: Hua Dong (Professor of Design School, Loughborough University, UK)
Kimitaka Kato (Executive Director, Japan Institute of Design Promotion)
Clare Brass (Director, Department 22)
Kazufumi Nagai (President, HAKUHODO DESIGN)

Organizer: Kyushu University, Faculty of Design, SDGs Design Unit and Center for Designed Futures of Kyushu University
Co-organizer: Kyushu Shiawase Kyoso Labo (KYUSHU HAKUHODO Inc.)

Click here for details on the SDGs Design International Awards 2019

2020.3.15