Call for Entries
Power of Design in Action
Japan Earthquake Relief
The competition is calling for ideas that would contribute to long-term relief, recovery and rebuilding efforts from social designers around the world. It appeals you to think about how it can put the true power of design into action.
Here’s a great story from Japan. The City of Kobe experienced a big earthquake in 1995, which devastated the city and resulted in the loss of 6,000 of its citizens. The city has since made a complete recovery, and based on what was learned from their experiences, they have launched a social design project called “issue plus design” commemorating their recognition as a UNESCO City of Design, which was bestowed upon them in 2008, as part of UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network.
One of the great outcomes of the project is “Volunteer Bibs.” (Visual attached [pdf]). The issue was how to deploy individual volunteers in the most effective manner that did not hinder police, fire and military activities. Solution: “Volunteer Bibs” that identify volunteers, with clear indications of specific areas of support that each person is offering.
4 colors indicate a different area of support;
Red: Medical support (doctor, nurse, counselor, etc)
Blue: Language support (English, Chinese, Korean, sign language, braille, etc.)
Green: Home support (cleaning, repair, childcare, etc)
Orange: Professional support (carpentry, haircut, accounting, computer, etc)
This project address a specific stage in the relief effort, that of helping survivors with basic necessities and keeping them safe.
This is one example of the power of design in action.
In this competition, which asks you to look long term, which includes recovery, rebuilding, and prevention, and offer a design solution to a known or imagined problem or issue.