Design 21 Announces the Winners of The Living Climate Change Video Challenge

DESIGN 21 – an online platform to promote design for the greater good – today announced the winners of the Living Climate Change Video Challenge. The competition, hosted by DESIGN 21 and presented by global design and innovation firm IDEO, invited people of all ages to create and submit a 2-minute video that demonstrates a vision of a future shaped by climate change. The distinguished panel of judges included: Wendy E. Brawer, Dr. Milton Chen, Allan Chochinov, Mat Hunter, Gary Hustwit, David Kelley and Sir Ken Robinson. IDEO is awarding $3,000 plus a “Deep Dive” half-day workshop to the winner of each category (18-and-over and under 18) plus $500 to the honorable mention winner in the 18-and-over group.

“We are very grateful for the opportunity to have hosted this exciting challenge with IDEO,” said DESIGN 21 Director Haruko Smith. “Interestingly and befittingly, one of the winning entries came from a 12-year-old whose message and execution were stunningly elegant. The video was a beautiful example of how we can all be part of the solution and that simple steps can go a long way towards solving a complex problem.”

“The video challenge entries demonstrate a level of generative thinking and creativity that’s needed to push climate change conversation beyond policy discussions and negative scenarios,” said Tim Brown, IDEO’s CEO. “By providing us with alternative visions of what the future might look like, the entrants have inspired fresh ideas about the future of climate change and sparked important conversations around a more human-centered, sustainable future.”

18-AND-OVER WINNER:

Video: “We Make It_Spaghetti Bolognese”
Entrants: Andrea Schöllgen, Taina Flink, Lotta Skoog, Bart van Dam, Elio Sjak
Country: Students at TU Delft, The Netherlands

The winning video imagines the impact of a world shift in eating habits. According to the team that created the entry, “We show how the future could look like if we start to change today. In the urban gardens of the future there is a need for nutrients, and by using local compost it is possible to create a local nutrient loop that is energy-efficient and thus emits less greenhouse gases.”

John Thackara, director of Doors of Perception, said, “The nutrient exchange idea is original and timely. I like the whole-systems narrative and the accessible look and feel.”

Pascal Soboll, practice lead at IDEO Munich, said, “This video is beautifully made and shows how local food production could actually work.”

18-AND-OVER HONORABLE MENTION:

Video: "Buy Locally, Connect Locally"
Entrant: Tuduyen Annie Nguyen
Country: United States

This video was focused on a mobile application designed to encourage buying locally. The creator, Tuduyen Annie Nguyen, said, “My idea is buying locally helps you connect with others invested in supporting local economies and communities. There are many benefits, and I believe that you can start small.”

Allan Chochinov, editor-in-chief of Core77 and judge for the 18-and-over category, said, “’Buy Locally, Connect Locally’ is a successful film that takes the viewer through a series of compelling scenarios and touch points. The solution it proposes occupies a sweet spot where participation meets technology, and helps the viewer imagine a possible future where actions translate to positive behavior change.”

Jennifer Leonard, IDEO project lead and Living Climate Change guest editor, said, “I like that it’s holistic in its design thinking. By way of incentives, rather than dire consequences, we can easily make the connection between routine behaviors and climate change.”  

UNDER 18 WINNER:

Video: “Two and a Half Billion Ideas”
Entrant: Jeff Steinhorn on behalf of Alec Steinhorn
Country: United States

This video captured the next generation’s ideas on how to impact climate change. 

Grace Chen, director of Math & Science Design at Teach For America, and one of the judges for the under 18 category, said, “I found it inspiring and powerful to hear children from around the world sharing their ideas about what we can do to address climate change.”

Roshi Givechi, design director and co-lead of IDEO San Francisco, said, “The collection of different perspectives, and international perspectives for that matter, was particularly effective in underscoring the fact that climate change is a global issue. The inclusion of humor made the message quite human.”

For more information about the Living Climate Change Video Challenge, visit design21sdn.com/challenges/23. For additional information about Living Climate Change visit livingclimatechange.com.