iF DESIGN TALENT AWARD 2021_01: The winners of the first round are revealed

-- Almost 5,300 concepts from 49 nations were registered in iF’s young talent award, serving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations.

-- 86 groundbreaking ideas and solutions from 16 nations will receive the iF DESIGN TALENT AWARD 2021 – the six most outstanding works are rewarded with prize money in total EUR 25,000.

-- The brand new iF Design App is presenting all award-winning concepts in an exciting way - and can be shared with the whole world.

End extreme poverty, combat inequalities and injustices, stop climate change – the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are important, world-changing goals that governments, international organizations, and policymakers around the world are working together to achieve. And as of last year, the iF DESIGN TALENT AWARD is based on these goals (1 to 15) as competition categories. The feedback on this new orientation of the competition was received with astonishing optimism and enormous creativity by design students and graduates around the world: Almost 5,300 exciting solutions from 49 countries were submitted to the first round.

43 international design experts from 13 Nations have now evaluated the submissions and honored the 86 best concepts with the iF DESIGN TALENT AWARD 2021 – and distributed the prize money in total EUR 25,000 to the six most outstanding works.

 The evaluation criteria

In order to be awarded with an iF DESIGN TALENT AWARD 2021, the concepts had to achieve above-average scores in the following questions:

• Does it solve a problem?
• Does it reflect or promote high moral-ethical Standards?/li
• Does it strengthen group relations?
• Does it make economic sense?
• Does it create a positive experience?

The iF DESIGN TALENT AWARD 2021_01 at a glance:

_ 5,259 submitted concepts
_ from 49 nations
_ 43 design experts from 13 nations formed the jury
_ 86 award-winning concepts from 16 nations
_ six outstanding concepts were honored with a total of EUR 25,000 in prize money

Country statistics – the winners come from the following nations:

Austria, Brazil, Germany, Great Britain, India, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, People’s Republic of China, Poland, Republic of Korea, Sweden, Spain, Taiwan, Turkey, USA

All the judges at a glance:

https://ifworlddesignguide.com/awards/participate/if-design-talent-award-2021-01

 The award-winning designs will be exhibited in various places:

iF WORLD DESIGN GUIDE
All winning designs will be sorted according to the SDGs and will be shown for an unlimited time on the iF WORLD DESIGN GUIDE – the world’s largest digital design exhibition.

iF Design App
All the brand-new iF DESIGN TALENT AWARDS 2021_01 are presented in the new iF Design App in a wide variety of different filter options. The shake function unveils surprising insights and tells design stories in unexpected ways. Expressive, contrasting images and the cube navigation encourage users to dive deeper and go on a journey of discovery. 

iF design exhibition
From September to December 2021 the winning competition entries are presented as posters and digitally on monitors in the iF design center Chengdu.

iF DESIGN TALENT AWARD 2021_01:

These six concepts were awarded with EUR 25,000 in prize money:

EUR 6,000 in prize money:

Entry Name: Jumpforlight | Education auxiliary 
SDG: 01 No Poverty
Design: Yantao Cen, Chen Zhang, Yubin Zhong
University: Beijing Normal University, ZhuHai, China

In Africa, some regions lack access to a stable electricity supply, so that many students can’t study at night. Jumpforlight is a product that can be used as a toy to play rope skipping and to illuminate. It charges and stores electrical energy from the kinetic energy of the rope’s rotation. The light is activated when two magnets that are located at the bottom of the product attract and connect. This is also a collaborative educational product that teaches students to share with others and grow together.

Jury Statement: „An innovative application of kinetic energy. Good design that combines commitment, feasibility, usability, and community.”

EUR 6,000 in prize money:

Entry Name: Time To Eat | A vision for the school 
SDG: 04 Quality Education
Design: Johanna Bramersson, Kristin Brudeseth, Tina Mee Johnsen, Aase Lilly Salamonsen, Kamilla Bedin
University: The Oslo School of Architecture and Design Technology, Oslo, Norway

Time to Eat is a holistic vision for the Norwegian school of 2030. It differs from schools today in that food is a greater part of everyday school life, reflected in a separate lunch room, the availability of warm lunches, a greenhouse and a closer connection with the local community. Time to Eat imagines a restructuring of the school and education that ensures a thriving food experience for pupils of primary school, facilitating a more sustainable and inclusive awareness of food. Time to Eat consists of three main elements: physical facilities, a digital platform, and holistic food education.

Jury Statement: “This is a very well conceptualized and elaborated project that brings together the sustainable social, economic, environmental aspects of food.”

EUR 4,500 in prize money:

Entry Name: Umbrella Badge | Child sexual assault alarm positioning device
SDG: 03 Goodhealth + Well-Being
Design: Hu Die, Huang Baiqi, Chen Yuling, Wei Peng
University: Anhui University, Hefei, China

The Umbrella Badge is an alarm device designed to prevent child sexual abuse. Research shows that many rapists verbally abuse children before committing crime. If a child is being harassed, the badge can detect sensitive words and send an alert to draw attention to passers-by, as well as alert the child to possible danger. When the alarm is triggered, the badge automatically sends the child’s location to the designated contact.

Jury Statement: “It’s a very fresh design – a badge that detects words with a focus on verbal abuse. Especially today, with the advancement of AI, the technology of this badge will be further improved. It’s also a great idea to locate the device in a badge that is easy for kids to wear. We think it is a very good device that can help to keep children safe from assault and exploitation.”

EUR 3,500 in prize money:

Entry Name: Fireproof ecological vertical tower | Fire prevention facility
SDG: 13 Climate Action
Design: Han-Yu Lai
University: National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei City, Taiwan

In a forest fire, temperatures can get so high that extinguishing the fire becomes very difficult. This facility was designed to be built in the forest. The project uses weaving technology to strengthen the structure and integrates fire protection materials to build a high fire protection tower. The outer layer forms the main structure to resist the fire. The rainwater collected in the rainy season is used to block heat radiation. When a fire occurs, animals can hide inside. It also increases the rescue time for humans.

Jury Statement: “Congratulations! Beautiful representation but be careful not to conceal the content that matters the most.”

EUR 3,000 in prize money:

Entry Name: Mind without borders | App for children
SDG: 03 Goodhealth + Well-Being
Design: Fang-Ping Hsu, Lai Chien-Chen
University: Ming Chi University of Technology (MCUT), New Taipei City, Taiwan

Mind without borders is an app used to care for children during the spread of infectious diseases, by establishing anonymous communication between children in various countries, through health tracking, communication with family and friends, and connections with psychotherapists and volunteers to alleviate the mental health problems of children as a result of the epidemic. Mind without Borders allows children and their caregivers to return health information, enabling online volunteers and psychotherapists to help in a timely manner, thereby reducing the burden on healthcare workers.

Jury Statement: “The user research has been executed thoroughly. It led to a user-centered solution with positive effects. The design concept has been effectively visualized. The concept is easily scalable in terms of platform and theme.”

EUR 2,000 in prize money:

Entry Name: Elves Camping Accessories | Camping lighting concept
SDG: 07 Affordable + Clean Energy
Design: Qing Yan
University: ArtCenter College of Design, Pasadena, California, United States

It’s challenging to begin practicing a sustainable lifestyle with our current habits. Rather than compromise, Elves Camping Accessories elevate the experience. Elves pay attention to people who appreciate the simple pleasure of the outdoors while helping them develop the habits of sustainability. People can use Elves to roast marshmallows, brew coffee, serve food, and illuminate the campsite. The S’more Pit replaces the traditional campfire, removing the need for wood burning and reducing the probability of forest fires, while the other three products are all solar-powered, providing a sophisticated approach to clean energy.

Jury Statement: “Expressing the emotional elements of camping well through design.”

The Sponsors

The direction of the iF DESIGN TALENT AWARD and the free participation of students is made possible by the sponsorship of these companies:

• Haier, Qingdao / People’s Republic of China
• Samsung Electronics, Seoul / Republic of Korea
• Grohe AG, Hemer / Germany
• Wonderland Nurserygoods, Taipei / ROC Taiwan
• Compal Electronics, Taipei / ROC Taiwan
• Dongguan South China Design Innovation Institute, Dongguan / People’s Republic of China

Please note:

The second round of the iF DESIGN TALENT AWARD 2021 has just started! Registrations are free of charge and welcome until 14 July 2021.