Past Challenges
24 Hour ChallengesThe first 24 Hour Challenge was held as part of INCLUDE 2005, the RCA’s biannual international conference on inclusive design. Five teams of professional designers from leading UK firms worked through the night and came up with a range of product and service ideas in response to the theme which centred on solving a clearly defined public transport issue that limited or excluded disabled or older people.
The winner was Babelfish – a portable navigation device worn as a necklace that gives sonic clues and feedback in large transport hubs, inspired by the young blind composer with whom the team worked.
The other solutions included a modular suitcase system, smart cards and a gel-filled rubber device to plug the gap between vehicle, platform or kerb.
The results of the INCLUDE 2007 24 Hour Challenge were similarly diverse – E-Pod, a car for senior citizens; Oyster Plus an extension of London’s current Oyster card system; Patchworks, a web-based system for personal mapping and navigation; and magnifeyeÔ eyewander Ô, two devices to enable images to be captured, magnified and displayed or stored and projected.
The most recent 24 Hour Challenge was held in Oslo from 5-6 May 2008. Five teams from Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Norway competed for the first 24 Hour Inclusive Design Challenge to be held in Scandinavia. It was organised by the Helen Hamlyn Centre in collaboration with the Norwegian Design Council.
The prize for best idea went to Team Norway 1, a combined team of eight designers from small design firms led by Leif Isachsen from Kode Design Their user was the sprightly and very social 87 year old Marit Sagen who uses a mobile but finds the screen too small to read text messages,
The team designed “Chalk” - an electronic screen with a docking function which was inspired by a traditional blackboard which can be connected to wireless devices such as a mobile phone to provide a more user-friendly and larger screen for receiving and writing text messages.
The prize for the best presentation went to team Finland for HOD – Hands on Demand - a user-centred delivery service that allows you to shop and ensures the delivery of goods at home when it best fits your schedule. It was inspired by Jenni-Juulia Wallinheimo who worked with the team and has Brittle Bone Disease which makes shopping a painful chore.
See the team presentations online at here.
48 Hour Challenges
In October 2006, the venue was Kyoto and an invitation from the International Association of Universal Design (IAUD), the 149 member industry body of Japan’s leading manufacturers, to run a 48 Hour Challenge as part of their 2nd International Conference for Universal design. Five experienced veterans of the DBA Challenge in London headed teams of young in-house designers from Japan’s leading companies.
Two further 48 Hour Challenges have been held in Singapore in January 2007 and in Tokyo in November 2007.
The Results
The winner by popular vote in Kyoto was u-control , a customisable remote control that works in a manner similar to the Lego block – users can add components at the point of sale and construct a personal remote control that works for them since the functions can be slotted in separately and added or subtracted in the manner of Lego blocks. Other ideas included a smart clothing tag system, a communications campaign , fast food packaging and Audio Sphere - a device akin to a crystal ball, which skillfully exploits existing new software that allow moods to be observed, speech to be translated into text and audio sampling to take place.
In Singapore the results were similarly diverse and the event was won some easy access attractive panties. In Tokyo the winner was a flexible all-weather protection product.
