Finalists Selected in First Annual INDEX: AIGA Aspen Design Challenge
March 18, 2009 | Levent OZLER
Tasked with developing design solutions to address the global water crisis, design students across the world rose to the challenge in force, dreaming up wildly different solutions ranging from print design to web applications, physical devices to data presentation tools, and print campaigns to environmental design. More than 450 students at 115 universities from 27 countries participated in the Challenge, drawing from their diverse and disparate backgrounds to help solve a truly global crisis.
"I was amazed by the proposals that came in. There was a wide range of thinking from communications to environmental design and product design. Most of all, I was inspired by the broad, systemic thinking and team collaboration the designers did to find good answers," said Brian Collins of creative chairman, Collins:, a New York-based design firm.
A Global Call to Action for Design Students
AIGA and INDEX: issued this ambitious call to action in August 2008, calling on the next generation of creative thinkers to develop solutions to the global water crisis in the first annual INDEX: | AIGA Aspen Design Challenge, Designing Waters Future. The international contest challenges cross-disciplinary students to develop design solutions that encourage responsible water use, provide access to fresh water to those in need and increase awareness about the importance of water conservation.
"I've always believed that the design holds much, much larger potential than just merely generating beautiful stuff. I think design truly can make a difference, and this is exactly what this competition is about," said Lise Vesje Klint, director of programming for INDEX:.
"There's an opportunity here to educate creative youth, to work together in order to solve a complex problem, and to recognize that these issues are their issues," added Richard Grefe, executive director of AIGA. "We can equip them, we can nurture them, and we can launch them, but they are going to have to come up with the solutions that will really be implemented at the human level."
In late February, a panel of distinguished judges convened in New York City to select seven Finalists and ten Honorable Mentions. In July, students behind the selected proposals will have the opportunity to share their ideas with design thinkers; draw up business plans and improve their concepts during a meeting in Aspen, Colorado. In August finalists will be invited to Copenhagen, where the winning project will receive the $10,000 INDEX: | AIGA Aspen Design Challenge Prizesponsored by the JL Foundationto implement its solution. Selected finalists will also present their concepts at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December.
"This is clearly not a problem that's going to be solved by technology, and its clearly not going to be solved just by economics or just by politicians, as smart as they might be or as committed as they might be," Peter Gleick, president and co-founder of the Pacific Institute, noted during the jury meeting. "We need every tool in our arsenals to tackle unresolved water issues."
To see images of all Finalist projects, download copies of the students presentations, and read full-text statements submitted with each project, visit www.aspendesignchallenge.org.
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