WINNER
i.Detroit
by Studio Sutherl&, for Marcus Lyon
Studio Sutherl& worked with British artist Marcus Lyon to create a Detroit-based human atlas project for social investment organisation The Kresge Foundation. iDetroit depicted the diversity of Detroit and sought to explain the innovation at the heart of the city’s reinvention to a world audience through portrait photography, DNA mapping and app-based interviews. The project explored the lives of 100 individuals, nominated by their communities, in an attempt to create a deeper understanding of the city. It was a diverse mix – 72 of the people were from the African-American community. The project was made available in a limited-edition book along with a 7-inch single by Brian Eno, public space projection and a museum exhibition. It’s estimated that the project has reached an audience of up to 804m people.
The judges said: “Really lovely project, brought to life in elegant and surprising ways. Particularly like the use of in-app audio to bring the portraits to life”
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Sukha – engaging more women in HPV screening
by Matter
In 2019-2020, one in four UK women did not act on their invitation for a cervical screening test. The vaginal examination – known as a smear or PAP test – checks for HPV by taking a sample of cells from the cervix. Design studio Matter came up with three at-home screening tests to try to increase engagement. These took aim at some of the inhibitors, which include a lack of body confidence and being inadequately informed. Our Bodies is an intuitive and tactile sampling tool, with a moulded silicone product that allowed users to collect a sample directly from their cervix. My Cycles added an app element, providing a personalised cycle-tracking and testing service for women. Your Space, meanwhile, offers women a compact sampling product, which seeks to prompt a more comfortable space conducive to everyday discussions about HPV.
Ann Arbor City Clerk’s Satellite Office at UMMA
by Creative Campus Voting Project, for University of Michigan
A pop-up satellite city clerk’s office was brought to the centre of the University of Michigan campus in the hope of increasing student voting in the American election last year. While many American college students of voting age are interested in doing so, many face an unfamiliar process with confusing rules. The project provided a series of touchpoints to guide students through the process. These included wayfinding, explanatory materials, peer mentors and interactions with clerks. All the design details were considered with students’ anxiety about first time voting in mind; signage at the ballot box helped visitors double-check that they had properly sealed and signed their ballot envelopes, for example. Over six weeks, more than 5,000 voters were registered while around 8,500 ballots were collected.
Sky Ocean Rescue Café
by Cooper Collective, for Sky
At Sky’s headquarters, Cooper Collective redesigned the Sky Ocean Rescue Café to refocus the space’s founding aim to fight ocean plastics. The experience design studio used sustainable materials – no virgin plastics or PVC vinyl printing – to create an interactive space for the café. This included a 30m-long 3D-printed coral counter which put a spotlight on coral reefs and the threat to marine life. After the installation is over, the wall can be treated and placed in the ocean to help sea life flourish. Five glass floor-to-ceiling pillars sought to bring to life the effects of common single-use plastics such as water bottles, coffee cups and plastic straws. A neon sign bearing the PassOnPlastic hashtag was recycled from a previous event and restored.
Social Design
shortlisted
Social Design