Samsung Electronics has launched a global design competition in partnership with design and architecture magazine Dezeen as they seek to recognize the value of sustainability.
The competition, dubbed 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. Up for grabs is a total of £18,000 in prize money.
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 come up with 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 SolarCell Remote, which incorporates recycled materials for 24% of its plastic component and is powered by light rather than conventional disposable batteries.
TM Roh, President and Head of Corporate Design Center at Samsung Electronics had this to say, “We live in an era of uncertainty and unlimited opportunity, especially for design creatives. 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.
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 initial 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.
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 submit their idea to Dezeen’s website by July 19 at 23:59 GMT.