NEWS Two entries from the Umeå Institute of Design are among the seven finalists in a prestigious international competition that addresses the global water crisis and is a global call for design students to find innovative solutions. The finalists will present their concepts at a United Nations climate conference.
Students from 115 universities in 27 countries submitted 225 proposals to the Aspen Design Challenge. Despite the fierce competition, two of the seven finalists are from the Umeå Institution of Design at Umeå University.
– It is enormously pleasing that our students are so outstanding and successful. Our students usually earn top places in international competitions, something that we interpret as an indication that we offer an education that maintains high international class, says Tapio Alakörkkö, head of department at the Umeå Institute of Design.
The seven finalists will present their proposals to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December. The winning project will be awarded $10,000.
The originators of the two proposals from the Umeå Institute of Design are Ulrik Svenningsen and Ceren Bagatar, who are students in the Master’s programme in Advanced Product Design.
Ulrik Svenningsen, is a Danish student who has designed a sensor that is designed to raise awareness of excessive water use in the homes of developed nations and warn about water leaks. The entry has the name “Every Drop Counts”.
– I focused on finding a way of saving water in the household here in Umeå because a solution that is relevant here could probably also be used in other developed countries. The overconsumption here presents a good opportunity to make a difference just by changing behaviour, he clarifies.
Ceren Bagatar comes from Turkey and has designed a personal water purifier that can be used in emergency situations in flooded communities.
– The receptacle is intended for personal use. It can be airdropped en masse to victims of flooding, he explains.
Pete Avondoglio, professor at the Umeå Institute of Design at Umeå University, is the project advisor of both entries.
– Perhaps one of the reasons that we have had so much success with these competitions is that our main focus here in Umeå is based on identifying and solving relevant problems through design - a Scandinavian humanistic approach. Some of the other design schools that focus on 'life style design' have sometimes made fun of us and our "boring, save the world" philosophy, but in a case like this, this philosophy gives us a clear advantage and illustrates that 'design with a purpose' can still be fun, states Pete Avondoglio proudly.
The competition is organized by INDEX and AIGA. INDEX is based in Copenhagen and is a global non-profit network for design which can improve the quality of life all over the world. AIGA is a professional American association for design
INDEX held an international competition for the first time in 2005 and two of the five winning proposals came from the Umeå Institute of Design.
Photos of the competition proposals can be seen at:
http://www8.presskontakt.umu.se/pressbilder/aktuella.html
(Click the thumnail for bigger picture)
Read more about Ceren Bagatar’s proposal at: http://www.aspendesignchallenge.org/content.cfm/emergency-water-purifier-for-flood-conditions
Read more about Ulrik Svenningsen’s proposal at:
http://www.aspendesignchallenge.org/content.cfm/every-drop-counts
Contacts: Tapio Alakörkkö, head of department, Umeå Institute of Design at Umeå University
Tel: +46 90 786 98 35
Pete Avondoglio, professor at the Umeå Institute of Design at Umeå University
Mobile: +45 4045 88 08
Ulrik Svenningsen
Mobil: +46 76-849 70 16
Thomas Degn, programme director for Advanced Product Design can assist in contact with the students Tel: +90 786 77 41 or 786 97 82
E-mail: thomas.degn@dh.umu.se
Editor: Carina Dahlberg