DBA Inclusive Design Challenge 2010

Congratulations to Clinic for winning this year’s DBA inclusive design challenge award. The London based creative agency’s winning concept entitled ‘Sage & Onions’; is a not-for-profit communications initiative aimed at stimulating activity and community participation. It encourages people to trade their time and skills with each other. Individuals and businesses can market events, share experiences and create new networks. A video, that explains the concept in more detail is embedded below.

Sadly I wasn’t at this year’s awards so why can’t give an authoritative critique on this year’s winner.  However, from experience of previous years submissions, I can categorically state that the work must be at the highest standard.

For those that don’t know the, DBA Inclusive Design Challenge is an annual design competition, a collaboration between the Design Business Association (DBA) and the Royal College of Art’s Helen Hamlyn Centre, to create a mainstream product, service, environment or communication which can be enjoyed by people of all abilities and meet the needs of the widest market spectrum.

Each year the design brief is different, this year it was entitled Active Ageing, however they always seem to lead to high quality, ambitious yet pragmatic design solutions. I’m not sure it’s due to the calibre of the competitors, the brief, the tangible social importance of the affair or combination the three, but it remains the most interesting events in the design calendar.

For anybody, like me, who weren’t present at the awards presentation, they will have another chance to see ‘Sage & Onions’ as well as all the other past victors in the spring. The awards are 10 years old this year and to celebrate the V&A museum in London is showcasing the all winning solutions and the design teams behind them from 19 April – 16 May.

I think that this showcase is of the utmost importance. The award ceremony  is by invitee only, and is populated by the already converted of the design industry, what it needs to do is reach out further and inform the rest of the population. Hopefully, this opportunity at the V&A will provide the perfect platform. I, of course, will attend and will be reporting back here.

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