The event, which ran from 23 - 25 November, is part of UK-Japan 2008, a celebration of 150 years of friendship between the two countries.
Jim Dawton, Hazel Macmillan (Wolff Olins) and Ben Davies (Rodd Design), three veterans of the annual DBA Inclusive Design Challenge, led teams of designers from Toyota; Toyo Exterior; Fuji Xerox; Uchida Yoko and Rinnai; interaction graduates of Tokyo University and five postgraduate students of the Engineering Design Centre of Cambridge University for the second 48 Hour Inclusive Design Challenge. The Cambridge participants led by Dr Nathan Crilly travelled to Tokyo thanks to funding from the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation.
Working with disaster experts and creative partners with disabilities Jim, Hazel and Ben had just 48 hours to orchestrate their team’s response to the Challenge’s theme of design responses to natural disaster. They presented their proposals to participants of the Design Innovation Forum 2008 and the results will be shown on the Helen Hamlyn website. An exhibition of Helen Hamlyn projects and the work of the participating design firms will accompany the forum and the event will start with a welcome reception at the British Embassy in Tokyo.
