GOOD DESIGN NEW HOPE AWARD 2024 top prize winner selected!

The Third NEW HOPE AWARD

The GOOD DESIGN NEW HOPE AWARD began in 2022, aiming to support the young talent who will take charge of the next generation of design. Excellent designs by students not only of fine arts but all current students and new graduates of universities and vocational colleges are eligible for evaluation. It also aims to provide a platform that supports the growth of winners and their activities in society, rather than making winning the award the end goal.

There are four application categories spanning a broad range of design: “product design,” “place design,” “information design,” and “systems design.” Experts from a variety of fields, including product designers and architects, as well as TV producers and college administrators, take part in the screening.

Impassioned final presentations

On December 7, the eight winners of the awards for excellence made their final presentations. A distinctive feature of this year's designs is that from the outset, “objects” and “concepts” were viewed in an integrated manner, and comprehensive design was taken as a given.

In addition, all the presenters overflowed with energy, and the presentations themselves were “designed,” for example employing a poetic type of storytelling or a warm style, like reading aloud a picture book.

The five-minute presentations were followed by five-minute Q & A sessions. These exchanges covered what prompted the designers to become aware of the issues and how they intended to develop the designs in the future.

At the end, the final screening was held with only the judges present. This year, we saw many designs that have already been implemented in society. Nevertheless, “implementation” is not a requirement of the NEW HOPE AWARD. After a lengthy discussion about points such as whether the proposals came from a perspective that only the new generation could notice or whether they incorporated a sense of new possibilities, each of the judges cast their vote. Owing to the high level of the designs and the presentations, they all struggled with how hard it was to cast their single vote; however, the top prize was selected.

“Adventure Box” awarded the top prize

This year's top prize went to “Adventure Box,” a starter kit for play. This design is a kit that provides elementary school students who are hospitalized with innovative play through the theme of “adventure,” with the aim of turning their recuperation experience into a more positive one.

It has already been introduced into five hospitals, and there are plans to roll it out further in the future. It started with four students, mainly from nursing departments, and the current team has grown to include pediatricians, nurses, and children.

One focus of the project is to address the issue of “children caught between hospitals and schools.” For example, there are many children who have been discharged from hospital but are not yet able to go to school and feel lonely, not cared for by anyone. There are online schools and free schools that can be used during this period, but the reality is that children cannot make full use of these systems without having their own intrinsic motivation.

“Adventure Box” was developed as the first step towards solving this problem. Rather than simply providing toys, it was designed to foster children's curiosity and imaginative power in order to encourage them to live in their own unique ways, making use of these systems and structures. The judges recognized the design process itself as a model for the next generation of designers.

An award ceremony generating new connections and new energy

The award ceremony, which took place after the announcement of the winners, brought together not only the winners and the judges but also people from colleges and universities, companies, and the media. The winners enthusiastically asked the judges about points for future improvement and exchanged opinions with company and media representatives in lively interactions.

Earlier winners from 2022 onwards also participated in the event, broadening vertical as well as horizontal ties. Students who meet at the NEW HOPE AWARD tell us that they often start new projects together.

Yoshifumi Ishikawa, director of Canon's General Design Center, who participated in the award ceremony, said “They were wonderful presentations. I felt that it was our mission to create a society where young designers could play an even more active role,” while Seiichi Saito, chair of the judges, commented “As the era of design changes from one that follows society to one that drives it, the challenges undertaken by the younger generation are ushering in a new era.”

A platform for developing new talent

The NEW HOPE AWARD is not only a place to discover talent, but is also increasingly important as a platform to showcase the possibilities of design. Post-award promotions and programs for recipients will be held as some of the future activities of the NEW HOPE AWARD. This year's program is scheduled to include a tour of the Digital Agency as a design site.