Dundee launches design competition to tackle homelessness

UNESCO City of Design Dundee is looking for a digital design solution to prevent and ease homelessness, and will award the winning entry £6,000 and a three month placement.

The Waterfront, Dundee © Neil Williamson
The Waterfront, Dundee © Neil Williamson

The city of Dundee is inviting designers to enter a competition which looks to tackle homelessness.

The first ever Dundee International Design Challenge is being run by UNESCO City of Design Dundee.

A digital solution to improve lives

UNESCO is a United Nations organisation which promotes culture worldwide and grants cities cultural status. Dundee was awarded UNESCO status for design in 2014.

The competition is calling for designers to create a digital design solution that will improve the lives of homeless people, and potentially prevent homelessness happening in the first place.

The brief states the solution needs to “reconnect homeless people with everyday life”, and must take into account their limited access to digital technology.

Based on four criteria

The main issues applicants should look at include legal rights, food poverty, substance abuse, accommodation, emotional support, communication and prevention of homelessness.

Entries will be assessed by an industry panel based on four criteria – innovation, feasibility, potential for development and budget.

The challenge is open to individuals or teams working in a UNESCO City of Design, which currently includes Dundee (Scotland), Bilbao (Spain), Curitiba (Brazil), Helsinki (Finland) and Turin (Italy), or those who are working with UNESCO in some way. The prize will only be awarded to one person.

£6,000 prize and three-month placement

The winner will receive £6,000 prize money, and a three-month placement in Dundee to develop their prototype with all expenses covered, mentor support, studio space and an exhibition at the end of the residency.

The closing date for entries is 5pm on 28 November 2016. For more information on how to enter, head here.

Dundee was granted UNESCO status for its contribution to the design industry through areas such as medical research, game and comic book design.

Computer games Grand Theft Auto and Lemmings were developed in the city, alongside The Beano comic. The V&A Museum of Design also opens in Dundee in 2018.

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