DESIGN TO IMPROVE LIFE INVESTMENT
DESIGN TO IMPROVE LIFE INVESTMENT CANDIDATES 2013
WELCOME For over a decade INDEX: Design to Improve Life® has been at the forefront of championing socially and environmentally conscientious design. Every biennale we award the designs that have the greatest capacity to improve life, we inspire people around the world through the touring exhibitions, and we educate future designers in the importance of focusing their skills on solving global challenges, rather than designing yet another white tea cup. Today, we are gathered here to help this mission go further by setting the scene for conversations between designers, investors, and enablers. Design to Improve Life Investment is an initiative by INDEX: Design to Improve Life® and Accelerace and we are delighted to present to you our first cohort of Candidates. These ten Investment Candidates were selected from our INDEX: Award 2013 Finalist pool, handpicked both in terms of their social and environmental impact, but also for their business potential.
where they will pitch their design vision, and hopes for the future. By drawing on our competencies and networks, we will strive to support our Investment Candidates to go that extra mile in improving life. In this journey so far, the team at INDEX: Design to Improve Life® and I have been astounded by the interest and optimism generated by this new initiative. I want to particularly thank Accelerace, Copenhagen Business School, DANSIC Alumni, and Merkur – Den Almennyttige Andelskasse for all their extensive support in helping us to facilitate this new investment platform. This support, the wide range of designs that we are able to present to you today, and the underlying passion of designers and supporters for making the world a better place through design, bodes well for the process that has started with our first cohort of Design to Improve Life Investment Candidates. I look forward to taking this process forward together with you all.
This impressive collection of designs are vastly varied in their stages of business development, and their needs are broad. As a result, our definition of ‘investment’ has undergone various iterations through this initiative, finally settling on the broadest definition, including but not limited to, intellectual investment, distribution channels, networks, as well as capital. Throughout the summer the Candidates have undergone a business mentoring programme, intensive pitch training, culminating in today’s event,
Felicitas von Peter Chair, Design to Improve Life Investment Founder and Managing Partner of Active Philanthropy
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+POOL
+POOL / Dong-Ping Wong / dpw@familynewyork.com / +1 6467 830 744 / pluspool.org 2
Like so many cities around the world, New York is defined by the rivers and harbors that surround it. And like so many cities around the world, that water has been contaminated by decades of industry, development and sewage. The waterways that were once the lifeblood of 90% of the world’s largest cities have been rendered too dirty to enjoy – major natural resources made off-limits to the general public. We started with a simple goal: instead of trying to clean the entire river, what if you started by just cleaning a small piece of it? What if you could reclaim a part of the river for the public? And what if you could change how New Yorkers see their rivers, just by giving them a chance to swim in it? +POOL is designed to be the world’s first waterfiltering floating pool. Like a giant strainer dropped into the rivers, +POOL will filter out smaller and smaller contaminants through its walls until all hat’s left is clean river water.
will then be returned to the rivers at a rate of over 500,000 gallons daily, helping to clean the entire East River in our own small but measurable way. +POOL is the first step in over 100 years for all New Yorkers not only move towards a cleaner river, but into it. And most exciting of all, +POOL is a project initiated by and made possible by ordinary citizens that simply want cleaner rivers. A team of three designers has grown to include over 4,000 direct financial backers, a team of the world’s most innovative organizations, and hundreds of thousands of online supporters from across the world. +POOL has raised over $300,000 through the online platform, Kickstarter, transforming public support and big ideas into hard data and real-world construction. +POOL has not only become one of the world’s largest crowdfunded civic projects, but an entirely new model for building better cities.
+POOL is designed for everybody, which is why it’s shaped like a giant plus. It’s four pools stuck together to form an Olympic-sized pool that can be used by all types of swimmers at the same time. It’s a new public space right in the middle of New York where you can not only swim in the river, but also completely change your view of the city around you. Since 2011, we’ve been working with our engineering and research partners at Arup, IDEO and Columbia University to test the filtration material in the East River, and the results have been incredible. We’ve seen a decrease in contamination across every parameter, and that’s with only the first (of three) layers of filtration. Starting this winter, we’ll be testing the second and most stringent layer, with the goal of achieving river water that’s as clean if not cleaner what’s required by the city for public pools – all without chemicals. The clean water
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ABCs: A behaviour changing syringe
ABCs: a behaviour changing syringe / Dr. David Swann / d.m.swann@hud.ac.uk / +44 1484 472 522 / vimeo.com/71013509 6
Peter Evans, Former Head of WHO Procurement Worldwide has described our innovation as ‘unique within the field of injectables’. A new draft mandate that seeks to homogenize the performance requirements of future WHO-certified injectable technologies has incorporated our innovation. To protect the value of our intellectual The social and economic impact associated with property we have registered our product with the the reuse of single-use medical devices is alarming. World Intellectual Property Office. It is surprising to learn that this is a challenge not confined to low-resource settings. A United States To minimise risk we intend to generate revenue Government report (2012) recently captured data through sublicensing, regional field of use licenses related to the prevalence of unsafe injection prac- and the global supply of our performance ink. To tices and the transmission of blood-borne infec- accelerate the readiness of our technology the Unitions in hospitals. In one instance, the use of a versity of Huddersfield and Queens University Belcontaminated syringe resulted in 63,000 patients fast are seeking a joint venture partner to provide being recalled for testing at a cost of $13.8 million specialist expertise and investment. A two-year and $30,000 in treatment costs for each infected programme is planned to advance and validate individual. Our transformative design seeks to our market-scaling plan, and to develop proof of minimize the frequency of such violations by vi- concept demonstrators (as a device label and a pack graphic application) that proves repeatabilsually communicating potential risk. ity and robustness for clinical/ market trials. An Our disruptive innovation adds intrinsic value to interdisciplinary consultancy team of international repute has been established to provide dedicated all sterile devices, licensees, and customers: expertise in material science, patient safety, WHO ·· Makes invisible risk, visible. procurement and value management. ·· Provides a unique opportunity for brand differentiation. Our go-to-market strategy will initially target ·· Turns compliance into a competitive all syringe applications – a $43 billion market advantage. delivering 35 billion syringes per year. To build ·· Increases revenue by improved compliance. commercial confidence, market leverage, and the ·· Empowers patients and clinicians to make required production infrastructure, we will work better risk decisions. closely with Marc Koska OBE, Founder of Safe·· Reduces provider costs associated with point and Director of StarSyringe; an organisation morbidity, retesting and litigation. that presently licenses their intellectual property to ·· Enables a smooth 3-month FDA approval a portfolio of syringe manufacturers that includes: process. Becton Dickinson and Hindustan & Medical DeInside a nitrogen-filled sterilized package, our vices – India’s market leader (80%) with distribusyringe label remains colourless. Exposure to air tion network of 4000 dealers supplying 2.5 billion activates an o-crestholphthalein performance ink syringes per year. to rapidly absorb carbon dioxide. This delivers a swift and dramatic colour change to indicate nonsterility – from colourless to red in 60 seconds. Patient safety is a global concern. We believe that everyone has a right to know about the risks associated with the reuse of invasive medical devices. Which is why we have designed ABCs: A Behaviour Changing Syringe to make previously invisible risk glaringly visible.
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ECOLOGICAL URINAL
ECOLOGICAL URINAL / Karsten Gjefle / karsten@susan-design.org / +47 4104 2275 / susan-design.org 6
Sustainable Sanitation creates value Sanitation investment gives great return on investment. This low cost, high quality design strategy for bottom of the pyramid business development has a 200 million people market in African cities alone.
ners’ urban public toilets. The products and logistical structure create the bridge between the users and the treatment methodology. This is why SuSan Design considers the Unisex Urinal and treatment as key income, dignity and improved health.
The Unisex Urinal is developed to prototype level and tested among women in Nairobi. The concept is an adaptable funnel connecting to a locally available jerrycan. The concept is developed through a inclusive design process with women in a Kampala slum (Uganda). The urinal has proven to work well, and has added value for women and children by reducing the risk of attacks at public toilets. The urinal provides women a low cost home urinal that gives privecy, collects valuable nutrients and reduces local pollution.
Treatment – from cost driver to value creator To upgrade waste from pollution to a valuable and safe agricultural input, the urine, and especially the faeces, has to be treated to become pathogen free.
SuSan Design has developed and tested a Secondary Treatment Unit for human “waste” based on research from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. It is science based, thoroughly tested and proven robust and cost effective in producing natural fertilizers for farmers changing the reality By supporting urban sanitation we create jobs and on human “waste” from community cost driver to healthy living areas. Income comes from product value creator. sales, service delivery fees and fertilizer sales to agriculture or flower industry. Sanitation systems need Urine needs no treatment – only storage time. Our volume to generate profits as shown in our market intention is to create a network of entrepreneurresearch from Kampala. Result seeking partners managed distribution of Unisex Urinals and Treatwill find strong incentives investing in and operat- ment Units, organised as franchise. ing sanitation facilities in cooperation with entrepreneurs and city authorities that now know that The first SuSan Design Treatment Unit was set up sanitation is the best health investment available. to serve 2000 people just outside Kampala, Uganda (supported by BMGF) proving we can turn human “waste” from toilets into a safe and valuable Business model Produce and distribute sanitation products and fertilizer. The Treatment Unit is fully scalable to treatment units through local entrepreneurs, pub- serve 5.000 to 25,000 people or a network of units lic utilities, NGOs and community groups. Gener- serving cities with millions of inhabitants. ate income by returning all nutrients to the soil as safe inputs – both the Unisex Urinal and the Africa needs sanitation and natural fertilizer – SuTreatment Unit are tested with excellent results. San Design is ready for investment and scale up. Unisex Urinals save cost operating toilets The Unisex Urinal plays a pivotal role in reducing volumes in toilets and increasing nutrient recovery. Urine is safe and contains over 70% of the nutrients we release. The Unisex Urinal should be in every home supplemented by access to our part-
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FILM FARMING WITH HYDROGEL
FILM FARMING with hydrogel / Dr. Yuichi Mori / mori@mebiol.co.jp / +81 463 374 301 / mebiol.co.jp/english 8
Deserts Will Bloom with Imec® Film Farming.
The Imec ® Film Farming based tomatoes are sweeter and popular for its aroma that can be smelt in organic farms.
Over the recent years, food insecurity and economic crises have highlighted both the urgent need and the potential for developing sustainable agricultural systems. By 2050, the global population will surpass 9 billion people, and demand for agricultural products is expected to double. At the same time, the world’s agricultural systems will be increasingly challenged by water scarcity, climate change, contaminated soil, barren land and electrical shortage, raising the risk of production shortfalls.
A new project to create new jobs for Farmers who have lost their fields in the Tsunami struck areas in Northern Japan are being set-up. Imec® Film Farming is also being deployed internationally in China, Singapore, Russia, USA, as well as the UAE known as one of the world’s most inhospitable environment for agriculture. This will allow such economies to minimize their dependency on imports by developing their own sustainable agriculture.
Mebiol Inc., based in Japan, was founded by Dr. Yuichi Mori who has invented the world’s first membrane technology (Patents Filed in 120 Countries and already Granted in 70) called “Imec®”. This pioneering technology addresses some of the biggest global challenges by using advanced polymers comprising of membrane and hydrogel that enables farming without soil. The technology enables plants to grow on thin hydrophilic film made of hydrogel that allows the passage of water and nutrients such as various ions, amino acids and sugars and does not allow bacteria, fungi and viruses to penetrate, thus protecting plants from diseases. Concomitantly, the use of pesticide, fertilizers, and water is significantly reduced by 80% compared to conventional methods. The “water stress” or rather minimal use of water employed in the Imec® Membrane allows crops to synthesize large amounts of sugar, lycopene and other elements, leading to greater sweetness and GABA content resulting in increased nutritional value. Today, tomatoes, melons, strawberries, paprika and greens such as lettuce are grown on the Imec® Film Farming based Green Houses spread over 25 acres of land which are sold through main stream distribution channels in Japan.
The Mebiol Imec® Film Farming Technology and System requires low investment costs and yields higher return on investments, up to 3 times when compared to other farming methodologies such as Hydroponics. Mebiol’s Imec® Film Farming Technology and System is easy to set up, and the instructions manuals are very well documented making it simple to run without having experience in farming. Looking ahead, Mebiol’s R&D department is currently testing advanced hydrogel based film materials to grow trees and produce high quality fruits such as grapes. Mebiol, Inc. believes the world will benefit significantly from the use of Imec® Film Farming Technology to produce high quality food in a sustainable manner. We aspire to raise adequate funds to establish the first Imec® Film Farm in Denmark, since the Danish food industry is widely known for its commitment to producing safe food backed by an extensive program of research and development that matches the philosophy of Mebiol, Inc.
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LEPSIS: THE ART OF GROWING GRASSHOPPERS
LEPSIS: The art of growing grasshoppers / Mansour Ourasanah / mourasan1@gmail.com / +1 6462 692 419 / (no website yet) 10
What do we know about humans? We know that we are a species that reproduces rather quickly. Our number has grown from 2 Billion in 1950, to 7 Billion in 2013. That’s a 5 Billion increase in 63 years and we show no signs of stopping anytime soon.
livestock, so we can’t double meat production without dealing a huge blow to the planet’s ecosystem.
So the question remains, how do we compensate for the protein we get from our meat-based diet if we can’t keep eating as much meat as we curWhat do we know about our planet? We know that rently do? we only have one planet and, until we discover otherwise, this is the only planet that can sustain life. The solution is simple, what if we could get our We also know that global warming is real and that daily protein fix from insects? This alternative has our human activities – food production, energy been suggested before, but without a tangible soluproduction, transportation, wars, landfills – have tion that reflects current social dynamics. This is a negative impact on the environment and the fu- why I designed LEPSIS. ture of the planet. LEPSIS is the first product to enable urban dwellWhat do we know about food? We know that food is ers to grow, harvest and eat grasshoppers within a scarce natural resource with a monetary value. We the comfort of their apartments. Aesthetically inalso know that the richest people in the world buy spired by traditional clay pots, LEPSIS is a decoramore, eat more, and waste about 40% of the food tive and functional kitchen appliance comprised they buy, while the poorest literally starve to death. of four modules: a temperature-controlled acrylic nest where the grasshoppers live, a feeder cap These facts are relevant because we are at a cross- which provides food, a harvesting cap which colroad. There are now more than 7 BILLION of us liv- lects the full grown grasshoppers, and a small light ing on this beautiful planet; however our number is that lures them into the harvester. Once a month projected to reach 9 BILLION by 2050. With 70% the grasshoppers are harvested and frozen to kill of that population projected to be city dwellers, we them while eggs start hatching in the nest, beginare faced with a looming environmental and food ning the process anew. A green lattice structure crisis that will result in natural disasters and fam- within the nest keeps the grasshoppers off the ines far worse than anything we’ve experienced so acrylic walls and keeps the unit clean. far. According to the UN we will need to double our food production, which means double the meat, in In order to move toward a sustainable future, we order to feed everyone. Not doing so will result in must do away with our culinary hang-ups and reeconomic ramifications that will affect the price of define the paradigm of food. LEPSIS reflects my food and the number of people who can afford it. desire to make entomophagy a natural part of the urban kitchen environment by 2050. Like products In the UK for instance, meat prices are anticipated we love to use, I envisioned LEPSIS as a beautiful to have a huge impact on the British diet. Actors object you would want to display in your kitchen, in the food industry estimate the prices could dou- and in so doing it becomes a conversation starter ble in the next five to seven years, making meat that has your entire family and friends chatting a luxury item in the UK. One might ask, why not about the way we produce and consume meat, our just double meat production? Half of the planet’s role in the fate of the planet, and the viability of arable lands are already used in the production of entomophagy as a potential solution.
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MINE KAFON
MINE KAFON / Massoud Hassani / massoudhassani@gmail.com / +31 650 613 937 / minekafon.blogspot.dk 12
Massoud Hassani designed and hand-built a windpowered device, heavy enough to detonate land mines as it rolls across the ground. Massoud drew his inspiration from his childhood. Growing up on the outskirts of Kabul, he and his younger brother Mahmud would play with their homemade, windpowered toys. These would sometimes be blown astray, rolling into the desert and landing amongst landmines, too dangerous to retrieve. All too often children play perilously close to landmines, resulting in countless deaths, and lost limbs. Landmine Statics In countries with war-ravaged pasts, concealed landmines pose a silent, hidden threat. Lurking underground for years, they risk throwing open fresh wounds in communities which are just beginning to heal. The global statistics on land mines and their effects make for sobering reading. According to the United Nations, up to 110 million mines have been laid across more than 70 countries since the 1960s, and between 15,000 and 20,000 people die each year because of them. Many of the victims are civilians – children, women and the elderly – not soldiers. Thousands more are maimed. Moreover, mines are cheap. The UN estimates that some cost as little as $3 to make. Yet, removing them can cost more than 50 times that amount, and let’s not forget that the removal is not without human cost either.
Mine Kafon The Mine Kafon is a wind-powered land mine detonator. Approximately the height of a man, and weighing more than 80kg, the impact of the Kafon rolling over a mine is more than enough to detonate it. The ¬dozens of radiating bamboo legs that sprout from the middle of the Kafon have round plastic ‘feet’ at their tip, designed to mimmick the impact of human footsteps on the terrain. Moreover, these ‘feet’ act as a suspension mechanism, allowing the Kafon to roll over obstacles. With each detonation the robust Kafon loses just one or two legs, permitting the Kafon to destroy three or four landmines in one journey. At the center of the Kafon is a GPS unit, which tracks the area that has been swept for mines. This invaluable data will be available in real-time and accessible online. What is more, the total cost of one is about $60 USD. In short, it is faster, safer, and up to 120 times cheaper then the traditional mine removal techniques. Next Step Presently Massoud Hassani and his team are reengineering the Prototypes. With their Kickstarter campaign they managed to raise $100,000 for more research and development. The new Mine Kafons will have an engine and metal detectors on board. But they need more funding, sponsorship, and investment to realize this product in order to start blowing up mines and saving lives.
One of the worst affected countries is Afghanistan, with an estimated 10 million land mines contaminating more than 200 square miles of land. Astonishingly approximately 1 million Afghans live within 500 meters of areas expected to contain landmines.
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MONSTRUM’s IMAGINARY PLAYGROUNDS
MONSTRUM’s imaginary playgrounds / Ole B Nielsen / ole@monstrum.dk / +45 22 33 10 77 / monstrum.dk 14
2012 was a great year. We moved to a bigger and better place. We won the Danish Design Award and AOK. We rode on a wave of features in design blogs, magazines, newspapers, TV and books. At one time we were mentioned in over 50 design blogs worldwide. This gave us a lot of requests from people who wanted to represent us and wanted a MONSTRUM’s core focus is on visual design, great playground. And most importantly we made motor challenges, and safety. A good playground a lot of great playgrounds. should inspire kids to move. The swing and the ropeway are classical playground elements where This year is even better: We have gone internayou can feel the joy and the tickle in your stomach tional. From Sweden and Denmark to France, just by looking at it. What makes a playground Spain, Bermuda and Gorky Park in Moscow. We GREAT is that kids are not able to figure it out just have even started a collaboration with the Danish by looking at it. What’s inside the whale and how (market leading) playground company KOMPAN do I get to the top of the Owl? It has to be explored. on the French and English market for custom And when kids are running or climbing through made playgrounds. the playground there is not only one right way. They have to consider a lot of options and paths, assessing their motor skills and safety. This creates continuous movement and a lot of fun. A playground can be an essential part of a childhood, inspiring and reflecting the challenges of the physical world. It is a place where you meet new friends and develop your ability to socialize with other kids. And equally important, it is time spent away from the computer getting your pulse up!
The playground appearance in the urban landscape has become a valued part of city planning today. We would also like it to be an icon or social meeting place in the community. The playground should be a magnet that attracts children and adults walking by: Wow! I want to spend time there with my child. All our playground equipment is handmade of wood at our workshop in Copenhagen. Our skilled craftsmen and designers work closely together throughout the process to ensure that our playgrounds and playground equipment is fun, safe, and long lasting. MONSTRUM was founded in 2003 by Ole B Nielsen and Christian Jensen with the goal to make the best playgrounds in the world. We are now 16 employees of skilled carpenters, architects and designers.
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RABALDER PARKEN
RABALDER PARKEN / Søren Nordal Enevoldsen / sne@snearchitects.com / +45 40 83 42 01 / nordarch.dk 16
Climate change is here to stay, and flash flooding is fast becoming a regular symptom. On July 2, 2011, a cloud burst inundated Copenhagen with 6 inches of rain in less than 3 hours, flooding cellars, streets, and key roads. The torrential downpour caused 6 billion Danish kroner in damages. As a result, the Danish state is projected to spend another 3-4 billion over the next 2 decades to deter such debilitating disasters in urban areas. Danish architect Søren Nordal Enevoldsen of Sne Architects has proposed a novel remedy: Rabalder Parken. In an area previously monopolized by concrete factories and storage facilities, Roskilde’s MUSICON area is undergoing a dramatic urban redevelopment, which will eventually boast residential, recreational, and office facilities. In order to safeguard this blossoming area from the threat of flash floods, Enevoldsen designed a novel proposal: a large-scale park area with integrated drainage canals and water reservoirs for collecting water in an adjacent manufactured lake. Simultaneously a heavy-duty drainage system and a recreational oasis, Rabalder Parken is setting an example for environmentally-minded urban development. The entire complex includes not only a skate-park, but also parkour equipment, a fitness area, as well as hang-out spots furnished with grills, trampolines, and a performance stage.
Water drainage and skateboarding have similarity, in the sense that both water and skateboarding is a form of free flow in close connection to the surface and topography on which it glides. Skateboarders naturally seek urban wastelands and leftover spaces to find new unchartered terrain to skate. Ditches and water canals are of special interest to skaters since these massive concrete landscapes offer a grate variation of slopes and curves that can create the perfect skate-able playgrounds. The idea of combining skating and other recreational facilities with water management is off course something that can be incorporated into other areas, but seen in a larger perspective this project is essentially addressing a rethinking of urban infrastructure. Most urban areas simply do not have extra space to solve challenges like flooding, and we need to rethink our existing environment in a new unconventional way in order to cope with the future.
Water canals or reservoirs for drainage, and skateboarding co-exist in intriguing ways. Skaters do not skate when it rains, and water canals are by definition not utilized when it is dry. By combining these two uses into one, you get a cheaper project than you would if you made a conventional drainage system and a conventional skate park. As a bonus, you also create an awareness of our climate, and a social synergy in a place that would otherwise be hidden away and disused most of the year.
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THE TYPEFACE DYSLEXIE
the typeface DYSLEXIE / Christian Boer / info@studiostudio.nl / +31 308 792 396 / studiostudio.nl 18
Dyslexia Dyslexia is a global reading problem, faced by an estimated 600 to 900 million people. In a society that is increasingly based on text, dyslexia hinders many people in reaching their full potential. Not only in the classroom, but also in the labour market, and society in general.
The typeface is protected by worldwide copyrights and intellectual property rights. In February 2013, the U.S. Design Patent was granted (Patent No. United States D676, 081 S). Reproduction and/or distribution of unauthorized copies is a violation of international copyright.The considerations of purchasing Dyslexie are both social and commercial in nature. Social, because it enables colleagues and individuals suffering from dyslexia to better The Dyslexie font Studiostudio Concepts has developed a typeface read any texts on offer. And commercial, because especially for people with dyslexia called Dyslexie. potential customers who are dyslexic can more easPeople with dyslexia have problems distinguish- ily read advertisements and will more readily buy ing between adjacent letters because they tend books or magazines. to turn, mirror, and switch letters unconsciously while reading. The typeface targets these prob- History lems by altering the shape of the letters so they The designer of The Typeface Dyslexie Christian are more obviously identifiable. Secondly, the Boer is himself a dyslexic and has had problems typeface increases the space between the letters. reading for all of his life. For his graduation projAnd thirdly, capital letters and punctuation are ect at the Utrecht School of Arts, Christian Boer made significantly bolder so people with dyslexia decided to develop a font that would allow him to don’t read words or sentences together any more. read with less difficulty. His pioneering design was The typeface substantially lowers the threshold for received with great enthusiasm and received much people with reading difficulties, by allowing dyslex- attention in the international media. A scientific ics to read faster and aiding their comprehension. trial among many dyslexics showed that the font The usefulness of the typeface has been scientifi- did indeed enabled them to read easier, faster, and cally proven, and user-experiences are consistently with fewer errors. An independent study by scienpositive. The Typeface Dyslexie minimises reading tists at the University of Twente confirmed these errors, improves performance at school and work, results. Since then, the font has been developed and accordingly has a markedly positive effect on further and will continue to be improved and expanded in the future. everyday life for people with dyslexia. Clients Studiostudio concepts endeavours to make this font available as widely as possible. Customers can subscribe to ensure periodic updates of the font through the delivered software package. This software ensures that the font can only be used if a valid license has been purchased.
“From now on, all of my new books will be published in the Dyslexie font, because I want them to be readable for everyone.” Henry ‘The Fonz’ Winkler, actor and author
Some clients that already use the Dyslexie font: Kobo, Pixar studios, Nintendo, Shell, CitiBank, The Dutch Police, Government departments, Target groups for the typeface are individual con- Penguin Group sumers with dyslexia, schools, companies and professional users (b2b market). Sale of the typeface is exclusively reserved by Studiostudio concepts.
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WIKICELL
WIKICELL / DAVID EDWARDS & Antoine Mahy / antoine@aerodesigns.com / +31 308 792 396 / wikipearl.com 20
Nature always does it best. Inspired by the magic of grapes’ edible skins, WikiFoods, Inc. brings you revolutionary 21st century food and drinks that are as good for you as they are for the planet. Nature’s cornucopia meets Couture’s craftsmanship with our product WikiPearl: pearls of ice cream, yogurt or cheese appear with delicious edible skins made of natural ingredients (eg. peanut, fruits etc.). This smart food is about reconciling consumption with sustainability and pleasure with responsibility. Imagine holding a beautiful coconut pearl in your hand, then biting into it to discover a delicious mango ice cream inside; or sipping a coffee pearl by piercing its chocolate skin with a biodegradable straw, and savoring the chocolate.
als such as isomalt or caramel, or fully home compostable as with 100% biodegradable solutions (no polymer coat needed).
WikiPearl Ice Cream and Froyo, the company’s flagship frozen products, exemplify the potential of the WikiCell platform. WikiPearls are scoops of ice cream and frozen yogurt wrapped in delicious skins of chocolate, coconut, apricot and other natural foods. These wrappings or ‘skins’ keep the ice cream and frozen yogurt colder longer than conventional ice cream or frozen yogurt, and prevent the frozen foods from spilling as they warm up. Like the skins of grapes, WikiPearl envelopes are not just barriers against water loss and contaminant entry, they are also delicious and potential vectors of nutrition, with the capacity to carry probiotic and other Edible Packaging: Wikilicous! Plastics in food packaging pose a major risk to human forms of nutrition at concentrations (and over time health and the environment. Transforming protec- frames) not achievable in the food itself like nature tive packaging into a source of nutrition and fun – does with a fruit skin. while eliminating plastic and other harmful packaging – can broadly benefit consumers across the multi- The dream has come true: WikiPearl Ice Cream ple trillion dollar global Food & Beverage industry. will be launched in a selection of supermarket in France and the US in 2014 (and already available Inspired by nature, WikiFoods enclose foods and at the WikiBar at 4 rue du Bouloi, 75001 Paris). beverages in fully edible and biodegradable protective packaging in the manner of an orange or a coconut. The technology was cited as among the 32 innovations that will change tomorrow by New York Times Magazine, and the 10 innovations that will change our lives by Figaro Magazine. It also won the grand innovation prize of the jury all categories at SIAL 2012. Protected by 22 patent applications, WikiFoods primary packaging (“skins”) are soft, edible and multi-layer skins that surround the food and drink. It is perfect for a no waste instant consumption. For take-home channel, a secondary packaging (“shells”) that is edible or 100% biodegradable surrounds the skin to protect it. WikiFoods secondary packaging may also be edible, comprised of materi-
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NOTES
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THANKS TO OUR Design to Improve LifE INVESTMENT PARTNERS
INDEX: Design to Improve Life® is under the patronage of HRH the Crown Prince of Denmark. Design to Improve Life Cities: Copenhagen, Risør, Guangzhou and Helsingør (Elsinore). INDEX: Design to Improve Life® is supported by The Confederation of Danish Industry, The Ministry of Children and Education, The Ministry of Science, Innovation and Higher Education, The Lauritzen Foundation, HOFOR, Fritz Hansen A/S, Henning Larsen Architects, The Danish Ministry of Business and Growth, The Danish Business Authority and The European Regional Development Fund – Interreg IV A (EU). Thanks to Campari, Aperol and Saelan Production Design.
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MERKUR COOPERATIVE BANK
Merkur Cooperative Bank is an ethical bank committed to social justice within a sustainable economy and is Denmark’s foremost financial institution in the field of sustainable banking. We finance companies and businesses that contribute to long-term sustainability. For instance, we work with the likes of organic farming and food processing, renewable energy, cleantech, and ecological construction, to name just a few. Furthermore, the bank finances a wide range of social institutions for marginalized groups, such as the physically and mentally handicapped, drug addicts, and youths with learning disabilities or troubled backgrounds. Last but not least, Merkur has a portfolio of loans to independent schools and cultural institutions. Merkur Cooperative Bank is a full service bank for private individuals, companies and institutions with more than 22,000 clients. We offer all facilities such as online banking, credit and debit cards, mortgage credit loans as well as ethical and sustainable investment products.
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