The winning entries will be felicitated as below: Winning entries will be published in three formats: (a) published online, (b) printed as a book and (c) displayed in a travelling exhibition during 2020-2021 giving full credits to you, your team and your institution. The winning entries will also be made available for free to download and use as part of the open design initiative. We will promote this initiative through the traditional as well as new medias. This is with the sincere hope that the winning designs will find use in these trying circumstances. The winners are entitled to free participation (seminar/workshop expenses and food) during the ‘Design Experience Seminar and Workshop’ organized at IIT Bombay during the summer of 2021. These workshops and the seminar will be conducted by design experts. Each of the winning participants will be given the certificate of winning the ‘D’source Corona Design Challenge Merit Award’ along with a trophy for ‘Design Contribution’ and will also receive a copy of the book.
About Introduction and Problem-setting: The Coronavirus pandemic (technically termed COVID-19 by the WHO), while unfortunate and calamitous in its occurrence, has also thrown open opportunities for the design community to play a meaningful role in mitigating and containing its effects. While the problem is a universal one, framing the problem for designing may require both global as well as local sensibilities. What do we know for sure about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic today? We know that its effects are not only global in breath on account of the fact that the virus has managed to travel across the length and breath of the globe through movements of people and goods, the virus has also penetrated every aspect of life on this planet throwing our everyday lives out of gear, not sparing even the lives of those who had not traveled, nor sparing the lives of animals (for instance, a tiger in NYC zoo has tested positive having been infected by its caretaker). We also know that there is an unintended consequence of the Coronavirus that is replete with irony. Which is that the lockdowns having unwittingly slowed down the process of “modern” life has now pointed to the larger, acute and extremely timely realisation that by drastically limiting use of resources and movements (of both people and things), we are finally seeing the earth rejuvenate to the point of being able to breathe. This grave realisation underscores the sad fact that, as humans, we had collectively chosen to ignore and forget that Nature is an evolutionary reality, functioning and manifesting itself as an interconnected natural system. By imperiling this otherwise balanced ecosystem through our reckless ways we have actually endangered our own existence. And ironically, it has taken an invisible, seemingly innocuous virus to remind us yet again that this carefully evolved natural system needs to be treated with care. If we take this valuable realisation as history in its making, then we also know that any design intervention will henceforth need to respect this big picture, and by doing so, we are bound to render solutions that are sustainable, rather than short-lived. The D’Source Corona Design Challenge (DCDC) as an initiative: Against this broad, calamitous yet reflective context we need you to brainstorm and look for opportunities where design can now make a difference. We welcome you to this D’source Corona Design Challenge in seeking creative, innovative, out-of-the-box solutions. We encourage you to follow a design process in solving the given problem with the steps of understanding the problem, analysis and ideation (the act of coming up with several concepts) resulting in a final solution. This is with the intention that your solutions are based on sound judgment. We request you to seek guidance from your faculty and professionals in the process of solving the problem. (If you need to do user research, do restrict it to online feedback and discussions). To this effect, ten design problem areas have been identified. You may choose to work on one or more than one area. You also have a choice of working on a problem that you have identified on your own. To this effect, nine design problem areas have been identified. You may choose to work on one or more than one area. Additionally, you have a choice of identifying your own design problem area that is outside of the nine areas listed above. Participation Who can participate: This International call is open to students, fresh graduates, and young designers from around the world. You may work as individuals or work as collaborative groups. You are encouraged to follow a design process in solving the problem, as well as seek guidance from faculty members and professionals. For the present until the lockdown period continues, the DCDC Design Challenge/competition will remain a strictly online affair. This design challenge is open to participants from around the world.
Deadline:- 05-12-2020
