Register: MAR/10/2019, Submit: MAR/10/2019, Eligibility: Everyone, designers, individuals, schools, universities, public and private companies, organizations, associations, students, design enthusiasts, etc., Fee: Free, Awards: Winners in each of the 5 categories (Body, Home, Work, Play & Learning and Community): 100,000 EUR

Index: Award is the biggest design award in the world, worth €500,000, and is commonly referred to as the ‘Nobel Prize of design’. The importance lies in the unique, over-arching theme of Design to Improve Life: a concept enabling design to be used as a tool to address the world’s biggest challenges and reach our biggest goals. This concept has established Index: Award as a global, inspirational design beacon. Index: Award is awarded biennially in Denmark, and has since its inauguration in 2005 received over 6100 nominations from more than 100 countries. All winners and finalists are selected by the international Index: Award Jury according to the three criteria of Form, Impact and Context, representing not only the appearance of the design but also its ability to improve life for its user. The Index: Award 2019 winners will be unveiled in August/September 2019 in Denmark.

CATEGORIES

Index: Award is split into five categories: Body, Home, Work, Play & Learning and Community, representing human life from inside out. Each category calls for entries from very different design fields using underlying goals as perspective for how we can use design as a tool to solve the issues of global and local societies – thus creating Design to Improve Life.

The underlying framework of these categories is the 17 United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s), as we find it essential to be aligned with an agenda agreed upon by the entire world.

The Body Category

The Body category comprises all designs related to the body, such as clothing, appliances, aids/tools used in treatment and care, etc. The category also comprises systems and services related to health and care as well as strategies regarding vital processes and public health.

The Home Category

The Home category comprises all designs related to the home, such as architecture, interior design, lighting, gadgets, furniture, tools, appliances, utility systems, software and communications hardware etc. Services and processes for the home and strategies for new ways of living as well as new forms of cohabitation are also in this category.

The Work Category

The Work category comprises all designs related to work, such as work tools, manufacturing machines, aids and communications, architecture and interior design, control and management systems. The category also comprises services for work environments and strategies for issues related to this, as well as strategies for organizational and managerial development.

The Play & Learning Category

The Play & Learning category comprises all designs related to sport, play, education, learning, leisure and culture, such as the design of education programs, education tools, leisure facilities, tools, games and equipment used for sports, cultural activities and more.

The Community Category

The Community category comprises all designs of things that we share communally, such as roads, bike paths, public spaces and parks, cities, infrastructure, means of transport, signage, mass media and communications. The design of strategies, services and concepts for society, networking and communities are also part of this category.

Website: designtoimprovelife.dk