cycle for a change
Joana Pinho & Paul Cocksedge

Design for our Future Selves competition 2002

The 2002 competition again encouraged RCA MA design students to address social needs and challenges in their graduate projects - and to involve the user in the design process.

The Awards offered more than £6,000 in prize money to students in five main categories: age, work, mobility, care and communication. Every shortlisted entrant received a research bursary of £75 towards user testing and development costs from the Research Centre.

Two briefs focused on the needs of two socially invisible groups - older people and young disabled people.

clothes that cure
Diana Irani

Three other briefs looked at the challenges of work-life balance, urban mobility and social communication.

A record 82 entries were received from eight RCA design departments, from which 58 projects were shortlisted for judging by five panels of external experts. Nine projects won cash prizes and a further ten were highly commended.

In addition, a special Helen Hamlyn Award for creativity and innovation, chosen personally by Helen Hamlyn across all categories, was awarded jointly to Mark Champkins and Richard Mawle.

The annual Snowdon Award for Disability Projects was given to a height-adjustable washbasin for use by wheelchair users.

Royal College of Art Rector, Professor Sir Christopher Frayling, commented: "Around 30% of all graduating RCA design students entered the Design for our Future Selves competition this year which shows just how socially aware the current generation of young designers has become."