As a sponsor of the iF DESIGN TALENT AWARD 2020, Samsung Electronics selects eleven outstanding design concepts

All the projects are aimed at achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) No. 12 of the United Nations.

Samsung Electronics has been committed to promoting and encouraging young designers for many years. As a long-standing sponsor of the iF DESIGN TALENT AWARD – one of the world's most important competitions for up-and-coming designers – Samsung now presents the best concepts that address achieving United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) No. 12: Responsible consumption and production.

The iF DESIGN TALENT AWARD

From this year, the iF DESIGN TALENT AWARD is based on the SDGs of the UN (1 to 15) as competition categories. A total of 10,880 concepts were registered by design students and graduates from more than 45 nations from around the world. An international jury of experts evaluated each of the ideas submitted and awarded a total of EUR 50,000 in prize money to the best concepts.

The Jury

On the international jury of 30, the two design experts Felix Heck and Hong Yeo, Head and Deputy director of Samsung Design Europe in London, evaluated the projects that were submitted with the aim of achieving SDG 12. This SDG has been designed to promote responsible consumption and production in order to achieve resource and energy efficiency and thus ensure better quality of life.

The two judges were impressed by the range and creativity with which the students dealt with the topic: "We got to see fresh ideas and concepts – we didn't expect this diversity. It can be seen that the new generation of designers are truly in to environmentally friendly design and sustainability. We were also very encouraged by the international nature of the competition - young people all over the world have the same agenda in preserving a better future for all of us. It’s up to us to listen and support them.”

The Evaluation Criteria

In order to receive the iF DESIGN TALENT AWARD, the concepts had to achieve above-average marks when answering the following questions:

• Does it approach or solve a relevant problem?

• Does it reflect moral-ethical standards?

• Does it strengthen or promote high group relations?

• Does it create a positive experience?

• Does it balance effort and use value?

All the prize-winning entries are presented in different ways

iF Design Website: All the prize-winning entries are presented on the iF Design Website – the world’s largest virtual design exhibition – for an unlimited time period

iF Design App: 
The prize-winning works are presented in the iF Design App for a period of three years; the app is available for downloading free of charge for Android and iOS.

iF Design Center Chengdu: 
All prize-winning concepts will be showcased in a special exhibition in the new iF Design Center in Chengdu.

The iF DESIGN TALENT AWARD 2020 goes to the following eleven concepts:

 
Awarded – with EUR 2,000 in prize money:

Entry Name: Pecu | Toy
SDG: 12 Responsible Consumption + Production
Design: Stacey Yip
University: Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), Industrial Design Engineering, Delft / The Netherlands

Pecu prevents stuffed animal toys from ending up in landfill by offering a DIY kit for parents to give a new life to their child's toys. By introducing new features to the toy, it also opens up parent-child discussions about the impact of human activity on animals. Accompanied by an e-picture book, parents can adapt the animal’s story to their child’s cognitive abilities – allowing the story to be retold over the years in ever greater complexity. Beyond extending a toy’s life, its meaning is enhanced by encouraging the child to reflect on how human behavior affects real animals. Pecu is stuffed with meaning, becoming a voice for animal protection.

Jury Statement: „Pecu is an upcycling tool with a strong moral-ethical message: taking care of animals. It comprises a kit to revive and renew worn-out yet much-loved stuffed animal toys and an e-picture book that opens up dialogue around animal protection issues and fosters respectful behavior towards real animals from a young age.“

Awarded – with EUR 2,000 in prize money:

Entry Name: JOUL | Educational Toy
SDG: 12 Responsible Consumption + Production
Design: Anna Hing, Fabian Böttcher, So Heum Hwang
University: Umeå Institute of Design, Umeå / Sweden

The current generation of children is growing up in a highly digitized world with power always at their disposal. Aware of the climate crisis, parents feel the urgency to teach their kids about sustainability, yet often feel overwhelmed by the topic’s complexity. JOUL is a set of toys, created out of the belief that we have to start small and focus on our planet's resources. It consists of three types of modules to playfully explore the concept of energy: how it is generated, stored, transported, and used. JOUL serves as a conversation starter to introduce sustainable thinking in a playful and exploratory way.

Jury Statement: “Joul looks at sustainability from a different angle and empathizes the roles and responsibilities of a designer. The product focuses on educating a younger generation to have a more profound impact on the planet. It has a refined aesthetic with careful consideration paid to color and materials.”

Awarded – without prize money

Entry Name: ACTION FOR FOOD / Exchange machine
SDG: 12 Responsible Consumption + Production
Design: Wu Changxuan, Chen Ruoyan, Wu Renkang, Gu Chengwei
University: Hubei University of Technology, School of Industrial Design, Wuhan / China

The ACTION FOR FOOD vending machine is both environmentally and socially responsible. It allows users to collect disposable plastic bottles and exchange them for food that is close to its expiry date. In this way, it serves to ameliorate several problems at once: of discarded plastic waste, of food waste, and of hunger among homeless or otherwise marginalized people.

Jury Statement: “Action for food is an unusual recycling station located at grocery stores. It sets out to solve two major problems of the food industry: food waste (beyond its expiry date) and packaging waste (in this case plastic bottles). The concept encourages the return of plastic bottles in exchange for food that is close to expiry.”

Awarded – without prize money

Entry Name: ecocloset / Garment upcycling service
SDG: 12 Responsible Consumption + Production
Design: Berenice Lopez Sanchez
University: College for Creative Studies, MFA Integrated Design, Detroit / USA

The fashion industry has devastating impacts on the environment; research shows, for example, that the transportation of garments is a major source of carbon emissions. By extending the lifespan of fashion garments we can greatly reduce their environmental footprint. This is a service that uses locally sourced preowned clothes to create unique garments that are manufactured and distributed locally. Using an app, users can design their own garments, or buy or rent garments designed by other users. The service promotes more sustainable consumer behavior in relation to fashion.

Jury Statement: “We really like the idea of a service that helps extend the lifespan of clothing. The recycling or upcycling of garments is beneficial to the environment while also creating clothing that is more tailored and unique. It is important that sustainable ideas are both attractive and viable, otherwise they just become part of the problem. We tend to appreciate things more if we have a direct connection to the creation process; this service creates such a connection.”

Awarded – without prize money

Entry Name: Paper conversion machine | Paper recycling product
SDG: 12 Responsible Consumption + Production
Design: Zhaoxi Yin
University: JiLin University, Harbin, Heilongjiang / China

This product is designed to directly convert printing paper used in offices into household tissue paper with high water absorption and decontamination capacity. The rationale behind the design of this product is that we use a lot of printing paper in offices. At the same time, due to the complexity and low efficiency of paper recycling systems, most of this paper is not effectively recycled. This product can not only save on human and material resources in the recycling process but also significantly improve the recycling rate of paper.

Jury Statement: “This paper conversion machine looks at reducing the carbon footprint of the act of recycling. Beyond the finished byproduct, the physical interaction gives its users a visual reminder to pursue a more sustainable lifestyle.”

Awarded – without prize money

Entry Name: Fertile | Coffee cup
SDG: 12 Responsible Consumption + Production
Design: Haili Wu, Ruka Kameda
University: The Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow / Great Britain

‘Fertile’ is a sustainable coffee cup that hacks the concept of the take-away coffee cup that has become so ubiquitous in modern cities. It also creates a directly positive environmental impact by upcycling existing cups. ‘Fertile is made from a single sheet of 100% biodegradable and recycled paper using an origami method. The cup comes with a handle that contains seed, soil, and coffee grounds to grow plants. ‘Fertile’ will encourage people to plant seeds and engage in more responsible consumption and production.

Jury Statement: “We appreciate this effort to solve the problem of disposable products such as single-use coffee cups and add more fun to the product. Upcycling and sustainability are difficult issues, but it's up to designers to make these issues fun and colorful.”

Awarded – without prize money

Entry Name: One-Two-One | Glass container
SDG: 12 Responsible Consumption + Production
Design: Wanhang Zhao
University: Lund University, Lund / Sweden

2.4 million tons of recycled glass are used annually. Impurities such as metals, rubbers, and plastics must be removed during the sorting process, which consumes huge amounts of electricity and manpower. Food containers need to be sorted from other materials the most, because they typically consist of at least two different materials. This design does not use any other materials except glass to form a confined space suitable for food storage. Using a single material saves energy by reducing manufacturing steps and also reduces energy consumption during the glass sorting process.

Jury Statement: “Clear, simple and plain solution.”

Awarded – without prize money

Entry Name: Paperimbot | 3D paper printer
SDG: 12 Responsible Consumption + Production
Design: Hyuna Park
University: Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Seoul / Republic of Korea

Korea has a long tradition of using paper and pulp to create art and crafts. This 3D printer takes this practice into the 21st century and links it to the drive for sustainability and environmental protection. The result is a 3D printer capable of producing traditional Hanji paper crafts quickly and consistently.

Jury Statement: “This is a very interesting idea from a material perspective considering the opportunities offered by 3D printing. It not only opens up a new range of sustainable applications for paper pulp but also keeps alive Korea's traditional culture of papercraft.”

Awarded – without prize money

Entry Name: Shared express box | Delivery box
SDG: 12 Responsible Consumption + Production
Design: Yu Guangliang
University: Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou / China

This product addresses the problems of environmental pollution and resource waste in product transportation and package delivery. It proposes the use of shared delivery boxes to reduce carbon emissions and make resource use more sustainable. This product can be reused or recycled to maximize the sustainable use-value of the product.

Jury Statement: “The Shared express box tackles the issue of waste in the era of mass delivery. It provides a simple design solution to a growing problem and adds value by making it both more secure and efficient than standard packaging.”

Awarded – without prize money

Entry Name: RHITA Sustainability Suitcase / Suitcase
SDG: 12 Responsible Consumption + Production
Design: Jhen Jia Yang, Yun Cheng, Chun Yu Pan
University: Tainan University of Technology, Tainan / Taiwan

RHITA is a suitcase designed for assembly and disassembly, making it easier to repair and recycle. Users can purchase parts separately and select specific colors. When it reaches the end of its usable life, it is easy to recycle, making this suitcase a truly sustainable product.

Jury Statement: “We appreciate this young designer's determination to squarely face the challenges of today's industrial design, such as recycling, sustainability and efficient transportation, and to find the best answers for the future.”

Awarded – without prize money

Entry Name: S.D.F. Car | Agricultural machine
SDG: 12 Responsible Consumption + Production
Design: Min-Hua Tsai, Yu-Ching Chiu, I-Jie Tsay, Yi-Yun Li
University: National Taipei University of Education (NTUE), Taipei City / Taiwan

S.D.F. CAR is a soil-improving machine that can carbonize and decompose wheat and rice straw in real time. S.D.F. CAR can be connected to the rear of a harvester to receive wheat and rice straw discharged after harvesting, carbonize wheat and rice straw into a soil improver through an internal high-temperature electric furnace, and stir soil to improve the land. The gas generated in the carbonization process is filtered through a catalytic ceramic filter device.

Jury Statement: “The balance of efficient farming and environmental protection is the innovative approach of the concept. While further investment in R&D is required, the fact that this machine improves soil quality makes its chances of success high.”