SAMSUNG AND DEZEEN HOLD A GLOBAL DESIGN CHALLENGE

BY WANJIKU THUKU

Samsung Electronics Ltd. and global design and architecture magazine Dezeen announced the launch of their latest global design competition to recognize the value of sustainability. Offering a total of £18,000 in prize money, the Re: Create Design Challenge invites entrants around the world to dream up their own creative ideas for reusing, recycling, and upcycling old Samsung devices or their materials. The Re: Create Design Challenge reflects Samsung’s ongoing efforts to make its products and services more sustainable. The competition advances those efforts by encouraging entrants to produce innovative ways to repurpose old devices or waste materials by transforming them into new products or services that can benefit both people and the planet.

Examples include Samsung’s EYELIKE™ project, which sees old smartphones repurposed into medical diagnosis cameras, as well as the latest Galaxy devices, which feature a design that incorporates recycled plastic from discarded fishing nets, and the Solar Cell Remote, which incorporates recycled materials for 24% of its plastic component and is powered by light rather than conventional disposable batteries. "We live in an era of uncertainty and unlimited opportunity, especially for design creatives," said TM Roh, President, and Head of Corporate Design Center at Samsung Electronics.

"Samsung believes in the power of creativity, and our future needs to be protected and transformed through meaningful and sustainable innovations. We hope this competition provides a spark that leads to impactful change for all of us. The challenge is free to enter for anyone over the age of 18 in any country, regardless of whether they are a professional designer, a student, or someone with no formal design training. Entering the challenge is easy and may be done by visiting Dezeen’s official website, which provides full details on the competition, including submission instructions and prize information. Those interested in participating should give their idea to Dezeen’s website by July 19 at 23:59 GMT

Submissions will be subject to several rounds of evaluation, with 4 criteria including;

• Innovation (How original is the idea?)

• Problem-solving (Does the idea propose meaningful solutions to improve people’s lives?)

• Social and Environmental Impact (How will the idea positively impact people and the planet?)

• Human-centred design (How well does the idea fit with Samsung’s design philosophy and resonate with its products or the lifestyles of Samsung consumers?)

Once the first rounds are completed, a shortlist will be selected and announced in August. And an expert panel of Dezeen editors and design professionals will select the first-place winner and the two runners-up. The first place winning individual, or team will take home the competition’s £10,000 grand prize. The two runners-up will receive cash prizes of £4,000 each. For more information, please visit Dezeen’s official website. https://www.dezeen.com/.