Dear Design Researchers
I have just had the pleasure of participating in the judging of the second
Western Australian Universal Design Competition. The first was last year
and was run in conjunction with a national conference on the theme. Judges
last year included Roger Coleman from the Helen Hamlyn Centre at the RCA,
John Salmen from the USA and Ishi Shiraishi president of the Japan
Productive Ageing Research Centre. This year the focus was more local and
all the judges were Australian. The competition is organised by the state
government's Office for Seniors Interests, and I'm pleased to report that
they will be running it again next year.
Major winners for $5000 this year were a 'Plug In Light Bulb with a Cool
skin' a 'Single Action Push In Door Key' and a 'Motorised Scooter' Minor
awards of $750 were given to 14 other designs, varying from a 'Glow in the
Dark Asthma Inhaler' to an 'Exercise Chair' this chair was an upholstered
lounge chair which had several exercise functions, sort of a revenge on the
rocker recliner. A great feature of this event is that it atracts entries
from all areas of the community from primary students to professionals.
The school component is used as part of the Technology and Enterprise
curriculum and has its own seperate competition as well as being included
in the main event. This gets design into the education system froma very
early stage.
Last years competition produced some elegant and effective designs, like a
jug which could be poured without having to lift it, this is now going into
production. One of the outcomes from last year was a list of about 600
suggestions of things which people thought should be invented, some of
these were a little flakey, but it shows a good cross section of needs.
Some of our local designers have already started work on some of the ideas,
and if anyone is interested they can obtaina copy by contacting the School
of Design At Curtin University. Email [log in to unmask] or reply to
me off list and I can forward it.
Regards
Alun
Hope to see some of you at the conference at Curtin in December.
Alun Price Head, School of Design, Curtin University, Western Australia
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