Today, we’re proud to announce the eleven winners of the Redesign Everything Challenge, celebrating some of the world’s most creative climate solutions. Initiated in partnership with the IKEA Foundation, the competition now enters an exciting phase as winning teams gain access to an award package designed to strengthen and scale their ideas. This includes funding, mentorship and training through the Redesign Everything accelerator programme, which kicks off this July with a design sprint in Amsterdam.
Tasked with selecting the winners was an international jury comprising ten leading experts in design, climate action and entrepreneurship. Through several rounds of lively discussions and in-depth evaluations, the panel awarded a total of 11 winners across five main design disciplines: communications, products, materials, spaces and systems & services. However, what stands out amongst this year’s selection is the sheer diversity of themes addressed, from air pollution and coastal flooding, to food production and biodiversity in cities. Many projects focus on reducing waste, while others seek to rethink material flows altogether or explore ways to restore natural ecosystems. Together, they pave the way for a more circular and regenerative future, while also highlighting the interconnectedness of our problems and solutions.
“The winners of the Redesign Everything Challenge exemplify the potential of design to address climate impacts,” says WDCD’s co-founder and creative director Richard van der Laken. “The creativity and dedication shown by these teams impressed the Jury and the entire team at What Design Can Do.”
FULL LIST OF WINNERS
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COMMUNICATIONS | GHANA
Fostering economic, social, and environmental well-being through community-led design, upcycling, and textile waste initiatives. |
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SPACES | SPAIN
Rejuvenating food systems surrounding Madrid through a focus on culinary memory and strengthening biodiversity and community. |
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SPACES | INDIA
Leveraging long-lost vernacular building techniques to combat air pollution in low-income Delhi settlements. |
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SPACES | BRAZIL
Restoring native plant populations in and around São Paulo through a nomadic nursery and community educational programmes. |
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PRODUCTS | UK
Alleviating period poverty in the face of cultural taboos and water scarcity with an efficient cleaning kit for reusable bamboo fabric pads. |
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PRODUCTS | TURKEY
Detecting forest fires at their earliest stage with sensory monitors and IoT technology, using machine learning to monitor and identify smoke accurately.
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PRODUCTS | USA
Restoring coastal areas with growable, modular, bio-cement reef structures as a cleaner and more durable alternative to industrial cement. |
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MATeriALS | MEXICO
Feeding bacteria with fruit waste to cultivate Celium™, a premium customisable cellulose bio-textile that can be produced at scale. |
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MATERIALS | USA
Developing alternatives to beads in the form of scalable bio-embellishments while eliminating microplastics and unethical labour from the industry. |
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MATERIALS | FRANCE
Shifting industry paradigms by developing growable and compostable electronics from bacteria that naturally produce electrical proteins. |
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MATERIALS | UK
Researching the material possibilities of micro-algae and bacterial cellulose with potential applications in wound healing, skin repair and skin care. |
WHAT’S COMING UP NEXT?
All 11 winning teams will receive €5.000 in funding, and access to an immersive accelerator programme offered by WDCD. To kickstart the programme, winners will meet in Amsterdam for a design sprint led by industry experts, with tailored masterclasses on a range of creative and strategic skills – from developing a viable business model, to impact-assessment and networking.
On 5 July 2024, winners will also get the chance to pitch on the main stage of What Design Can Do Live in Amsterdam. Here, they will present their projects to the public as well as a panel of industry experts. A special exhibition and networking session will follow at the event, with room for interested parties to connect with the winning designers.
Congratulations to all — and make sure to check out the Redesign Everything Challenge platform to learn more about the winners!
