10 young iF DESIGN TALENT AWARD 2022 winners solve UN's SDGs

iF DESIGN TALENT AWARD 2022 WINNERS

With the Félix Candela-designed Oceanografica in Valencia – the World Design Capital 2022 – as the backdrop, iF DESIGN TALENT AWARD reveals its 85 project-strong winners list for 2022. Notable concepts range from a floating barrier that catches plastic in rivers to a haptic device that maximizes skin-to-skin bonding between premature babies and their parents, and an agricultural equipment that attracts locusts and converts them into fertilizer. Each one presents a visionary idea to solve the problems of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

It has been in the DNA of the iF DESIGN AWARD to not only recognize and promote the very best within design but also nurture young creatives and their ideas since 2002. For 20 years, the competition supports and encourages up-and-coming talent with highly acclaimed, international awards as well as prize money funds. More than 1,700 student concepts have received the accolade to date.

A jury panel of global, high-ranking experts selected a further 85 young designers to add to the number. The approximately 6,400 submissions were evaluated by the United Nations SDGs using questions like as does it solve a problem, does it reflect or promote high moral-ethic standards, does it make economic sense, and more. Winners ranged from Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Germany, Great Britain, India, Japan, Norway, Poland, Republic of Korea, Sweden, Taiwan, and the USA, each cashing in a share of the 50,000 euro total prize money.

Find 10 notable iF DESIGN TALENT AWARD 2022 below and the full list – here.

Trashboom by Moritz Schulz

TrashBoom

SDG: Life below Water

Design: Moritz Schulz

University: University of Wuppertal, Germany

Prize Money: 8,000 euro

Acting as a floating barrier, TrashBoom catches plastic waste in rivers to prevent it from entering he oceans. The structure of the design can be realized in locally-sourced materials, enabling rapid manufacturing and boosting local economies whilst saving on shipping emissions. Open-source blueprints allow for scalability and maximizing accessibility, re-building and easy maintenance, and the transfer of knowledge as local jobs raise awareness in the society.

Federal Ministry of the Youth by Jasmin Galle, Theresa Betz and Maja Lewandowski

Federal Ministry of the Youth

SDG: Reduced Inequalities

Design: Jasmin Galle, Theresa Betz, Maja Lewandowski

University: University of Design Schwaebisch Gmuend, Germany

Prize Money: 8,000 euro

A federal ministry for young people was conceptualized to represent this demographic in politics and society. With the narrative set in 2025, the ministry has successfully existed for four years to demonstrate how it could act in the future through leitmotifs, communication strategies and design. The project focuses on the idea of Europe as many young people have an immigrant background already.

Farmland Guardian by Chien-Chen Lai

Farmland Guardian

SDG: Responsible Consumption + Production

Design: Chien-Chen Lai

University: National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei City, Taiwan

Prize Money: 8,000 euro

Farmland Guardian is a piece of agricultural equipment that attracts locusts and converts them into fertilizer through bionic nepenthes. Infrared radiation and 4-vinylanisole is used to attract the bugs. Powered mechanically, the machine’s main material is sturdy bamboo which makes it recyclable. The product aims to help reduce economic and agricultural losses caused by locust plagues in the Middle East and Africa.

Terracotta Valley Wind by Chenkai Guo, Baohua Sheng, Yilei Lyu and Yu Zhang

Terracotta Valley Wind

SDG: Sustainable Cities + Communities

Design: Chenkai Guo, Baohua Sheng, Yilei Lyu, Yu Zhang

University: Tama Art University, Tokyo, Japan

Prize Money: 8,000 euro

Using the inexpensive and accessible clay, this evaporative cooling system uses terracotta to cool subway stations during summer, thus reducing energy consumption. The material is porous to allow water to quickly evaporate. The system also utilizes the unused wind resource in the stations to maximize the value of train-induced wind.

Sensory Healing Behavioral Health Clinic by Chih-Yun Tseng, Chen-Hsuan Lee and Han-Yu Lai

Sensory Healing Behavioral Health Clinic

SDG: Goodhealth + Well-Being

Design: Chih-Yun Tseng, Chen-Hsuan Lee, Han-Yu Lai

University: National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei, Taiwan

Prize Money: 3,000 euro

The Sensory Healing Behavioral Health Clinic is divided into three areas each with their own independent treatment spaces: mood disorders, autism and substance abuse. Soft lines and curves shape the embracing, safe and comfortable interiors of the clinic. Natural elements encourage healing and lessen stress-related symptoms for patients. Uniquely, different environments within the spaces are created to aid the treatment of different conditions.

Acorny by Jaeyoung Myung and Soyoung Lee

Acorny

SDG: Quality Education

Design: Jaeyoung Myung, Soyoung Lee

University: Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea; University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA

Prize Money: 3,000 euro

Acorny is an educational toy kit designed to teach the principles underlying computer algorithms. By using the motif of computer processing flow, children can intuitively understand computational concepts. The tool acts as a first step for young kinds into coding activities, introducing the potential benefits at an early age, and helping maximize a huge, new educational possibility.

Bo.by by Aleksandra Radlak

Body enables bonding between premature born and parents

SDG: Good Health + Well-Being

Design: Aleksandra Radlak

University: University of Art and Design Linz, Austria

Prize Money: 3,000 euro

Bo.by is an interactive, haptic device to bond skin-to-skin relationship between premature babies and their parents. With about 15 million born early each year globally, the solution enables two-way contact between parents and infants in the incubator. The baby’s mattress is connected to a parent device to send and receive data such as touch, breast movement, heartbeat, or body heat. This offers the possibility to experience natural, prolonged feel of one another.

All Seasons Protective Aid by Jaxon Pope and Riccardo Centazzo

All Seasons Protective Aid

SDG: Good Health + Well-Being

Design: Jaxon Pope, Riccardo Centazzo

University: Lund University, Sweden

Prize Money: 3,000 euro

All Seasons Protective Aid offers a simple way of creating a barrier to protect homeless people and refugees from the natural elements. The system allows for various configurations to ensure a more safer and comfortable living and sleeping environment. It is made using locally available resources, lowering transportation costs and times, speeding up distribution, and increasing scalability. The design is capable of being packed down smaller than most insulating products.

Organic Purify Blocks by ChaoChun Kung

Organic Purify Blocks

SDG: Climate Action

Design: ChaoChun Kung

University: National Cheng Kung University; National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Tainan, Taiwan

Prize Money: 3,000 euro

Organic Purify Blocks aims to accelerate the natural ecological operating system to purify water in crowded cities. Wetland plants that can filter water are placed in modular blacks. Like a conveyor, the dirty river water is brought of the top of the structure by wheels. Organic matter in the water is first filtered out to then form a waterfall of filtered river water. The system provides a habitat for birds and animals living on the riverbank, too.

48Animals by Chunxu Zhou

48Animals

SDG: 15 Life on Land

Design: Chunxu Zhou

University: Guilin University of Technology, China

Prize Money: 3,000 euro

48Animals displays a set of symbols and products that feature rare and endangered animal species. The idea is to raise awareness of the urgent need to protect these species which are threaten. Computer and art processing were used to first create the animal images applied to billboards, stationery products, apps and more. All profits generated are donated to animal protection.

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Following our inaugural collaboration in 2021, designboom and iF DESIGN TALENT AWARD partner in 2022 to announce 10 student projects that respond to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. 6,400 entries were evaluated down to 85 by the competition’s international jury panel. The prizes were awarded at a ceremony in the Oceanografica, Valencia during the World Design Capital 2022. Samsung Electronics, Grohe, Wonderland, Compal Electronics, Three Winged Bird, Casarte, and NetDragon are committed to young designers and act as sponsors of this award. to view all the student projects of iF DESIGN TALENT AWARD 2022 winners, visit here.