WORLD DESIGN IMPACT PRIZE 2013-2014 FINALISTS ANNOUNCED
Montreal (Canada) - The International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (Icsid)
announced today that the following projects (in alphabetical order)
have been identified as the three finalist projects for the
World Design Impact Prize 2013-2014:
A Behaviour Changing (ABC) Syringe, BioLite HomeStove and the Refugee
Housing Unit.Icsid’s Members, made up of design promotion agencies,
professional organisations and universities in more than40 countries
cast their votes selecting these three projects as most deserving of the Prize.
Of these three, one winner will be honoured at the World Design Capital® (WDC)
International Design Gala on 28 February 2014 in Cape Town (South Africa).
The three finalists' projects address issues of security, stability and safety
in the areas of health and home.The ABC Syringe, developed by the
University of Huddersfield, provides the opportunity for patients to easily
ascertain if the syringes used in their care are sterilised.
A simple colour-changing label affixed to the syringe turns bright red to
indicate it has been used.This design solution will hopefully lead to a
drop in the reuse of syringes and lower the
level of communicable diseases as a result.
The BioLite HomeStove emits low levels of smoke, therefore providing a
cleaner cooking environment for women in the developing world who traditionally
burn wood or coal to cook indoors.
This cookstove, developed by BioLite LLC, features a USB port to charge electronics,
a feature that further entices families to make the switch to a more efficient stove.
The Refugee Housing Unit, a pilot project with the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
provides temporary shelter which facilitates ‘a feeling of normality’ for
families living in refugee camps.Facilitated by the IKEA Foundation,
prototypes are currently being tested and will dictate
the ideal shape and size of the structure.
The World Design Impact Prize 2013-2014 is now entering its final stage.
Projects were first measured against the demanding guidelines established
by Icsid, then reviewed by a panel of five experts in the field of design for social
good who selected seven projects that best embodied the ways in which design
can positively impact the social, cultural, economic and environmental quality of
life for individuals everywhere. Roberto Cuervo,a member of the Review Panel said,
“the selected projects are great examples of design for social good because
design is about collective intelligence, social innovation, networking and all forms
of collective knowledge production and all of these projects are based on the
fundamental principles of today’s vision of industrial design. Its not just about
traditional product development anymore but concerns itself with the social needs
of the world’s population.
” The three finalists will bem invited to present their projects at a workshop
following the WDC International Design Gala, where they will have the
opportunity to present their research, products and future plans to the
South African design community.
The World Design Impact Prize creates a platform to talk about industrial
design as a means to creative problem solving. It also aims to recognise
excellence and diverse ways of addressing societal challenges.
Through this initiative, Icsid hopes to recognise those projects that highlight
the use of industrial design beyond the creation of products and demonstrate
that it is also about creating systems and experiences.
For more information please contact:
Mariam Masud
Icsid Project Development Officer
t: + 1 514 448 4949 ext. 228
e: [email protected]
Natalie Dutil
Icsid Communications Officer
t: + 1 514 448 4949 ext. 223
e: [email protected]