GROHE selects five exciting student concepts in the iF DESIGN TALENT AWARD 2020

GROHE is committed to the next generation of designers. As a sponsor of the iF DESIGN TALENT AWARD – one of the world's most important competitions for up-and-coming designers – GROHE now presents the best concepts that attempt to achieve the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal No. 6: Clean Water and Sanitation.

The iF DESIGN TALENT AWARD

This year, the competition categories in the iF DESIGN TALENT AWARD were based on the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations (SDG 1 to 15). A total of 10,880 concepts were entered by design students and recent 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 most outstanding concepts.

The Jury

Duarte Salvador, Mirko Götzen and Jungbeom Han, three design experts from the GROHE Design Studio in Dusseldorf,  Germany, were on the international jury of 30 to evaluate the works that were submitted to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) No. 6. This SDG aims to provide an intact water supply for millions of people to ensure sanitation and related hygiene.

The three jury members were very impressed by the diversity and creativity with which the students addressed the topic: "We were overwhelmed to see the intensity and creativity with which students from all over the world take on responsibility for answering the burning questions of our time with the help of design. The new generation of designers has long since realized that our future lies in their hands. The iF DESIGN TALENT AWARD offers young design talents an outstanding international platform for presenting their visionary ideas and concepts."

The Evaluation Criteria

In order to win an iF DESIGN TALENT AWARD, the concepts had to achieve above-average scores 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_02 goes to the following five concepts

Entry name: Self-supply Handwashing Station | Handwashing station
SDG: 06 Clean Water + Sanitation
Design: Yuna Jung, Jihyun Kim
University: Hansung University, Seoul, Republic of Korea

Handwashing plays a critical role in the fight against the spread of Covid-19 and other infectious diseases. However, clean running water is scarce in rural areas of many developing countries. The water truck, which in many cases is the main source of clean water, can take weeks to arrive. This device provides a sustainable source of clean water through organic filtering and recycling.

Jury Statement: “This design is based on a detailed study of water needs and usage in parts of the world that suffer from water scarcity. The clever revolving hourglass form dispenses with the need for an electric pump, allowing this station to be easily installed off-grid.”



Entry name: Rail Wastebasket System | Marine waste collector
SDG: 06 Clean Water + Sanitation
Design: Myeong Heum Jo, Sang Ju Lee
University: Keimyung University, Daegu, Republic of Korea

A huge amount of waste plastic continues to find its way into the world's rivers, lakes, seas, and oceans, with devastating consequences for marine life. The core problem is that we are producing plastic waste at a far higher rate than we can collect or dispose of it. This product filters seawater to collect waste and debris, which can later be disposed of or recycled.

Jury Statement: “This project ably tackles one of the biggest environmental challenges facing humanity – the ongoing proliferation of plastic waste in marine environments.”



Entry name: safe.U | UV soap
SDG: 06 Clean Water + Sanitation
Design: Won Mo Yoo, Hyun Yeol Shin, Gyeong Jin Kim
University: Samsung Art und Design Institute, Seoul, Republic of Korea

According to the World Health Organization, washing hands is one of the most effective actions you can take to reduce the spread of pathogens, including the Covid-19 virus. However, hundreds of millions of people in Africa lack access to clean water. In response, the designers have developed a UV soap that lets people wash their hands without water. It uses harmless UV rays to kill pathogens and can be used intuitively in a way similar to real soap.

Jury Statement: “UV Soap allows for an entirely new way of washing hands without water. It has a simple form and provides a clear solution to manual hygiene needs in water-poor environments.”



Entry name: Drinking Mask | Drinking mask
SDG: 06 Clean Water + Sanitation
Design: Xinyue Zhang, Binge Yang, Ze Wang, Jiji He
University: Dalian Minzu University, Dalian, China

Nowadays, many people live and work in environments with poor air quality, which necessitates that they wear a mask. This is also the case for workers in chemical plants, on construction sites and in mines, and for doctors and some patients in hospitals. In such situations, the simple act of drinking water becomes difficult. This product can solve the problem of drinking water while wearing a mask. The front has a round vent through which most bottles can be inserted. This is a product design that can be mass-produced.

Jury Statement: “The drinking mask is clearly a product that responds well to a very current problem. As a solution, it is simple and can be adapted to any type of mask.”



Entry name: AERATi | Water cleaning device
SDG: 06 Clean Water + Sanitation
Design: Yong Xiang Lin, Tzu-Hsuan Huang
University: Tatung University, Taipei, Taiwan

We all know that water is essential for life on earth but fewer realize that algae are essential for aquatic life. However, if there are too many algae, this robs the water of oxygen content and disturbs the ecological balance, leading to eutrophication and the creation of aquatic dead zones. The AERATi aqua drone is designed to remove excessive algae and protect watercourses such as rivers, reservoirs, and lakes. AERATi offers a complete ecological simulation system, including water monitoring and a database to analyze biological resources and environmental carrying capacity.

Jury Statement: „This innovative system was born of a detailed study of how to protect aquatic ecosystems. It is an excellent example of how technology can be successfully applied to solve environmental problems.“