The Good Newspaper by The Index Project

The Good Newspaper

8 Danish primeminister praises INDEX: Award

24 Crown Princess attends INDEX: Award Ceremony

27 Social investors in Denmark for profits

Kigge Hvid among world’s 100 most influential

Published by INDEX: Design to Improve Life®

Issue #01

Danish capital Copenhagen wins world’s biggest design award

> read the full story on page 6

Japan uses Denmark as bridge to European growth Denmark will serve as bridgehead, when INDEX: Award finalist ‘Film Farming with Hydrogel’ expands into Europe. The company’s new European business strategy is a direct result of the successful impact investment training provided by Danish non-profit INDEX: Design to Improve Life® and innovation experts Symbion. > see page 25

The five winners of INDEX: Award 2013 on stage at the ceremony in Elsinore. Photo: Dennis Lehmann

Media breakthrough for Denmark’s green brands CNN International announced a special program series profiling the nominees of the world’s biggest design award, INDEX: Award, and paved the way for a big media breakthrough for Denmark’s green brands in the process.

Breaking news

CNN International, The Danish Industry Foundation and State of Green signed an exclusive advertising partnership around a special program series about INDEX: Award – the world’s biggest design award worth €500,000 – launched to an international audience of hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide. The program series showcase ten finalists for INDEX: Award and a half hour program special about its founding organization, INDEX: Design to Improve Life® and proved to be a big hit amongst both viewers and the series’ partners.

In total, the 90 second vignettes and 30 minute special were shown more than 300 times across all time zones, and the massive influx of web traffic and social media attention – all directly traceable back to CNN International – had the INDEX: Design to Improve Life® official website shoot to number 9 on the list of most visited Danish websites as a result.

Kigge Hvid, CEO of INDEX: Design to Improve Life®, says: »With this partnership, we are getting a media breakthrough as a result of several years of intensive work as torch bearers for designers’ ability to contribute with sustainable solutions to global challenges, and at the same time we are very much aligned with Denmark’s green brand.«

Society’s challenges solved by Denmark’s youth A shipping foundation, a water supplier, three ministries and a non-profit organization launched an innovative initiative to engage kids and youth in Danish Schools and High Schools in solving the most severe challenges facing Denmark. > see page 21

> continued on page 3

Lord Mayor of Copenhagen, Frank Jensen, interviewed on CNN International for the city’s winning design ‘Copenhagen Climate Adaptation Plan’. Photo: CNN International

New design strategy diploma INDEX: Design to Improve Life® offers two modules of a new diploma program in design management and strategy in collaboration with the Danish Design School and University College Capital (UCC). The program is aimed at educators, designers, architects, process consultants and others who have an interest in using design thinking and methods in their work. > see page 17

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INDEX: Award INDEX: Award was established in 2002 and is the world’s biggest design award worth €500,000.

Published by INDEX: Design to Improve Life®

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COUNTRIES

Big impact In five award biennales, INDEX: Award received more than 4,000 life-improving nominations from more than 80 countries.

Not resting on the laurels 12 years ago, the Danish Ministry of Business and the City of Copenhagen established INDEX: Award to attract media attention, new networks and knowledge to Denmark – and to help revitalize the Danish design community. At the time, the ministry estimated that every biennial event would cost DKK 115 million – it was done for less than one fourth of that estimate!

Editorial

Back then, we were known merely as INDEX, short for INternational Design EXhibition, and not INDEX: Design to Improve Life®, as we are today. However, we changed both our name and our focus after having had conversations with more than 1,000 design professionals, scientists, artists, companies, decisions makers, etc. from all over the world. All these people unanimously told us that the world had enough traditional design events focusing on aesthetically pleasing product design, and that they – based on the Danish societal model and welfare state – trusted Denmark to create an event with a new, visionary, value-based focus capable of using design as a tool to address global challenges and improve life for people all over the world. Thus, it began with us coining our credo ‘Design to Improve Life’

in a professional atmosphere still lacking a general consensus on the importance of sustainability and designing for the bottom of the pyramid. And in 2002, we sat a goal of establishing a world event for Design to Improve Life within five to six biennials, and in the process get the rest of the design world on board with this new way of thinking. Growing efforts In 2013, we celebrated our fifth biannual event, and this paper of Good News about INDEX: Design to Improve Life® serves as a means to put you – the reader – in a position to judge whether or not we have reached that goal. In the course of 12 years, our efforts have grown from a starting point of INDEX: Award and its related international network, to an extensive catalogue comprising a comprehensive educational program for kids and teachers, Design to Improve Life cities around the world, an investment initiative as well as world touring exhibitions. All of which, combined, enable us to deliver tangible value to a wide spectrum of stakeholders – in Denmark and abroad. Building knowledge The ride has been rough, inspiring and engaging, and in the early years, the skepticism was frequent and extensive. Nevertheless, it now seems that the knowledge we struggled to build in the beginning has become the very foundation, upon

which the INDEX: Design to Improve Life® organization stands as a beacon of inspiration as to how design can be used as a tool to address the severe challenges facing the world – locally and globally. And for that, we are very pleased and very proud. Now, we are looking ahead towards new adventures, not resting on the laurels of what was arguably the most successful award cycle since the birth of our organization.

And in the coming years, we wish to keep moving the boundaries of how many people’s lives can be improved by design; push the envelope of what constitutes good design; and consolidate Denmark’s position as the country who coined Design to Improve Life. With profound thanks to the many people, organizations, and sponsors who have tirelessly supported the growth of INDEX: Design to Improve Life®, we hope

that you will enjoy this Good Newspaper about Design to Improve Life and the INDEX: Award 2013 biennale, and continue to support and follow us in the future. ——

Kigge Hvid CEO, INDEX: Design to Improve Life®

Jens Wittrup-Willumsen Board Chairman, INDEX: Design to Improve Life®

The world press attended INDEX: Award 2013 in Elsinore in massive numbers.

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Issue #01

website

High ranking website www.designtoimprovelife. dk climbed to number 9 on the list of most visited Danish websites following the CNN coverage.

million

BIG IMPACT FOR DANISH DESIGN AWARD Writers from acclaimed publications like Core77, Inhabitat, Treehugger and Fast Company were in Copenhagen to cover the INDEX: Award 2013 events and partially thanks to their combined published efforts, the organization’s homepage designtoimprovelife.dk received more than 40 million hits. > read more on page 12

/ fdim.dk

PARTNER FACTS

CNN International

· Number one CNN International is the #1 international news channel according to all major media surveys across EMEA, the Asia Pacific region and Latin America. · Reaching out CNN International reaches more than 268 million full time households in over 200 countries, across all major TV, internet and mobile platforms – amounting to a worldwide viewing base of 1 billion people.

INDEX: Award 2013 Winner Freshpaper™ (US) featured in a 90 second vignette on CNN International.

Danish Industry Foundation

> continued from front page In 2013, CNN announced a special program series profiling the nominees of the world’s biggest design award, INDEX: Award, run by Danish non-profit INDEX: Design to Improve Life®. The series comprised a series of 90 seconds vignette films showcasing the innovative solutions designed by finalists for the award; a theme week at CNN International and CNN.com and concluding with a half hour program special in September. The program series proved to be a big hit amongst both viewers and the series' partners.

Photos: Dennis Lehmann, Martin Bubandt & CNN International

Media partnership

In 2013, CNN International, The Danish Industry Foundation and State of Green signed an exclusive advertising partnership around a special program series, launched to international audiences from July. The campaign played to CNN’s television and online audiences of 268 million household across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Asia Pacific – and reached US users via advertising on CNN.com. The Danish Industry Foundation and State of Green advertised around the 90 second vignette films and also ran advertising segments during CNN International’s ‘Connect the World’ – both under the slogan ‘Join the Future. Think Denmark’. The campaign concluded with the sponsorship of a half hour program special in September.

Mads Lebech, CEO of The Danish Industry Foundation, says:

INDEX: Award and the related activities put a spotlight on Denmark and the strongholds that Danish companies have within sustainability, design and innovation.

He continues: »Concretely, this increased international attention provides a unique opportunity to both tell the story about one of the foundation’s big ventures – House of Green – an international visitor centre focusing on Denmark’s green industries and clean-tech and about how Danish history and experience show how Danish companies’ technologies are connected. In this particular case, we are happy to ensure synergy to the State of Green activities.« For a small country like Denmark, it is a great challenge to get the message of Danish solutions and companies across to all relevant persons in the global target group, and therefore the offer to participate in the CNN partnership was a unique possibility for all involved partners. Kigge Hvid, CEO of INDEX: Design to Improve Life®, says: »With this partnership, we are getting a media breakthrough as a result of several years of intensive work as torch bearers for designers’ ability to contribute with sustainable solutions to global challenges, and at the same time we are very much aligned with Denmark’s green

brand. To me, this is exactly the kind of strategic partnership that Denmark so badly needs, and we are very grateful to The Danish Industry Foundation for seeing the opportunity and taking it.« In total, the 90 second vignettes and 30 minute special were shown more than 300 times across all time zones and attracted an indisputable amount of attention to all three Danish stakeholder organizations, best illustrated by the INDEX: Design to Improve Life® organization who recorded in massive influx of social media followers and climbed to number 9 on the list

of most visited Danish websites, all directly traceable back to CNN International’s sub site for INDEX: Award 2013. Finn Mortensen, Executive Director of State of Green says: »Every year, the State of Green consortium conducts visits for more than 1,500 foreign commercial and political decision makers, who come to Denmark to experience and get inspired by the green solutions of Danish businesses. The international attention that the exposure on CNN yielded through our strategic partnership will only enhance their interest in coming to Denmark.« ——

INDEX: Award 2013 Winner Smart Highway (NL) featured on CNN International.

· Mission The mission of the Danish Industry Foundation is to develop and support innovative, inspirational and economically sustainable projects and initiatives that strengthen the competitiveness of Danish business and industry. · Status The foundation is registered as a business foundation and reports annual accounts to the Danish Commerce and Companies Agency. · Equity The foundation’s equity of DKK 4 billion is administered by the board of directors in cooperation with the management and in accordance with the foundation’s mission.

State of Green

· Mission State of Green gathers all leading players in the fields of energy, climate, water and environment and fosters relations with international stakeholders interested in learning from the Danish experience. · State of Green is a gateway to learn more about the ambitious Danish plan and the innovative solutions which are essential to make it happen.

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Overwhelming attention for Denmark’s green design award Rabalder Parken (DK), a skatepark that doubles as a water reservoir, and also a Design to Improve Life Investment (page 24) candidate.

The attention for INDEX: Award 2013 was positively overwhelming and the award ended up received a record breaking 1,022 nominations. Below, INDEX: Award Jury Chairman, Mikal Hallstrup, explains how he and his 11 fellow jurors found the 59 finalists and 5 winners of the world’s biggest design award, and what they learned in the process.

INDEX: Award 2013 — Trends and challenges

The old saying »be careful what you wish for – you just might get it« fits well with this year’s INDEX: Award jury process. Thus, the INDEX: Design to Improve Life® organization

received a staggering 1,022 nominations for INDEX: Award 2013 as a result of the jury’s request to intensify the efforts to attract more and better Design to Improve Life. A dream coming true, but not without ramifications, as the jury now had a mountain of design ideas to sift through to find the best of the best – making sure that nothing fell through the cracks in the process. So, a process for handling this monstrous task was put into play, with INDEX: Award Jury Chairman, Mikal Hallstrup, at the reins. He says: »The process began with us identifying a set of 12 challenges (scan QR code on bottom of page 5) and grouping the nominated designs according to these, in order to get an overview of what kind of designs we had on our hands, and to understand what was on the mind of designers right now.«

WikiCell (UK), an edible food wrapping inspired by e.g. the shell of a coconut.

Eating grasshoppers After this initial sorting process, the actual jurying could start, and all 12 jurors spent the better part of a month devoting themselves to the first phase of the process: selecting the finalists for INDEX: Award 2013 on a online platform, tailored specifically to the process with a clear voting structure and a chat function for discussions about uncertainties and the likes. Mikal Hallstrup says: »This year was, as always, special. We expected the unexpected, and that’s exactly what we got – both in numbers and in originality.« Mansour Ourasanah’s project, ‘Lepsis: The Art of Growing Grasshoppers’ is one of the most original entries this year and shows how protein-rich and fast-growing grasshoppers can be a viable and sustainable alternative to meat by sporting a much lower CO2 impact. Hallstrup adds:

Smart Highway (NL), an interactive highway that, among other things, tells you when the road is slippery and helps you charge your electric car.

I tried eating them myself and they are really crispy and tasty. So I do not see any reason why a product like this should not be in all our kitchens very soon.

Selecting the finalists for an award like INDEX: Award is a tough ordeal, as you are also deselecting a lot of other fantastic projects. Hallstrup explains: »These decisions are based on a mix of subjectivity and objectivity, and therefore the unselected entries should be considered winners too. Everything depends on who you ask, when you ask and where you ask them: Five different juries might pick five different winners.« CNN users in sync However, judging from the People’s Choice vote on CNN (see page 12), the INDEX: Award Jury’s decision proved to be in sync with the

wisdom of the crowd. Thus, three of the five INDEX: Award winning designs (see page 6) were among the top six most voted designs in the vote. One of these is the credit cardsized computer, Raspberry Pi. A design that is all about a paradigm shift wherein kids are leading the revolution towards adopting new technology faster than it can be marketed. Raspberry Pi is basically handing computing power back to the people, as experts predict that programming will be one of the most powerful skill sets in the 21st century. INDEX: Award Jury Member Ravi Naidoo puts it like this: »Nobody wants to live edited lives. We want to live creative lives – which is exactly what Raspberry Pi enables.« In the selection process, the jury had lively discussions about several nominees. But some topics just seemed to provoke and evoke discussions more than others. For example the global challenge of food which everyone has strong opinions about, and currently has designers all over the world coming up with solutions aimed at the production, the distribution or the consumption of this vital and very resource-heavy commodity. An example of this is ‘Beyond Meat™’, a plant protein that looks, feels, tastes and acts just like meat and holds a massive potential in improving billions of lives by ad-

dressing food shortage. In the same category are FreshPaper and WikiCell who both tackle the food challenge from a packaging point of view. Only for poor people? A question that most people seem eager to ask the juror chairman is whether or not INDEX: Award mostly has its sights set on finding solutions for problems in the developing world, as many of the award’s most iconic winners seem to be aimed at the world’s poorest (e.g. LifeStraw™). Mikal Hallstrup says: »We take a universal approach and this year, 37 out of the 59 finalists aim at solving challenges that are not restricted to rich or poor countries – they affect us all – such as food waste or alternative energy. The remaining 22 finalists are pretty much split 50/50.« Jury process S0, how does the INDEX: Award Jury actually select the finalists for the award? How do the jurors deselect 95% of all submitted ideas? Well, according to Mikal Hallstrup they make all decisions based on three parameters: Form, Impact and Context. Form is concerned with the surface, material, interface, color, coherency and aesthetics of the design. And also with whether or not the solution is well designed. If it is human-centric and user-friendly.

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Issue #01

Did you know? Health ...that 3,000 newborn babies die every day from birth asphyxia along with 1,000 birthing mothers. / un.org

Food waste ...that 33% of the 1.3 billion tonnes of food produced in the world for human consumption every year gets lost or wasted? / UN Environment Programme (UNEP)

Meat production ...that the world’s population of livestock is estimated to account for 18% of all greenhouse gas emissions? / Food & Agriculture Department of the Un (FAO)

Education ...that 99% of children in the developing world leave school without ever having touched a computer? / The Guardian

Food education ...that 40% of kids in the UK do not know that potatoes are the main ingredient in french fries and that 31% think that cheese grows on plants? / The British National Formulary (BNF)

Photos: Dennis Lehmann, WikiCell, SmartHighway, Rabalderparken, Mine Kafon & Beyond Meat

Mine sweep The mine sweeping tumbleweed, Mine Kafon, was nominated for INDEX: Award 2013.

Meat from plants The plant-based meat substitue, Beyond Meat, was nominated for INDEX: Award 2013. Impact is concerned with the impact or potential impact of the design and, thus, the number of lives improved by the design, the distribution as well as the social, economic and environmental sustainability of the design. Context is concerned with the framework within which the design is intended to fit: The challenge it addresses, the relevance of the challenge, the culture and the geography. So the stuff that INDEX: Award is looking for always has to do with relevance, affordability, scalability, etc. Not nice design solving

the wrong problems like designer chairs or white teacups. Mikal Hallstrup says: »Our focus is on meaningfulness. We are convinced that the world does not need more stuff, it needs better stuff.« Looking back on the 2013 jury process, it is clear that designers, engineers, programmers and entrepreneurs around the world are deeply engaged in addressing the challenges that burden our global society. Hallstrup says: »The projects are inspiration beacons that spread knowledge and help inspire others by gaining influence and creating impact. This is truly cool.« ——

INDEX: Award Jury Member Ravi Naidoo explaining how ‘Lepsis: The Art of Growing Grasshoppers’ works during the INDEX: Award 2013 Ceremony.

Mikal Hallstrup INDEX: Award Jury Chairman, INDEX: Design to Improve Life®

Global challenges INDEX: Award encourages designers from all over the world to address the world’s most pressing challenges with design. Challenges that span all aspects of human life and bring perspective to how we can use design as a tool to solve the issues of global and local societies – thus creating Design to Improve Life. Identified are 12 important challenges in order to catalogue the nominations for INDEX: Award.

Scan QR code to read more about the 12 INDEX: Award 2013 challenges.

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1,022

INDEX: Award can generate more green jobs in Copenhagen and pave the way for better life quality for people in big cities all over the world.

nominations

Over a thousand great ideas INDEX: Award 2013 received a recordbreaking 1,022 nominations from 73 countries on 5 continents.

— Frank Jensen, Lord Mayor of Copenhagen, Denmark

Danish Capital among INDEX: Award winners Copenhagen were among the winners of INDEX: Award 2013, the world’s biggest design award, when the award was handed out for the fifth time since 2005 in Elsinore on August 29th. The first Danish winner since LifeStraw™ in 2005. The Danish capital receives the award for its comprehensive Climate Adaptation Plan, created to safeguard the city better against the future’s worsening weather. Other winners include an intelligent highway from The Netherlands and a personal computer the size of a credit card.

The Natalie Collection (NO) helps train nurses and midwives in developing countries.

Copenhagen adapts to changing climate Danish capital Copenhagen receives INDEX: Award 2013 for the city’s climate adaptation plan, an ambitious plan that provides a unique and robust framework for a massive influx of sustainable design solutions in the future.

Environment & Climate adaptation Copenhagen during the severe flooding in 2011.

It is an irreversible fact is that the planet’s climate is currently in a state of change, throwing hurricanes and massive rain pours at its inhabitants. Denmark’s capital, Copenhagen, found a way to connect and address these climate changes in one master plan – The city’s Climate Adaptation Plan – aiming to prepare Copenhagen for the future by developing the Danish capital as a climate proof, attractive, and green city able to stimulate both growth and sustainability. Specifically, Copenhagen addresses futures climate change by targeting three key levels of climate adaptation: ·· Minimizing potential damage arising from climate change. ·· Warning and response systems to deal with abnormal conditions. ·· Preventive infrastructure to cope with damage, loss and traffic disruption. The climate adaptation plan is tightly interlinked with Copenhagen’s other key plans for green, sustainable, social and economic development. Taken together, the plans serve as the framework for hundreds of Danish designers, architects and engineers working on designing solutions for a vibrant and resilient metropolis of the 21st century – perhaps capable of using the side effects of a changing climate as a resource. — Copenhagen Climate Adaptation Plan INDEX: Award 2013 Winner Design: City of Copenhagen, Denmark

Trio of life-saving devices reduces childbirth mortality Norwegian company develops a trio of highly effective and low-cost solutions aimed at reducing child and maternal mortality in the developing world.

Health

Every day, 3,000 newborn babies die from birth asphyxia along with 1,000 birthing mothers. The enormity of this is stressed by the fact that it is included in no less than two of the UN’s 8 Millennium Development Goals. In addressing this – in very different and often impoverished communities in developing countries – Laerdal Global Health of Norway took a unique approach

and combined industrial design with education to create the products series ‘The Natalie Collection’, a birth simulating learning kit that facilitates interactive learning by providing practical hands-on birth training for midwives and untrained personnel. The Natalie Collection has already had a large impact in the world. For example, the widespread implementation of efficient training with the Helping Babies Breathe training program, while using Natalie Collection equipment in Tanzania has resulted in a 47% reduction in newborn deaths due to asphyxia. — The Natalie Collection INDEX: Award 2013 Winner Design: Laerdal Global Health, Norway

$25 PC enables people all over the world to use computers Computer scientists from University of Cambridge developed a super powerful $25 computer to cultivate PC usage and computer coding skills in people all over the world.

Education

Eben Upton and his colleagues at the University of Cambridge sparked the idea for a highly

affordable and customizable minicomputer in 2006 when a 60% decline in the number of British students achieving an A-level in computer science was brought to their attention. A huge concern for Upton, who believes that currently – and now more than ever – we are living in a digital era where you need to be able to control technology, if you do not want to be controlled by those who can. Thus, he created the Raspberry Pi – an open source and fully customizable computer the size of

a credit card, costing a mere $25 – to be a catalyst towards solving the world’s computing issues by educating and empowering today’s youth about programming, all over the world. The success since the launch has been immense, and when Raspberry Pi was put on the market in February 2012, the 10 thousand units put on sale were sold out in a matter of hours. Today, Raspberry Pi is the fastest growing computer company in the world with almost 2 million units sold globally.

— Raspberry Pi INDEX: Award 2013 Winner Design: The Raspberry Pi Foundation

Raspberry Pi (UK) is only the size of a credit card and could fuel a digital revolution.

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Issue #01

INDEX: Award winner reaches limit The non-profit organization Fenugreen behind INDEX: Award winning product FreshPaper is overwhelmed by the international demand for their product created by the media attention of the award, and is performing at its very limits to meet demands.

Did you know that there are more than 1,5 billion registered motor vehicles in the world transporting people and goods?

/ World Health Organisation

/ fenugreen.com

Extend your food’s expiration date with a single sheet of paper While the world’s farmers harvest enough food to feed the entire planet, it is estimated that up to 50% of the global food supply is wasted. American startup company Fenugreen is taking on this enormous, yet often overlooked, global challenge with a simple design, FreshPaper. Low-cost, compostable and infused only with organic spices, FreshPaper keeps produce fresh much longer, and holds the potential to change how the world keeps its food fresh.

Food waste

Photos: Thomas Melbye, Raspberry Pi, Freshpaper, Smart Highway and Laerdal Global Health

Kavita Shukla, a young inventor and designer, came across an old home remedy after accidentally drinking some unsafe tap water while visiting India. Her grandmother gave her a »spice tea«, and when she didn’t get sick, her curiosity was sparked. After years of experimenting with spices, she discovered that by applying her grandmother’s generations-old home remedy to a simple sheet of kitchen paper she could inhibit bacterial and fungal growth and keep food fresh much longer. Her simple idea is called FreshPaper and is available for purchase in more than 35 countries. As for usage, FreshPaper needs to be placed wherever the fresh produce is stored – in a refrigerator drawer, fruit bowl, or any other container (in or out of the fridge) and will keep the food fresh for up to 2-4 times longer. — FreshPaper™ INDEX: Award 2013 Winner Design: Kavita Shukla, USA

Freshpaper (US) keeps your food fresh up to 2–4 times longer.

Dynamic paint informs the driver about dangerous weather conditions.

Dutch designer creates talking roads If the road you drive on could talk, what would it tell you? A young Dutch designer believes that it would warn you of dangerous and shifting conditions and that it should be able to charge your electric car – while driving – as well as generate electricity for its own lights. Oh, and he’s already building it.

It proposes embedding highways with technology that can communicate visually in potentially dangerous driving conditions, charge your electric car as you drive, and generate electricity for its own lights. For example, when temperatures drop below freezing and roads become slippery, a glow-inthe-dark paint would activate, covering the driving surface with bright cartoon snowflakes.

Mobility

The goal is to make roads more sustainable and interactive by using light, energy and road signs that automatically adapt to the traffic situation, and the first mile of Smart Highway will be completed before the end of 2013.

In the past decades, large investments have been going into developing smart cars, but very little focus have been given to the developing of smart roads. Dutch designer Daan Roosegaarde decided to do something about this, so he designed Smart Highway, an interactive and sustainable road that includes a fivestep plan for modernizing roadways around the world.

— Smart Highway INDEX: Award 2013 Winner Design: Daan Roosegaarde, Studio Roosegaarde, The Netherlands

Smart Highway (NL) is lit by wind energy, lowering electrical bills.

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»INDEX: Award has placed Denmark at the forefront of the rapidly expanding fields of sustainable and humanitarian design.« — New York Times

Danish NPO Revolutionizes Award Show with ‘Good News’ The winners on stage at INDEX: Award 2013 Ceremony in Elsinore.

200 youth attended INDEX: Award Ceremony Alhough over shone by celebrities such as the Danish Minister of Business and Growth, Henrik Sass Larsen, the Danish Minister for Science, Innovation and Higher Education, Morten Østergaard and HRH Crown Princess Mary, the massive attendance of youth at the INDEX: Award 2013 Ceremony in Elsinore speaks of an event with the ability to attract the brain power of the future – hopefully improved by design. The youth was spearheaded by local children Sara Friis, Anna Friis and Amalie Lundsgaard who presented flowers to the Crown Princess.

To celebrate the winners of the world’s biggest design award, Danish non-profit INDEX: Design to Improve Life® teamed up with CNN to cook up a unique TV format of nothing but good news. The venture paid off and now looks to be catapulting the organization into the big leagues of NPO’s.

INDEX: Award 2013 Ceremony

on August 29th 2013, the winners of the world’s biggest design award, INDEX: Award worth €500,000, were revealed at a show that turned out to be a hybrid between a live TV news show and a theatre production, complete with sound effects, lightning bolts and a composed news anchor in the shape of renowned Danish journalist Steffen Kretz, who – besides having interviewed the likes of Muammar Gadaffi and Desmond Tutu on television – effortlessly guided his live audience of 1,500 Danish and international guests through a night of nothing but good news. The good news show had it all: The Danish PM encouraging people to eat grasshoppers, an electric sports car driving silently through the audience, and HRH The Crown Princess of Denmark seated gracefully in the middle of it all, enjoying the display of unusually good news from the ‘Design to Improve Life’ news channel. But most of all, the good news show had stories about the INDEX: Award 2013 winners and finalists

Danish Crown Princess shines at ceremony One of the best news at INDEX: Award Ceremony 2013 – where the theme was ‘Good News’ – was that H.R.H. The Crown Princess of Denmark attended the event held at Kulturværftet in Elsinore north of Copenhagen. The Crown Princess shone her kindness and engagement on both INDEX: Award winners, finalists and the organization’s partners who were all treated to a once in a life time experience.

in the shape of brilliant footage and extensive, eye-opening content from CNN International – as part of an exclusive media partnership with INDEX: Design to Improve Life® and Denmark’s official green brand, State of Green, created to focus on and promote the design of better solutions all around the world.

I have never been reporting from anything like this. — Steffen Kretz, Good News Anchor, INDEX: Award 2013 Ceremony

At the end of the 60 minute good news show, anchor Steffen Kretz lifted the suspense and revealed the winners of INDEX: Award 2013 (read more on page 6) to the audience who responded with massive standing ovations, indicating that the idea of a good news concept evolving around ‘Design to Improve Life’ could potentially catapult the Danish NPO onto bigger platforms in the future. ——

Good News Anchor Steffen Kretz reporting from Elsinore, accompanied by previous INDEX: Award Winner, electric sports car Tesla Roadster.

Watch the INDEX: Award 2013 Ceremony Scan the QR code to watch the entire Good News broadcast on vimeo.com.

Brothers in arms Danish brothers Anders and Martin Sælan from world renowned Henning Larsen Architects and Sælan Production Design, respectively, successfully designed and built the beautiful and effect full scenography of INDEX: Award 2013 Ceremony, giving the ceremony the exact look and feel of a real live news broadcast. > read more on page 26

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Exhibition world tour Between 2012 and 2013, INDEX: Award Exhibition has travelled around the world in 10 different countries. It started out in Singapore and then travelled to Luxembourg, Helsinki, Cape Town, São Paulo, Berlin, Tallinn, Risør, Huddersfield, Hong Kong and finally came back to Copenhagen in August 2013.

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Exhibition visitors Since 2007 more than 14 million people have seen the world touring INDEX: Award Exhibition showcasing the finalists and winners of INDEX: Award. / designtoimprovelife.dk

New exhibition pops up in Elsinore and Hong Kong As a spin-off to an existing exhibition concept, Danish non-profit INDEX: Design to Improve Life® created a child-friendly pop-up exhibition featuring the finalists for INDEX: Award 2013, allowing curious children and adults to browse through the best stories of Design to Improve Life in a hands-on format, and perhaps get inspired to choose a career in solution design themselves.

Pop up exhibition

In front of Elsinore’s new cultural epicenter, the Culture Yard, a new exhibition format saw the light of day in August of 2013. The Exhibition – a spin-off of an existing exhibition concept by Danish non-profit INDEX: Design to Improve Life® – featured the 59 finalists for the world’s biggest and most important design award, INDEX: Award worth €500,000. It was designed to especially peak the curiosity of younger visitors with its hybrid look of an abacus and a set of building blocks, upon which each of the 59 award finalists was depicted. Moreover, the blocks were fitted to rotate around its own axis, thus inviting children and young adults to interact with the exhibition, hopefully inspiring some to get involved with using design as a tool to solve global challenges like water shortage, food waste, overpopulation and elderly care – the organization’s subsistence. Young and old Elsinore citizens were be able to enjoy the exhibited designs for two weeks until the exhibition was dismantled in and shipped to Hong Kong on the first stop on its world tour. The pop-up exhibition is a result of a cooperation with the Culture Yard and the City of Elsinore who also hosted INDEX: Award 2013 Ceremony in an old factory close by. ——

INDEX: Award 2013 Exhibition in the King’s Gardens in Copenhagen.

Popular Danish exhibition yields global impact

A new pop up exhibition showcasing the 59 finalists for INDEX: Award 2013 in a playful manner, inspired by an abacus.

For years, an exhibition comprising the finalists for the world’s biggest design award, INDEX: Award, has adorned public squares, shopping malls and roof tops all over the world, leaving behind a footprint of design that makes the world a better place – from Denmark.

Photos: Dennis Lehmann

World touring exhibition

In the far north east corner of Copenhagen’s beautiful King’s Gardens – home of Rosenborg Castle and the Danish crown jewels – INDEX: Award Exhibition stood for a month, soaking up attention from by passers and visitors like it has so many times before. With designs like Lepsis, a grasshopper farm for your kitchen, and Esource, a copper-shredding bike from Ghana, the exhibition tells the stories from all over the world about how design can be used as a tool to improve lives. The exhibition is far from the minimalistic traditions of Scandinavia and features several 12-foot black, organic shapes with square, golden insets containing the 59 INDEX: Award 2013 finalist designs – all equipped with indivi-

dual, scanable QR (quick read) codes with links to audio, video and text about the specific designs. 10 countries in 18 months Copenhagen represents the exhibition’s first stop with the INDEX: Award 2013 finalists, but certainly not the first stop of its career. Thus, a untraditional array of live-improving designs from past award cycles has visited 10 countries in the past 18 months alone, leaving in its wake a wave of inspiration about how the world’s designers respond to massive global challenges like food waste, health care, sanitation and terrorism with innovative solutions. Always free of charge The exhibition – no matter where in the world – is always free to see and accessible for all, which is why it is a success everywhere it goes. Taking the positive stories of Design to Improve Life out of the dusty museums and onto the streets has proven to yield the biggest impact in terms of political attention, media focus and number of visitors. Attention that Denmark can be proud of, being the country who invented Design to Improve Life. The exhibition’s 2013/2014 tour schedule has not yet been finalized. ——

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Design dinner at INDEX: Design to Improve Life® CEO, Kigge Hvid’s Copenhagen apartment.

Published by INDEX: Design to Improve Life®

The Good Newspaper

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Designers connect over Danish dinner On a warm August evening, as part of the INDEX: Award 2013 events, hundreds of international guests were invited into the homes of hospitable Danes, including a Danish minister, to network and to experience Danish food and living culture. The event was utilized by the INDEX: Design to Improve Life® organization to ensure a strong network between design thinkers, -doers and -movers.

The concept

· Design dinner Volunteer friends, families and partners of INDEX: Design to Improve Life® are assigned 8-10 invited international guests to dine with them in their private Copenhagen homes. · Background The concept was born when the INDEX: Design to Improve Life® organization wanted to create something different from traditional celebration banquets in an effort to show guests from all over the world an inside glimpse of Denmark and Danish culture. ·M enu 2013 The menu for Design Dinner 2013 was the Danish traditional open sandwiches ‘smørrebrød’ and the guests were invited to design their own. The pronounciation of the difficult word proved easier after drinking a cool aquavit.

Design dinner

The Design Dinner concept was the happy result of low budgets in the early days of INDEX: Award. It proved to be one of the most successful events and guests look forward to it every time. What characterizes the Design Dinner is the cozy warm feeling of being at a friend’s house. It is the perfect setting for forming new and valuable friendships.

In the days before and after INDEX: Award in August, people from all over the world flocked to Copenhagen to take part in both professional and more laid-back events. One of the latter events already stands out despite the INDEX: Design to Improve Life® organization’s young life and has become a beloved tradition among staff and guests: the ‘Design Dinner’. The organization found 30 generous hosts – including Danish Minister of Transport, Pia Olsen

Dyhr – who graciously opened their private homes to a bunch of absolute strangers. The food, classic Danish ‘smørrebrød’, was prepared by the hosts and guests together and served as an ice breaker for conversation as well as a crash course in Danish food culture and food habits. After a fun meal accompanied by beer and snaps, and – rather unsuccessfully – trying to pronounce Smørrebrød, the international guests were personally guided through Copenhagen on foot, bike, bus, metro or by boat to party at the newly opened Design Society offices in downtown Copenhagen. The stories from Design Dinners around Copenhagen are many, but one of best goes like this: In a small Copenhagen apartment, the dinner guests discussed what made them decide to work with design. One guest got up from his chair, walked to the host’s bookshelf, took out a book and said: »This book is the reason I became fascinated by design«, after which another guest got up and said: »I’m glad to hear that, because I wrote that book.« ——

Bonus info

Photos: Dennis Lehmann, Philip Ørneborg & Smart Highway

Minister praised for hospitality Unsolicited, Danish Minister for Transport Pia Olsen Dyhr volunteered her Brønshøj home as one of thirty venues, when she heard that 300 international guests were invited to dine in private Copenhagen homes as part of the events for the world’s biggest design award, INDEX: Award. After the dinner, several of the Minister’s guests expressed their delight in her down-to-earth attitude and repeated that such an occurrence would never take place in their home countries.

Danish minister to visit INDEX: Award Winner Danish Minister for Transportation Pia Olsen Dyhr and designer Daan Roosegaarde met at a ‘Design Dinner’, graciously hosted by the minister in her private home in Brønshøj. Daan Roosegaarde – who designed INDEX: Award winning Smart Highway – and the minister hit it off, and the Dutch designer now hopes to get a visit from the Danish minister, where the Danish Ministry for Transportation can get inspiration to turn dumb Danish roads into intelligent, sustainable roads. / Studio Roosegaard, NL

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Published by INDEX: Design to Improve Life®

Value of ‘likes’ The value of one Facebook like is USD $136, turning the likes of the INDEX: Design to Improve Life® Facebook page – currently outperforming Facebook pages of e.g. World Economic Forum, The Nobel Prize and 88% of the Danish parties in parliament – into an asset of USD $3,6 million

People’s Choice Award on CNN Daan Roosegarde (NL) and Smart Highway won the People’s Choice Award at INDEX: Award 2013 after a close vote on CNN International’s specially created subsite for the award. 15 designs were shortlisted and Smart Highway received 16% of the votes during a three week voting period in August 2013.

/ Synapse Corp.

/ edition.cnn.com/specials/index-awards-design-to-improve-life

Danish non–profit rewarded for media efforts

As a result of a strategically organized media effort, Danish non-profit organization INDEX: Design to Improve Life® received media coverage on the highest level, as the world’s biggest and most influential design sites all reported on the organization in connection to the INDEX: Award 2013 celebrations that took place in Denmark earlier this year.

Good news

As stated in the paper’s page 2 editorial, the INDEX: Design to Improve Life® organization set out to create a world event for design within 1o to 12 years, and in the process get the rest of the design world on board with the new concept ‘Design to Improve Life’. In order to achieve this, Danish and international media needed to get on board and write compelling stories about INDEX: Award and its nominees; to be fed interesting content repeatedly. From 2002 to 2011, this was achieved with a project-based press effort limited to 12 out of the award biennale’s 24 months, resulting in the organization – including INDEX: Award – headlining more than 3,000 webbased and printed articles, while the organization’s website registered 77 million hits. The next level To take the organization’s press efforts to a new level, the press

efforts were increased to an fulltime effort handled in house and strategically aimed at focusing only on communicating ‘Good News’ centered primarily around the nominees, finalists and winners of INDEX: Award. Furthermore, the media attention gained in previously award biennales was analyzed in order to maximize INDEX: Design to Improve Life®’s impact and agenda-setting possibilities, both locally and globally. Based on this analysis, and seen in the light of the organization’s limited press resources, it was decided that quality had to come before quantity, and thus the press department set out to identify a handful of the world’s most influential design journalists and bloggers. This was decided, as it was clear that the power balance of the media landscape had changed, especially in favor of personal opinionated blogs, and that a few publications had the power to enlighten and influence a mass of designsavvy followers. Also, it would be easier to manage and guide a few selected writers and show them the hospitality and character of which INDEX: Award has become (in) famous over the past years. Paid by the Ministry Thus, in the spring of 2013, INDEX: Design to Improve Life® contacted the Danish Foreign Ministry who – via the ‘Invest in Denmark’ initiative – granted the organization DKK 65,000 to bring as many design bloggers and journalists to Copenhagen as possible to cover the events in Denmark including

More than 40 members of the Danish and international press attended the INDEX: Award Winners’ press meeting.

The world press attended INDEX: Award 2013 in Elsinore in massive numbers.

INDEX: Award 2013 Ceremony, Design Dinner, Design to Improve Investment, etc.

designtoimprovelife.dk received more than 40 million hits between 2012 and 2013. www.designtoimprovelife.dk/ awstats

Writers from publications like Engadget, Core77, Inhabitat, Wired, Treehugger, Design Milk, Dezeen, Design Boom and Fast Company – with a combined fan base of more than 100 million readers per month – were invited and seven of these eventually agreed to join the celebrations and cover the events. Their combined published efforts subsequently trickled down to many other design sites within a few days of the unveiling of the INDEX: Award 2013 Winners on August 29th in Elsinore, pushing the number of articles written about the award past 1,200 which – compared to previous biennales – is a numeric increase and more importantly reflects a heightened quality when examining the publishers and their

credentials. Supporting this is also the fact that the organization’s homepage www.designtoimprovelife.dk received more than 40 million hits in the period – an increase of 52% compared to the average of the previous four award biennales. Extraordinary experience Lloyd Alter, managing editor of Treehugger – rated world’s #1 sustainability blog several times – was invited to participate in all the INDEX: Award events and says among other things: »The Design Dinner was one of the most extraordinary experiences of my life. Not only was the setting so marvelous – a lovely house in a green community – and the food delicious and fun to make, but the company! I mean, the combined IQ around the table was probably in six digits, and the conversation was so inspiring. Everything about the evening was just perfect.« This kind of publicity – whilst personal in its approach – shows the true value of the organization’s content which cannot be bought and must be treasured and prioritized in the future communication of INDEX: Design to Improve Life®, as the organization wishes to build upon its current media impact. ——

Bonus

Hotel upgrade · Writers from acclaimed design publications like Core77, Inhabitat and Treehugger were put up in Copenhagen design abode Hotel Christian IV when covering the INDEX: Award 2013 events. · The hotel’s side lobby had for the occasion been furnished with lounge chairs and tables kindly lend by furniture company Fritz Hansen and equipped with a super fast Wi-Fi connection to create an optimal work environment for the writers.

Issue #01

The Good Newspaper

Photos: Dennis Lehmann

INDEX: Award 2013

1,500 people about to watch an hour of only good news broadcasted live from the Culture Yard in Elsinore, Denmark.

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Published by INDEX: Design to Improve Life®

1,500 guests watching ‘Design to Improve Life News’ live in Elsinore.

Ravi Naidoo on the side stage watching Steffen Kretz deliver good news.

In other’s words 1,500 international guests were invited to celebrate the winners of INDEX: Award 2013 at a spectacular ceremony in Elsinore, Denmark. The theme of the ceremony was ‘Good News’.

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Alice Rawsthorn reporting live on stage.

Eben Upton and wife Liz raising the INDEX: Award 2013 winner statuette for Raspberry Pi.

HRH The Crown Princess of Denmark with INDEX: Award winner Daan Roosegaarde (middle) and Danish Minister for Business and Growth, Henrik Sass Larsen (left).

The team from INDEX: Award Winner The Natalie Collection, Laerdal Global Health from Norway, talking to a reporter.

»INDEX: Award is about realizing the biggest ideas you can imagine.« – Paola Antonelli, Senior curator, MoMa NYC

»INDEX: Award holds great potential. It is an inspiration for others when finding sustainable solutions and securing the well-being of people.« – Helle Thorning–Schmidt, Prime Minister, Denmark

»The world is actually a wonderful place full of creative designers.« – Steffen Kretz, Good News Anchor, INDEX: Award 2013 Ceremony

»Designers and architects should not just make elegant objects and beautiful facades – they should build cities as eco systems with social qualities and lots of life.« – Bjarke Ingels, Architect, BIG

»INDEX: Award Ceremony was professionally planned and executed – and a fantastic experience« – Johannes Hecht-Nielsen, Lord Mayor, Elsinore

»Designers want to save the world, and investors want to make money. Bridging that gap is crucial if you want to succeed in getting funding for business proposals.« – Jens Wittrup-Willumsen, Board Chairman, INDEX: Design to Improve Life®

Photos: Dennis Lehmann

Former INDEX: Award winner Tesla Roadster also made a cameo at the ceremomy.

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The Natalie Collection’s manual.

Q&A session.

Tore Laerdal demonstrating The Natalie Collection.

The winners of INDEX: Award 2013 side by side.

Winners’ Talk In the intimate settings of Copenhagen’s Plaza Hotel library bar, the INDEX: Award 2013 winners shared their engaging stories about their award winning designs. They were stories of success, passion and teamwork but also of hardships and the challenges facing the designers of the 21st century.

The Plaza Hotel’s library bar featured the INDEX: Award Winners’ Talk for the second time in a row.

The 2013 Winners’ Talk was moderated by INDEX: Award jury member Ravi Naidoo.

Scan the QR code to watch the 2013 Winners’ Talk.

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New design strategy diploma In the winter of 2013, INDEX: Design to Improve Life® offers two modules of a new diploma program in design management and strategy in collaboration with the Danish Design School and UCC, aimed at professionals with an interest in using design thinking and -methods in their work. / designtoimprovelifeeducation.dk

Hands-on education initiative looks to extend EU funding Design to Improve Life Education employs hands-on working methods.

The large-scale education project ‘Design to Improve Life Education’ has successfully been running from 2010 to 2013 in the Öresund Region of Scandinavia. The project educates teachers and students in using global challenges as learning resources and in developing sustainable solutions to these. The project is funded by the EU, who is now considering an application for additional funding. Below, is an interview with administrative leaders Louise Kjær* and Merete Røder** from funding partners and EU program, Interreg IV A, about being lead partner on such a project.

Interview with Interreg IV A

What was emphasized when the money was initially allocated for this project? »An exciting approach in getting young people (high school students and the oldest ground school students) to think creatively and innovatively.«

Photos: Dennis Lehmann & Jørgen Ebbesen

This method can help equip a generation of young people to become more entrepreneurial and to take a more active part in the development of society – to learn how to think of solutions rather than problems.

How does this project fit with the overall strategy of the Öresund Region? »The Interreg IV A program has a clear goal to – as part of a Danish/Swedish collaboration – develop a region that will be competitive and full of growth in the future. This project can help contribute to – as a knowledge based region – us being one step ahead of our competitors.« What positive effects did Interreg IV A hope that the project could generate? »It has been Interreg IV A’s hope that the project would generate a Danish/Swedish approach to new learning methods. This goal has to a certain extent been reached through the concrete work being carried out in the region’s schools and through collaborations between the two partnering education institutions, UCC and Malmö High School.«

What potential does Interreg IV A see in Design to Improve Life Education? »Our modern welfare society obviously stands before a lot of challenges. The Design to Improve Life Education project can hopefully inspire more and more educators, teachers and students to think teaching and development in a radically new way, specifically the new and more involving teaching methods which encourage citizens (students) to actively partake in the development of our society and in solving society’s problems.« What part of the project is the most interesting for you personally? »The fact that there is never ONE correct answer, but rather an emphasis on thinking freely and generating ideas.« Which results can the project be proud of? »The level of commitment that both teachers and students have shown by using the methodology in their daily teaching.« What is the background for (most likely) prolonging the project’s funding? »A potential extension of the project will be justified in the opportunity to ensure a better proliferation of the Design to Improve Life Education model, especially

on the Swedish side. In the spring of 2013, the project suffered from the teachers’ conflict, which led to a loss in momentum. A project extension will make it possible for methods and teaching materials to gain long-term proliferation and anchoring in the region.« Was there anything specific at the Education Conference in August 2013 that made you contact the project about a possible extension? »All ongoing projects Interreg IV A projects with the potential of

increased result proliferation are given the opportunity to apply for an extension of their communication activities. The project’s positive development over time qualifies for such an application. Furthermore, both the project conference in August 2013 and exemplifications via a great project exhibition have demonstrated a large commitment with teachers and students. A commitment that can be used prospectively to proliferate the Design to Improve Life method.« ——

* Louise Kjær, Secretariat leader at Interreg IV A Öresund-Kattegat-Skagerrak ** Merete Røder, Contact person and communications consultant at Interreg IV A ÖresundKattegat-Skagerrak

Design to Improve Life Education uses society’s challenges as a resource in school and students’ talents as a resource for society.

INTERREG IV A

· Fact The Interreg IV A Öresund-Kattegat-Skagerrak program involves Sweden, Denmark and Norway. It focuses on stimulating, encouraging and supporting cross-border cooperation in southwestern Scandinavia. · Funding The program is financed through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and has a total project budget of €242 million.

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Education conference In August 2013 in Copenhagen hundreds of educators from countries around the world assembled to hear and discuss the result of the three yearlong projects that have led to the development of Design to Improve Life Education.

I learned more during the last four hours than I did at a three-day international conference on Education I went to recently. I understand why you are all so enthusiastic! — Jette Stenlev, CEO, CooperativeLearning.dk

/ designtoimprovelife.dk

Students working with the Design to Improve Life Compass.

Sweden positive about Danish design initiative For the past three years, Swedish school, Malmö Latinskola, has been a part of the Design to Improve Life Education initiative aimed at teaching school children problem solving skills with design as the main driver. In the process, the students have come up with solutions targeting serious issues like crime, segregation and social deprivation – with better academic reports as a result. We met one of their teachers, Clara Lindberg, for a talk.

Interview

How has Design to Improve Life Education influenced teaching at Malmø Latinskola? Clara Lindberg: »Design to Improve Life Education has influenced both teachers and students. The methods enables students to develop a broad spectrum of capabilities and to continuously receive feedback on

their learning. It has also given us teachers creative, tangible techniques to help develop our teaching.« What about your students? Clara Lindberg: »The students see the methods as ‘important and for real’. They enter the process based on existing knowledge and references, and own the process, while teachers facilitate. Students are not left alone in the process, and students who normally have difficulties getting started becomes active and show good results. Hence, the method is inclusive and increases motivation, which contributed to more students participating and completing more course modules, which enhanced their possibilities of achieving the course goals.« Will you continue to use Design to Improve Life Education? Clara Lindberg: »Yes. The possibilities are endless and we look at the future with excitement. Our dream is to be able to integrate the Design to Improve Life Education process in the students’ everyday learning.« ——

Educational tool structures design process THE COMPASS

The Design to Improve Life Compass consists of four levels: · The user The »target market« negatively affected by a specific situation (the challenge), who will benefit from the design solution. ·T he four phases Prepare, Perceive, Prototype and Produce – the four main phases in the design process. · 1 2 concrete actions Three actions plus a final Sum Up in each of the four phases (12 in total). The actions in each phase are relevant for and support the educational goals of each phase. ·A series of techniques that support the actions. Several of these techniques are familiar process tools combined into a new holistic and creative form of teaching.

Design to Improve Life Education require a means of navigation, a compass that helps both teacher and students to stay focused on their goals.

Methodology

The fundamental teaching tool in Design to Improve Life Education is the Design to Improve Life Compass that guides both teachers and students through the Design to Improve Life process. The Compass comprises four intense phases, twelve inspiring actions and a series of vivid and engaging techniques developed by designers, teachers, didactic experts and process facilitators together. The education process brings the students through phases, where they initially identify the global challenge they want to be part of solving, followed by in-dept research into the facts and figures of the challenge and how it affects people in their local area. On this basis the students create innovative design of many possible solutions, followed by testing and refinement, while the process ends by producing the proposed solution in the form of models and visualization and final presentations to their class peers. Throughout the process the teachers has the role

of process facilitators, that creates a structured and well planned frame for the students creativity. The Design to Improve Life Compass can be used in and across all subjects in primary, secondary and vocational education as well as at university level, and can vary in duration from one week to six months.

The Design to Improve Life Compass.

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4,000

students

4,000 students taught So far, 18 schools in the Öresund Region have participated in the program by enrolling 180 teachers in a certified Design to Improve Life Education course. Through their learnings, 4,000 students experienced the Design to Improve Life learning process. / designtoimprovelifeeducation.dk

Danish high school students solve Greece’s challenges As part of INDEX: Design to Improve Life® ’s Education Program, Ørestad Gymnasium in Copenhagen successfully launched three new majors based on problem solving and life-improving design thinking. The majors were launched in the school year 2012/2013 and are now continued for the 2013/2014 school year, in part due to a successful trip to Athens where students designed solutions aimed at solving big city issues like poverty.

I have met talented students who at a young age already designed and built successful companies, fashion and products because they were encouraged and got the right kind of teaching. This interest, persistency and creativity is something we need to use and improve so it can benefit us all.

Education

— Christine Antorini Danish Minister of Education

Teenage students attempted to visualize how problems with crime and poverty can be solved in a big city like Athens, Greece, as the classrooms of Ørestad high school were replaced by hands-on teaching in the streets of Athens last year. Prior to the trip, the students spent their lessons in AT (a mandatory, cross-disciplinary subject in Danish high schools) writing up different problems, and the proposed solutions were subsequently cut out of cardboard – not written on the blackboard. Environmental issues, and especially the battle for less CO2 emissions were one of the selected topics. Jessica S. Rud Poulsen, Clara Armand Andersen, Maria Amalie Lawaetz and Tine Mousing Nielsen built high rises equipped with solar cells and rainwater collection reservoirs and designed small electric cars. In Athens, they conducted interviews and learned, if their

Design to Improve Life Education methodologies in use.

elaborate plans could be materialized in real life. Other students worked with the highly relevant topic of poverty and designed solutions to fight and reduce this. Ditte Lings Fiala and Caroline Astrid F. Fransen thus looked into how poverty can be fought by using the city’s resources better. In collaboration with some of the class’ boys, they constructed a model of a public collection spot aimed at clothes recycling. »Crime is a big issue in Greece, and the country’s crisis has left a lot of people unemployed, forcing some into crime to get money«, Johan Christian B. Jakobsen ex-

plained. Therefore, he and his partners, Alexander Garancsy and Frederik Lawrence Bardrum, tried to come up with a solution that can provide jobs in Athens. The boys discussed whether or not to try and build a factory or if they should focus on the export of Greek food items. The project ‘The Global Metropolis’ were finished when the students returned from Athens, and Ørestad Gymnasium’s next Design to Improve Life project trip is in the fall of 2013, when students are travelling to Beijing to design solutions for the city’s trash issues. —— One of the challenges addressed by Ørestad Gymnasium is homelessness.

Design summer school in Korea In the summer of 2011, INDEX: Design to Improve Life® successfully organized the ‘Yonsei INDEX: Design Summer School’ (YIDSS) in collaboration with world renowned Yonsei University in Korea for more than 100 international students. YIDSS was open for university graduates and undergraduates from all disciplines and from all over the world. The summer school educated in becoming members of the next generation of global citizens and leaders through an experience-oriented, cross-disciplinary, cross-cultural, international and integrated learning environment.

Photos: Martin Bubandt, Jørgen Ebbesen, Phillip Battin & Ørestad Gymnasium

/ indexdesignsummer.yonsei.ac.kr

Danes help chinese with trash In the fall of 2013, students from Ørestad Gymnasium, Denmark, will be going to Beijing, China, where they – in collaboration with a Chinese NGO – will work on designing solutions for making people more aware of not dumping their trash in scenic spots or tracking routes near the Great Wall. / designtoimprovelifeeducation.dk

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Worldwide Design to Improve Life Education concepts have been tested and used in workshops e.g. in Korea, China and Norway. / designtoimprovelife.dk

countries

Spreading the word In the 2013 biennale cycle alone, the INDEX: Design to Improve Life速 organization spoke at events, educated teachers and students, and developed concepts with people from 32 countries around the world, including China, Singapore, USA, Holland, Norway, South Africa, Korea, Mexico and The United Emirates. / designtoimprovelife.dk

Working in cross-disciplinary teams is essential for the Design to Improve Life process.

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All across Denmark In 2013 and 2014, 16 municipalities from across the country are represented with school classes at this year’s National Design to Improve Life Challenge. / designtoimprovelife.dk/danmarksudfordringen

Can Denmark’s challenges be solved by country’s youth?

A shipping foundation, a water supplier, three ministries and a non-profit organization launched an innovative initiative to engage kids and youth in Danish Schools and High Schools in solving the most severe challenges facing Denmark. This year’s theme is water.

In 2013, the theme for Denmark’s Design to Improve Life Challenge is ‘climate adaptation – with a specific focus on water’.

National Challenge

The initiative is called ‘Denmark’s Design to Improve Life Challenge’ and the Danish government named the challenge’s topic for 2013 ‘Climate Adaptation with Focus on Water’ on the basis of the changing climate – Danish capital Copenhagen was e.g. left with a bill of DKK 8 billion due to severe flooding damages in 2011. Currently, students from 38 schools and high schools from 16 municipalities across Denmark are thus battling it out to solve the challenge of adapting our cities to the changing climate – and to become the first ever winners of the challenge and the coveted prize of DKK 50,000. The challenge highlights innovation and the principles of Design to Improve Life with the aim of increasing the understanding of what it means to address global challenges in a humane and sustainable manner, while celebrate solutions and design that actually contribute to a better society at the same time.

Photos: Jørgen Ebbesen, Signe Stenlev & Miklos Szabo

Danish elementary school children designing their water related solution.

In working with the main theme of climate adaptation and water – especially excessive or insufficient amounts of the latter – the students create designs to improve local conditions in order for people to overcome challenges related to issues such as flooding, polluted waterways, cloudbursts and wastewater. An important factor in Denmark’s Design to Improve Life Challenge is the emphasis on seeing the changing climate as a resource rather than a problem. Thus, the students are asked to consider water a remedy for opportunity, instead of a problem that needs fixing: Establishing an incentive to create new constellations rather than simply prevent damages gives way for new designs in the form of recreational spaces, sustainable facilities or experiences. In the solution-making process, the students learn to use Design to Improve Life processes and understand the value of creating solutions for a better future. Danish Minister for Science, Innovation and Higher Education, Morten Østergaard, says:

Denmark should be a land of solutions. A land where innovative solutions to challenges lead to growth and to employment.

He continues: »It is therefore important that our children and youth are challenged to think in-

novatively from an early age. I encourage all schools to participate in Denmark’s Design to Improve Life Challenge and look forward to seeing their contributions.« A jury of elite business people and experts will choose twenty teams who will go on to compete in the finale. And whoever wins will ultimately be determined by the Danish ministers of Education; Science, Innovation and

Higher Education; Business and Growth and the Environment. Bonus info The innovative and straight forward format of Denmark’s Design to Improve Life Challenge – which is part of the new Danish Innovation Strategy – has been attracting interest from countries like Spain, India, China and England. ——

Danish high school students building models.

Did you know? National challenge ...that by the end of 2013, 1,800 Danish school children have participated in working out a design solution to the National Design to Improve Life Challenge? Student exhibition ...that students from Christianshavns Gymnasium will present their project solutions to Taiwan’s deputy minister of Environmental Protection and Administration, Shin-Cheng Yeh? Climate changes ...that the 2011 flooding in Copenhagen cost an estimated DKK 8 billion. / forbes.com

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150K students

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In the school year of 2011/2012, more than 150,000 students were taught specifically in entrepreneurship.

/ » Denmark – Land of Solutions «

53 public high schools participated in a 2012 study about incorporating innovation in the interdisciplinary subject ‘Almen Studieforberedelse’.

FIVU’s Innovation Strategy of 2012

/ www.emu.dk

high schools

School children create solutions for changing climate GOOD NEWS: As thousands of students set to work to solve Denmark’s challenge of climate change adaptation, their creativity leaps to new heights. Kids from all over the country have thus designed creative solutions ranging from giant sponges over super drains and apps to a ‘wall of Archimedes’.

National challenge

The competition is dead serious. Not only do the kids compete to win DKK 50,000 but they work to become able to understand and solve the global challenges that will face them in the future. Challenges like over population, food shortage and climate change, the latter being the theme for this year’s Design to Improve Life Challenge posed by Danish non-profit INDEX: Design to Improve Life®. Danish Minister of Education Christine Antorini explains why design-based and innovative processes are well suited to be at the very center of such learning processes:

Design is a practical method that more children and young people must learn to use, so they are equipped to address the challenges they face in now and later in life.

But is it realistic to involve kids and young people in solving the challenges facing a society? Well, let us look at ‘Vappen’ designed by the 1T class from Elsinore High School. Vappen is an app that provides citizens with all the necessary factual information and tells you what to do during torrential rain and flooding. Also, the app allows for a faster and more direct communication from the municipality to each citizen. A feat that would not be possible by using radio and television. Minister for Science, Innovation and Higher Education Morten Østergaard applauded the student designers at a speech celebrating Denmark’s Design to Improve Life Challenge: »This app will clearly be a benefit to any municipality and its citizens in case of torrential rain, flooding or problems with drinking water.« Another solution is the ‘Drain Tile’ designed by students at Aarhus Cathedral School, which is anticipated to add to the existing drainage infrastructure of the city of Aarhus. The tile has a void in the center and small holes in the surface and is designed to be placed in roads and surfaces to let water from flooding or torrential rain drain quickly into drainage systems. This idea is also praised by minister Østergaard, who threw in a little city patriotism »I am always thrilled to see smart solutions. But being from Aarhus, I have to add that a design that can protect

Aarhus city center makes me not just happy, but really happy!« Denmark’s Design to Improve Life Challenge engages kids and young people in solving large scale challenges and until the end of the challenge in early 2014, hundreds of clever design solutions will pour in, adding to the new Danish innovation strategy – Denmark, The Land of Solutions. The very best solutions will be presented to the entire Danish Government, to all Mayors in Denmark and to the CEO’s of the 50 leading companies in Denmark. ——

There are no limit to the students’ creativity. Even the youngest students come up with highly innovative ideas.

Why do we need a design challenge for school children? We are in the midst of a global transformation. More and more people around the world receive education, better health and better life. It’s a good story, but it also creates challenges of increased consumption and pressure on the planet’s environment.

Speech (excerpt)

Danish innovation strategy These new challenge are the focus of the Danish government’s innovation strategy and of Denmark’s Design to Improve Life Challenge, because we need to understand how Denmark can utilize our knowledge and our good education system in order to develop solutions to global challenges, and by that replace the jobs that we have lost.

Association cards can fuel creativity.

Better solutions To do this, we need to challenge the way we think, challenge the way our students think and embed a thinking of global challenges and better solutions in our daily lives. This requires knowledge, insight and a broad distribution of new knowledge in our society. We must therefore dare to challenge existing perceptions of how things should and should not be. It is obvious that when we are working to combat climate change, we also need to adjust to larger quantities of heavy weather in the future than we have been accustomed to. One way to approach this is to use billions on what we already know works. Another would be to see whether or not we can find new ways to create solutions that can also be used elsewhere, for example in some of the world ’s greatest cities. Can we solve challenges in ways that help our own citizens

and municipalities in a way that can simultaneously help others? Helping kids Denmark’s Design to Improve Life Challenge helps us help kids and young people to be part of this process. Another very important aspect of The Challenge is that it is not just a contest that will live its own life. It has a broader aim of introducing teachers to new innovative methods to inspire their students to become more creative and committed – both in classrooms and in the surrounding community. We need to apply innovation, creativity and solution orientated learning in the way we educate and learn. Therefore, it is imperative that we change the perception of how education is planned, with those who plan it in ground school as well as higher education. Denmark’s Design to Improve Life Challenge is a stepping stone for this. ——

Morten Østergaard Danish Minister for Science, Innovation and Higher Education

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Impact investment gains traction About 400 million children have no access to safe drinking water. 60 million land mines threaten people across the world. And in Germany – one of the richest countries on earth – 3 million children live below the poverty line.

Impact investment

Design to Improve Life Investment candidate ‘A Behaviour Changing Syringe (ABCs)’ turns bright red after use, thus warning of re-use.

Photos: Dennis Lehmann & Jørgen Ebbesen

Dr. David Swann, the designer behind ‘A Behaviour Changing Syringe (ABCs)’, pitches to potential investors.

The social and environmental problems our societies are facing today are countless, but the financial means to fight them aren not. Public resources are getting scarce, country after country is experiencing budget cuts, and philanthropy is often seen as an important contribution to help solve the problems at hand. However, charitable financial resources are also limited. But, there are encouraging signs of a new kind of investor entering the field. In recent years, socalled ‘impact investments’ have gained traction and importance, i.e. investments that generate a social and/or environmental as well as a financial return. And while this form of investment started in a development and charitable context, it is now seen by many experts to be at a turning point – entering the mainstram market. Politicians have taken note, too: In 2011, the European Commission thus started its Social Business Initiative aiming to strengthen the environment for impact investment in the European Union. And some countries are helping to build this sector: The UK – always a pioneer of innovative social approaches in Europe – thus launched an investment fund called Big Society Capital in 2012, worth £600 million. So far, though, the development of the impact investing market has not been reaching its full potential. This is why the INDEX: Design to Improve Life® Investment Initiative is so important. For over a decade, the INDEX: Design to Improve Life® organization has been at the forefront of championing socially and environmentally conscientious design by inspiring countless designers, social entrepreneurs, investors, and changemakers to help make the world a better place through design. The Investment Initiative takes the organization’s achievements to a new level. By supporting promising designers in the development of their business proposition, and by connecting them with potential investors, INDEX: Design to Improve Life® is playing a crucial role as incubator and pathfinder in the impact investing market. This in turn will strengthen one of the most promising solutions we know to solve societies’ intractable problems: Using impact investment to support Designs to Improve Life. ——

Felicitas von Peter Chair, Design to Improve Life Investment and Founder & Managing Partner of Active Philanthropy

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Impact investment Impact investments are investments made into companies, organizations, and funds with the intention to generate measurable social and environmental impact alongside a financial return. / wikipedia.org

Social investors in Copenhagen for profits In a struggling world of financial and humanitarian crisis, investors start looking to emerging markets of Design to Improve Life to generate financial returns as well as social and environmental impact. To meet this demand, Danish non-profit INDEX: Design to Improve Life® created a pipeline of investment cases ready for backing, among these a 90% water efficient farming method from Japan.

Investment potential

‘Design to Improve Life Investment’ is an ambitious new investment initiative developed by Danish non-profit INDEX: Design to Improve Life® – founders of the world’s biggest design award, INDEX: Award – and business development organization Accelerace, dedicated to generating social and environmental impact through sustainable design solutions, whilst creating attractive financial returns for its investors.

For every biennale, INDEX: Award receives more and more nominees. In 2013, the award thus spawned over 1,000 from 73 different countries and over 4,000 since 2005. So the organization knows that designers are responding to the world’s challenges with better solutions. But, more often than not, designers are not business savvy, so they lack the competencies, networks and capital to scale their design visions onto the global stage, and most of us will therefore never know that their design existed, and more importantly: No one’s lives will be improved by it. Simultaneously and paradoxically, many investors claim that their biggest challenge often is to find a viable pipeline of investment opportunities to write checks for – which creates the perfect opportunity to bridge a gap between designers and investors. INDEX: Design to Improve Life® thus set out to create a new platform for impact investment culminating in a so called ‘Investor Day’ where money meets ideas. Before the investor day, held in August 2013, ten projects were

Networking at Design to Improve Life Investment Day.

Mansour Ourasanah pitching his project ‘Lepsis: The Art of Growing Grasshoppers’.

shortlisted from the 59 INDEX: Award 2013 finalists, as the first group of candidates – projects that with the right backing could yield both social, environmental and financial returns. Each candidate was put through the paces of defining or refining their business cases and pitch performances by a team of consultants from Accelerace at entrepreneur community Symbion in Copenhagen. All candidates were supported by business advisors from Copenhagen Business School and DANSIC alumni. A hands-on support that made it critical for the designers to transform their design vision into a solid business case. Thus, on August 31st 2013, the first ever group of candidates presented their design and business cases to international and Danish investors and enablers, in a bid to forge productive ties.

One of the investors participating, CEO of the UK-based social entrepreneur network ClearlySo, Rodney Schwartz, says: »The content of the investor day was amazing, and I felt very much part of the Design to Improve Life world. Furthermore, the pitchers were the best group I have ever come across.« From the success of the investor day, two investment candidates are now in serious discussions with investors through connections forged at the event. They are Danish MONSTRUM who design playgrounds encouraging high physical activity and fight childhood obesity, and Japanese company Mebiol who invented a farming method reducing water consumption by 90% and minimizing the use of fertilizers. Chair of the investment initiative, Felicitas von Peter, says:

»The initiative was established as a way to truly realise the potential of Design to Improve Life – as a means of brokering between designers and investors and/or entrepreneurs. It is essential that the INDEX: Design to Improve Life® organization can help foster a middle ground where transactions, relationships and good partnerships can be forged, because in order to see impact in Design to Improve Life; designs need to be commercially viable and reaching their intended users.« The next Investment Day is scheduled for the summer of 2015, whilst strategic conversations about optimizing the investment concept will take place among stakeholders like politicians, investors and INDEX: Design to Improve Life® representatives in 2014. ——

INDEX: Design to Improve Life® board member, Lars Nørby Johansen (left), attending Investment Day at Design Society.

The investment initiative seems awesome as it is aligned exactly towards a new model of initiating, financing and ultimately building intelligent and game-changing design. It is what we are striving for and it is damned exciting to see others around the world approach it from different positions and scales. — Dong–Ping Wong, USA +Pool, Investment candidate

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Issue #01

Design to Improve Life Investment Candidate ‘Film Farming with Hydrogel’.

Investment candidate

Bonus

Wealthy families see potential in INDEX: Design to Improve Life® · Following the Design to Improve Life Investment Initiative, INDEX: Design to Improve Life® has been invited to the annual meeting of the highest net worth families in the world to present the work of the organization and to inspire the family owned businesses and foundations with Design to Improve life cases. / Design to Improve Life Investment

Photos: Dennis Lehmann, +Pool & Film Farming with Hydrogel

Design to Improve Life Investment Candidate ‘+Pool’.

‘Film Farming with Hydrogel’ is a revolutionary new farming method which is soil-less, uses 90% less water, 80% less fertilizer, boosts productivity by 50%, and produces nutritious and delicious crops. How? By combining the technology used in disposable diapers with a pioneering film. During the Design to Improve Life Investment Day held at Design Society in Copenhagen in August 2013, this revolutionary design solution got a lot of attention from potential investors – mostly venture capitalists – with whom the inventors, Japanese company Mebiol, are now in the process of following up. Representatives from Mebiol expressed that they were very satisfied with the feedback, connections and potential investments they received during investor day.

Consultants and advisors from the investment initiative, Domenic Manganelli and Jan A. Bjørge from CBS, helped Mebiol design a new and suitable business model for their film farming technology in order to be better equipped to penetrate new European markets. They say: »Our expectations when looking at this project were that Mebiol had some success in Japan, but had to find some global partners in places where this technology could be feasible, i.e. deserts and unproductive land. They had very specific expectations for entering the Danish market and were here not only looking for a partner to start a farm in Denmark, but also to find investors – the latter being preferable but not a requirement.« Upon seeing the list of potential companies, one in particular leapt out to Manganelli and Bjørge, as it was not only a great idea, but also the project closest to potential investment: »’Film Farming with Hydrogel’ already had success, not just in terms of popularity but was also extremely profitable. The compelling aspects were the profits, the disruptive angle of the technology, and the potential for solving water scarcity problems«, the two advisors explain. Denmark will henceforth serve as bridgehead, when Mebiol and their film farming project expands into Europe. The company’s new European business strategy is thus a direct result of the successful impact investment training provided by Danish non-profit INDEX: Design to Improve Life® and innovation experts Symbion. ——

Floating swimming pool cleans river Inspired by Copenhagen’s harbor baths, three New York designers grew impatient waiting for the city’s authorities to clean up the East River, and designed a floating, water-filtering pool.

Investment candidate

+Pool is designed to float in New York’s East River, and much like a gigantic strainer dropped into the river, the filtration system embedded in the pool’s membrane will ensure that only clean water will gush into the pool. The

pool will simultaneously eject half a million gallons of filtered water back into the river every day, making a demonstrable environmental impact. These baby steps in cleaningup the river are critical because they will engage the public’s interest in doing so, and hopefully propel the authorities to invest in a wide-scale clean-up – hopefully enabling New Yorkers to swim in the East River for the first time in over a hundred years. The project is scheduled for completion in the summer of 2016. +Pool is one of the largest crowd-funded civic projects the world has ever seen, and raised

$275,000 on Kickstarter in just one week. Notably, it is inspired by Danish Capital Copenhagen’s famous harbor baths. ——

+Pool in New York City.

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Worldwide viewers As part of a media partnership between INDEX: Design to Improve Life®, CNN International, The Danish Industry Foundation and State of Green, a special program series about INDEX: Award and the award’s finalists was aired over 300 times to CNN’s television and online audiences in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Asia Pacific region and to US viewers via CNN.com. In total, the program series reached 268 million potential viewers for each of the 300+ showings.

Elsinore targets the world With INDEX: Award 2013 successfully completed, the Lord Mayor of Elsinore, Johannes Hecht-Nielsen, reflects on team efforts, a remarkable award show, and the city’s desire to attract more events of the same caliber.

Interview

it all started in the summer of 2012 when Lord Mayor of Elsinore Johannes Hecht-Nielsen had his first meeting with CEO of INDEX: Design to Improve Life® Kigge Hvid, and discussed the possibility of INDEX: Award 2013 being held in the city of Shakespeare’s Hamlet on August 29th the following year. Since 2005, the award show had been held only in Denmark’s capital of Copenhagen, but now an opening for Elsinore to host this internationally acclaimed event with the newly opened Culture Harbor and its massively rugged shipyards as a unique framework had presented itself. »We wanted to increase the attention surrounding our city. So, hosting an event of this magnitude, with international media awareness and the Danish Crown Prince as patron, was a golden opportunity for us«, says Johannes Hecht-Nielsen. The planning and execution of INDEX: Award 2013 Ceremony, wherein the winners of the world’s biggest design award, INDEX: Award worth €500,000, are unveiled, was carried out in a collaboration between The City of Elsinore, The Culture Yard, the network organization ‘Vækst & Viden’ and of course INDEX: Design to Improve Life®. »I am very happy with the award ceremony and the winners’ party afterwards, but then again I never doubted that we could lift the task – everything was very professionally planned and executed. And with the historical and architectural settings of Elsinore, it turned out to be nothing less than an amazing experience«, the mayor says. Lord Mayor Johannes Hecht-Nielsen and HRH Crown Princess Mary at INDEX: Award 2013 Ceremony.

INDEX: Award 2013 Ceremony was held at the newly build Culture Yard in Elsinore, Denmark.

Reaping the benefits Most of the guests attending the award ceremony came by train from Copenhagen and when the party was over, they headed back again. Nevertheless, mayor HechtNielsen does not question whether or not it was a good idea to bring INDEX: Award to Elsinore. Thus, the city gained a lot of publicity both before and after the event, and just like all other cultural investments made by Elsinore in the past, he is convinced that it will pay for itself in the long run – regardless of hotel and restaurant bookings made on August 29th. So the mayor of Elsinore is proud. Proud of his city and proud of the investments into culture which he and his politic colleagues have made over the last years: »Elsinore is a historical city wellknown out in the world, but we have to keep the developments moving forward all the time, so that we do not get stuck in one place. Elsinore has to be a city facing outwards, a city that reaches out to the world, and our investments in INDEX: Award and in the Culture Harbor are great examples of this. That we seize every opportunity to make ourselves noticed.« In the summer of 2012,The City of Elsinore decided upon a vision of culture. A vision in which the mayor has much faith: »I see more and more people beginning to believe in our mission about wanting to attract more big events as drivers to draw more people to the city. As a municipality, our course is set, and I think that a lot of people are realizing this now.« The director of the Culture Yard, Mikael Fock, is also a proud man, and says: »INDEX: Award is being talked about a lot in Denmark and in the world, and our good example as a host venue now resonates and stirs an interest for Elsinore – a city back in the international race to capture the biggest events.« ——

Factory building transformed for international award show Henning Larsen Architects freed up staff resources to help design and build the scenography for this year’s successful INDEX: Award show in an old factory building in Elsinore. The company calls it a natural step towards a stronger focus on creating better conditions for people.

Interview

In collaboration with Saelan Production Design, director Bill Holmberg and journalist & chief-editor Susanne Hegelund – both specialists within news broadcasting and TV – Henning Larsen Architects volunteered staff resources to design and build the scenography for INDEX: Award 2013 Ceremony held in an old factory in Elsinore, Denmark. Associate Partner of Henning Larsen Architects Anders Sælan says about the company’s involvement: »It is a critical starting point for Henning Larsen to engage in projects and initiatives aimed at improving living conditions for people. We approach architecture in a way that combines designing with knowledge about Steffen Kretz reporting from the Design to Improve Life news studio, built for the INDEX: Award 2013 ceremony.

The INDEX: Award 2013 Ceremony venue before the guests arrive.

social, economic and environmental aspects of sustainability, and therefore it comes natural for us to participate in putting local and global challenges on the agenda – which is exactly what INDEX: Award is doing.« The award ceremony was themed ‘Good News about Design to Improve Life’ and featured a fictional TV station broadcasting positive news stories about the finalists for INDEX: Award 2013. But before any news were broadcasted, a 300 foot former factory had to be transformed into a functional and believable news room, complete with news desk, interactive screens, correspondent stages, OB vehicles and room for a live audience of 1,500. »When we were asked to be a part of the project and heard the vision of transforming the traditional award show, there was no doubt in our minds that we wanted to get involved. The idea of creating a positive and solution-oriented news show built upon inspiration and hope matched our ambition to show tangible examples of how the world can become a better place through the use of design«, says Anders Sælan. Ideas worth celebrating The show was a big success, both among the live audience and online viewers, and Henning Larsen Architects thus contributed to generating awareness about a global change where innovative ideas create a very tangible value. Ideas worth celebrating and sharing. Henning Larsen Architects received no fees for their work, and the scenography budget was spent entirely on building the news broadcasting set of INDEX: Award 2013 Ceremony. ——

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Issue #01

Global recognition for Denmark NPO represents Denmark at World Cultural Forum 2013 In November 2013, two representatives from every country in the world convened in Indonesia for the inaugural World Cultural Forum. Denmark was represented by e.g. INDEX: Design to Improve Life® CEO Kigge Hvid. The forum was established to »demand that culture in all its manifestations be championed as an indispensable agent of change and reconciliation in the face of unprecedented globalization.« Denmark partner of Business of Design Week (HK) World renowned event Hong Kong Business of Design Week (HKBoDW) selected Denmark as official partner nation for HKBoDW 2012. The purpose of Denmark’s involvement in HKBoDW was to ensure a sustainable future platform that Danish designers, architects and companies can use as a basis for successful business

ventures in China and SouthEast Asia. INDEX: Design to Improve Life® played a key role in landing the partnership on behalf of Denmark. Most influential CEO of INDEX: Design to Improve Life®, Kigge Hvid, was elected one of the world’s 100 most important people within social design by the world renowned Public Interest Design blog.

Danish non-profit attracts global honors INDEX: Design to Improve Life® received the only honorary doctorate in design ever given to a Dane by University of California, Art Centre College of Design. The non-profit organization was also selected to chair the International Advisory Board at Jockey Club Design Institute for Social Innovation in Hong Kong and was granted

membership of the Research Advisory Board at The University of Huddersfield, UK. Design leading Danes The Hong Kong SAR Government and Hong Kong Design Centre bestowed the international recognized Design Leadership Award upon the INDEX: Design to Improve Life® organization. / www.bodw.com

/ www.publicinterestdesign.org

First around the world In the field of global leadership, INDEX: Design to Improve Life® co-founded The Global Agenda Council of Design at World Economic Forum in Switzerland and were frequent speakers at the forum’s events around the world. Also, the organization were the first Danes to attend Skoll Forum for Social Entrepreneurship in the UK and speak at the Israeli Presidential Conference.

National return: Branding, innovation and education

INDEX: Design to Improve Life® on national budget From 2013 to 2015, the INDEX: Design to Improve Life® organization receives annual grants support as part of the Danish government’s plans to connect the organization with business communities in order to strengthen Denmark’s brand as an innovative society with a focus on designing and developing sustainable solutions. In the budget it is stressed that INDEX: Design to Improve Life® contributes substantially in branding Denmark in Asia where growth rates and demands for good design are high. Denmark launches new innovation strategy In the recently published national innovation strategy of Denmark it is stated: »We are facing a number of complex national and global societal challenges. These challenges require new solu-

tions in areas such as sustainable energy, reduction of environmental & climate impact, healthy and safe food supply, ensuring clean water, cheaper and better health- and welfare solutions, and a more efficient public sector. The demand for new solutions is global and growing, and therefore comprises growth and export potential for the countries and companies able to create durable solutions for the future.« A strategy closely aligned with the wording in a newspaper chronicle written by INDEX: Design to Improve Life® CEO, Kigge Hvid, in October 2008 about the concept of Design to Improve Life and the need for better designed solutions. / www.fivu.dk

Three ministries partner for student challenge In a partnership between the Ministry of Children & Education, the Ministry of Business & Growth, the Ministry of Science, Innovation & Higher Education and INDEX: Design to Improve Life®, societal challenges are used as a learning resource in primary and secondary schools in Denmark to support students’ understanding of climate change and to sharpen their ability to transform ideas into solutions through design and innovation processes. The initiative is called ‘Denmark’s Design to Improve Life Challenge’ and will run throughout 2013 and 2014. / fivu.dk

Photos: Dennis Lehmann, Rasmus Rønne, Lars Johannesen & publicinterestdesign.org

INDEX: Design to Improve Life® is under the patronage of HRH the Crown Prince of Denmark. Design to Improve Life Cities: Copenhagen, Risør, Helsingør (Elsinore) a nd Guangzhou. INDEX: Design to Improve Life® is supported by:

THE EUROPEAN UNION The European Regional Development Fund

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Facebook likes In 2012 and 2013, more than 21,000 new people ‘liked’ the INDEX: Design to Improve Life® Facebook page.

Twitter tweets From 2012 to 2013, the Design to Improve Life® Twitter profile experienced an increase in followers of 87% from 1,250 to 2,339.

/ facebook.com/designtoimprovelife

View count Since September 2011, the videos on the INDEX: Design to Improve Life® Vimeo channel has received more than 900,000 loads. / vimeo.com/user6664599

/ twitter.com/indexaward

Kigge Hvid wins travel grant The Danish Design Council awarded the Grundfos travel grant of DKK 50,000 to CEO of the INDEX: Design to Improve Life® organization, Kigge Hvid, who spent the grant on inviting all the organization’s 16 employees to Spain.

The INDEX: Design to Improve Life® team in Mallorca, Spain.

Travel

The 16 INDEX: Design to Improve Life® employees went to Spanish island Mallorca for 3 days, thus escaping the notoriously cold Danish January weather. Here, the group is resting on the curb before heading to see the famous summer residence of Danish architect Jørn Utzon, ‘Can Lin’.

Crown Prince couple attends Hong Kong opening

HRH The Crown Prince and HRH The Crown Princess at the INDEX: Award opening in Hong Kong.

Concept

Ocean’s

HRH The Crown Prince of Denmark – patron of INDEX: Design to Improve Life® – and HRH The Crown Princess Denmark attended the opening of INDEX: Award Exhibition in Hong Kong on December 12th 2012 in Hong Kong as part of their trip to promote Denmark’s interest within business, design, fashion and culture in Asia. In his opening speech, The Crown Prince expressed his pride in being a part of a movement towards designing better solutions for the world of tomorrow.

Preposition

Rejection

Two of a kind

You

Sweden

You & me

Country

Help

Roosegaarde

Wound

Sustainable vehicle

Problem

Physician

Internal Affairs

Jonathan

Biscuit

Dust

Not out

Liter

Finnish design

First letter

Shopping

Hydrogen Russia

Country

Apart from Austria

Two of a kind

Name One

Egypt

Like Gore

Pound

Two of a kind

Iceland

Hamlet’s city

Record label

Oxygen Dual

Roadster

Hindu sound

Today, more money is spent on breast implants and Viagra than on Alzheimer’s research. So in 50 years, we will all be sitting with giant tits and hard-ons, and nobody can remember why … — unknown

Negative Meter

Hot Parking

Me Danish Industry

Roman letter for 50

TV brand

Viktor & ?

A better future starts on Copenhagen bus rears In the summer of 2013, Copenhageners were enticed by creative bus ads to see INDEX: Award 2013 Exhibtion in the King’s Gardens. Simultanously, movie goers and coffee drinkers could pick up one of 35,000 INDEX: Award 2013 ‘Go Cards’ placed at 540 movie theatres, cafés and restaurants around Denmark.