2019 - 2020

DESIGN CHALLENGE

"REDUCING THE INEQUITY GAP"

Designing for Affordability

About the Challenge

The Stanford Center on Longevity invites university students from around the world to participate in its seventh annual Design Challenge.

With thanks to our sponsors, we are pleased to offer the following awards for winners and finalists:

Cash prizes: $10,000 (1st place), $5,000 (2nd place), $2,000 (3rd place)
Finalists receive:
- - $1000 for prototyping and presentation development
- - Mentorship and personalized coaching from leading industry experts and researchers
- - Airfare and hotel reimbursement for 1 student from each team to attend the Finals at Stanford University to present their idea.

The challenge runs concurrent with the 2019-2020 academic year, with initial submissions due by December 6th, 2019 and finalists presenting at Stanford University in April, 2020.

About the 2020 Theme

This year’s contest challenges teams to create solutions for "Reducing the Inequity Gap: Designing for Affordability."

One of the key challenges of the 21st century is the rising level of inequity in societies around the world. While design and technology are increasingly being deployed to help individuals reach old age mentally sharp, physically fit, and financially secure; innovations far too often only reach people at the upper levels of socioeconomic status. The 2020 Design Challenge is targeting this issue by asking student designers around the world to identify and design for opportunities to significantly reduce the cost of innovations that help people at all ages do the things needed to increase their odds of long and healthy life outcomes.

Any design significantly reducing the cost of a solution contributing to longer and healthier lives will be accepted. The following are a few examples of categories that could be targeted:

The health and well-being of young people. Monitoring health and managing chronic disease.
Solutions that bring nutritious food to individuals.
Solutions that allow individuals to remain in their homes.
Encouraging higher levels of activity and engagement at the community level.

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Design Challenge Judges

Judges for the Design Challenge are drawn from a broad spectrum of industry, government, academia and the community. They bring with them expertise from their chosen field, as well as a strong interest in improving wellbeing across the lifespan, and in the aging space in particular.

Listen to one of our judges talk about her experience.

Phase I

In phase one, once the entry period has closed, judges are assigned a cross-section of submissions and rank them numerically according to the following criteria:

(40%) Potential for impact – will the design improve long life outcomes?
(40%) Affordability for the target market – teams must identify their target population for the design
(20%) Feasibility – Will the design work? Can it be produced at scale?

A fourth criteria, "Overall fit with the theme of ‘Reducing the Inequity Gap’" will be applied to the final score.

When complete, the judges' scores are compiled for all teams and then adjusted algorithmically to develop an overall ranking.

There are typically 20-40 judges in this phase.

Phase II

At the Finals Event in April, each team is given 7 minutes to pitch their idea to our panel of judges. An additional 5 minutes for judge questions and student answers is then provided.

In Phase II, the judges utilize the same scoring and criteria as in Phase I, but then meet as a group to review the overall scores and select the top three winners, typically by unanimous consent.

There are typically 10-12 judges in this phase.

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Stanford Center on Longevity
2019 - 2020
Design Challenge Participant's Guide

Download a copy of the Rules by clicking here

Thank you for your interest in the Stanford Center on Longevity’s 7th annual international design challenge “Reducing the Inequity Gap: Designing for Affordability.” The competition is open to university students around the world who want to design products and services which optimize long life for us all. Finalists will receive sponsored travel to Stanford, where they will present their designs to a panel of judges from industry, academia, and government in competition for $17,000 in total cash prizes.

CHALLENGE GOALS

Encourage a new generation of students to become knowledgeable about issues associated with longevity and well being
Create well-designed, practical solutions that promote lifelong healthy habits in all areas of well being
Provide promising designers with a path to drive change in the world

TEAM RULES

Each team must consist of at least one full-time student from any accredited institution of higher education anywhere in the world
Teams may have a total of up to 5 members, and may include non-students
Only students are allowed to present at the Finals

JUDGING CRITERIA

The three initial scoring criteria are as follows:

(40%) Potential for impact – will the design improve long life outcomes?
(40%) Affordability for the target market – teams must identify their target population for the design
(20%) Feasibility – Will the design work? Can it be produced at scale?

A fourth criteria, "Overall fit with the theme of ‘Reducing the Inequity Gap’" will be applied to the final score.

CHALLENGE TIMELINE

The challenge is organized into two phases that are synchronized with the 2019-2020 academic year.

Pre-Challenge Learning Period
Throughout 2019, the Center on Longevity will be publishing (through social media and the website at designchallenge.stanford.edu) information about the topic and other learning materials to help students better understand this year’s challenge.
PHASE I (Submission Platform Open): September 9, 2019 - December 6, 2019
Phase I is the open call portion of the challenge. Solutions may be submitted at any time during this period, and judging will not begin until the submission period is closed.
JUDGING PERIOD: December 11, 2019 – January 16, 2020
Finalists will be announced in mid-January, and invited to compete at the Finals Event in April.
PHASE II: January 22, 2020 – April 14, 2020
During Phase II, finalists will be asked to further develop their idea and to prepare a presentation to be given at the Finals Event at Stanford University in April. Each finalist team will be assigned a mentor in order to help them practice and polish their design pitch. At the event, each team will present their idea to the judges who will then pick the first, second and third place winners.

COSTS

All participation by student teams is without cost. The Challenge is completely funded by corporate sponsorships. We believe that all students should have the same opportunity regardless of their financial situation:

We do not charge any fees to enter or participate in the challenge.
Each finalist team will be provided with $1000 to help with prototyping and development of presentation materials.
Each team selected for the finals will be eligible for up to $1500 in travel reimbursement (or up to $2500 for non-US teams) to help facilitate participation in the finals. Reimbursement will be subject to Stanford University regulations on reimbursed travel.
Any intellectual property generated by the design teams remains their own. We ask only that you protect IP within your own submissions so that we can make all designs public in promoting the Design Challenge.

Contact Information

For questions about the challenge and the judging process, please contact:

Marie Conley Smith, Design Challenge Assistant

designchallenge@stanford.edu

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Resources

Student Team Rules

Design Challenge Overview

Director's Introduction to the 2020 Theme

Previous Year's Design Challenge winners video