"UNESCO Challenges Designers to Tackle Social Issues"

Re-written Aesop's Fables
by Hwani Lee

There is a nice article featuring a UNESCO sponsored contest in Design News. I quote:

UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization) and design firm Felissimo recently teamed up to host three international design competitions asking just this question. Open to members of the Design 21: Social Design Network, the Design 21 competitions challenged designers to imagine design with a social conscience that can create positive change in the world.

The initiative drew over 800 entries--from more than 59 countries--addressing social issues in three categories: Heated Issue, ; Child’s Play, ; and ShelterMe, which challenged participants to design a temporary, lightweight, strong and easily deployed emergency shelter.

Here is the website with the winners.

Here is the website with all the entries.

American designers did well:

• Heated Issue (which called for an educational campaign to raise awareness of global warming)

  First Prize Re-written Aesop's Fables by Hwani Lee, USA
  DESIGN 21 Award of Excellence
  

  • One Day At A Time by Christopher Miller, USA
  • Ice-Age by jeff bare, USA

• Child's Play (which asked participants to create an object inspiring a child to invent his or her own way of playing and interacting)

  DESIGN 21 Award of Excellence

  Children's Building System by Danielle Pecora, USA

• ShelterMe (which challenged participants to design a temporary, lightweight, strong and easily deployed emergency shelter)

  First Prize Lightweight Emergency Shelter by Patrick Wharram, USA

  Third Prize and Most Popular Prize Sanctuary by Jonathan Kim, Thomas Herrström, Calle Uggla, Magnus Sparrman, USA

Lightweight Emergency Shelter by pwharram