‘The definition of design is broadening as we know it – it’s grown from something literal and concrete to something so much more abstract and complex, and I think that this challenge really shows the evolution of this process. WDCD challenges designers to think beyond what we’ve come to accept and because of that, the ideas I have seen have been astounding. I am honoured to have my idea come this far. What we’re doing here has the possibility to really help people, and not just refugees. We are not simply designing products and places, we’re designing new ways of living and interacting.’
This reaction from Aaron Wong, shortlisted for the WDCD Refugee Challenge with his project Co-create Fellowship, hits the nail on the head. We started this challenge to stimulate designers to make a difference for people.
Empathy
After the shortlist was announced, last Tuesday, we asked the nominees to send us a reaction. Apart from their justified expressions of joy and gratitude, a lot of the nominees share a deeply felt empathy with other, less fortunate people and the urge to use their creativity and skills to make this world a nicer place.
‘I have always wanted to do something for the poor, the refugees, the people who need our design the most but can’t really afford it. And now this is the chance that I can do something! And bring awareness to many more who are capable to help them too. I am so thankful to be one of the nominees,’ writes Kate Tian Tay, creator of MezzAHome – Temporary Shelter in the City
Commitment
Oana Clitan and Giacomo Boffo, who entered Refu.rendum are thrilled to be on the shortlist. ‘We think it’s really important for refugees to have a say and to be able to influence their situation directly, and we think this can’t wait until their asylum request is approved. With Refu.rendum we aim to build an effective and accessible tool for democratic participation. We hope we’ll get a chance to develop this insight further, and we are glad to see us surrounded by so many projects that share our commitment and strive to change the perception of refugees from problem to resource. Hannah Arendt wrote the quote that inspired us for the concept: “The calamity of the rightless is […] that they no longer belong to any community whatsoever”.’
‘We’re honoured to be participating in this essential competition and even more so to be among the finalists,’ Architects For Humanity state, shortlisted with Fast Flexible Housing. ‘The design community needs more venues like this to address urgent global disasters. The cross-disciplinary approach to problem solving is undeniable and the future will demand the participation of many more experts in an open systems approach. Thank you WDCD, Ikea Foundation and UNHCR.’
Faith and belief
Kate Thompson of New Here., the project that won the public vote, wrote: ‘All of the hard work that has gone into creating New Here. is instantly justified when we see how much faith the public and the challenge partners have put in our idea. We are so thrilled and honoured to have been ranked first by the public, especially considering the incredible quality and innovative nature of the other entries. We hope that the jury will feel that further development of our map for refugees is as important as we do!’
Dutch architect Ben van Berkel and his team reacted with: ‘UNStudio’s and Scape’s motivation to participate in the Refugee Challenge derives from the strong believe that social, spatial and technological design can make a difference in how people meet and approach each other. We are happy to be shortlisted and hope to get the chance to get BLOOM on the next level! You can find out more about BLOOM on our website.’
‘I am really thankful for getting a chance to make my solution scalable! In this way, I hope my design can contribute to a healthier pluralistic society,’ says Eva de Bruijn, who entered the game Connecting Cultures. And illustrator Emilie Sheehan (The Unexpected Journey) said: ‘I am delighted that my idea has been shortlisted. There is such a fantastic range of submissions, it is great to be one of those selected. I have my fingers crossed for the final, as I would love to see the idea become a reality.’
Amazement
Amazement prevails in some of the other reactions.
‘Honestly, we feared people would think our idea was crazy,’ Hidde Kross of Veejays, creator of In Your Shoes, wrote. ‘A big digital mirror in shopping streets, reflecting passers-by as refugees. But we know we can build it, and believe it will have a real impact on people. So thanks for voting for us, and congratz to all those other great cases! We especially love Kösicover’
‘Speechless. Now we are even more determined to actually start producing Közicover. We owe it to the kids. LET’S DO IT!!!’, Diederik Derkzen and Lodewijk de Vries say. And Michael Bien and Brenda Waegemaekers, who invented the rather provoking project Refugees got Talent, said: ‘Great to use our creativity for a higher purpose like this. All those late nights after work weren’t for nothing.’
Think about others
That said, let’s conclude with the wise words from Team Meshwar, Ishiyetaa Saxena and Jaivardhan Singh: ‘At a time when people do not care about what is happening around them, it is wonderful to see people taking charge and trying to help others. We are delighted to be a part of this wonderful journey which we believe can improve the quality of lives of people surrounding us.
‘The world can never become a good place to live if everybody only thinks about themselves. It is time we start thinking about others and that led us to take part in the challenge and we are glad our attempt of changing the world one step at a time made it to the shortlist.
‘The stories of refugees we came across were heart-wrenching and it made us feel a sense of responsibility towards fixing a potential crisis by applying our design expertise. Getting short-listed feels like a step closer to doing the same!’