The core 77 Design Awards are a feather in any artiste's hat, say winners who sent in their entries from around the world and drew inspiration from the corners of their homes. A mouse trap that doubles as a chic decor object and a new-age solution to the backbreaking tokri are just some of the award-winning projects from India
The core 77 Design Awards are a feather in any artiste's hat, say winners who sent in their entries from around the world and drew inspiration from the corners of their homes. A mouse trap that doubles as a chic decor object and a new-age solution to the backbreaking tokri are just some of the award-winning projects from India
In our field, people are recognised by their work. So, it's not about the trophy, but about having the design community sit up and take notice. That's priceless," says 22 year-old Aakash Dewan, a final year product design student at DSK ISD International School of Design, Pune, and runner-up in the Design for Social Impact category of the Core 77 Design Awards. Core77.com, an international design resource website organised its first design awards this July. The annual event is open to professional and student designers worldwide. 
The Load Carrier for labourers functions in three modes to carry weight
on the head and back, and on a trolley
This year, the competition comprised 15 categories (Furniture, Lighting, Brand Identity, Equipment), including some brow-raising sections like the Do It Yourself and Never Saw The Light of Day (projects that were "finished" -- produced to a final, developed stage -- but then "killed" and never realised).
The brief was simple. "The entry form was designed to uncover the intention behind each design coupled with the rigour behind the process. Entrants were asked six questions and invited to support the information with three images and (optionally) a video testimonial and a supporting PDF document," says Jacqueline Khiu, director of the Core77 Design Awards Programme.
Seventy-four judges across 13 cities in eight countries took the final call. Dewan's project -- the Onedown Mousetrap -- is a humane alternative to theu00a0 tool that catches pesky rodents. "I was inspired by the bob toy, an inflated balloon that you punch, and see it bounce back. There is a certain angle at which the balloon tilts downward. That got me thinking," says Dewan, who worked on the concept for a week and incorporated it in his Third Year project at design school.
Shaped like a vase, and placed at an angle, the contraption is non-intrusive and looks more like a chic pot that could add a touch of elegance to your home. The rat is typically lured in by a piece of food, and enters the opening. As the weight shifts, the vase stands upright, trapping the rat who can later be released into the outdoors unharmed.
"I wanted to change the way people look at the mousetrap. Research into the behavioural habits of rats educated me on how once a rat is caught, his entire family is warned and tends not to return to the same household," says Dewan.
The other innovation on the honour roll includes the Load Carrier for Labour by Vikram Panchal, a senior faculty member at the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad. The device is meant to improve the working condition of labourers at construction sites, railway stations and factories. "The average Indian worker carries a minimum load of five to 50 kilos a day. The weight he balances on his head is eight to 10 kilos, and he carries an average of 10 to 30 kilos on his back," says Panchal.
His device includes one component that holds the load, and another that rests on the shoulder. The device has three modes -- to carry lighter loads on the head, medium loads on the back, and heavier loads by a push or pull trolley. Two knobs facilitate the change of function that can be done manually. The load is distributed on the shoulder and at the lumber support using softer materials.
Made of bamboo, the prototype weighs two kilos and is estimated to cost Rs 300 if mass produced. Panchal is currently looking for sponsorship to take this design to the end user. "I would like to make this design principle more versatile by using metal and plastic," says Panchal.
Moving from blue collar workers to creatively inclined visually-impaired, students from the Royal College of Art, Johnathan Fraser, Ruby Steel, and Hal Watts collaborated with NID students Khushbu Dublish and Deepen Toppo to develop a system that allows the visually-challenged to assemble jewellery by introducing various scents to distinguish the types of beads.
"During our time in India, we worked with the Blind People's Association and the Andh Kanya School. They provide education to children, and teach craft skills, but their efforts are wasted since social stigma prevents the visually-challenged to find employment in the crafts sector," says Fraser. They are now in talks with an Indian retailer who has expressed interest in selling scent-beaded jewellery across the country.
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