The Greener By Design 2009 / Steelcase Sustainable Design Contest

Congratulations to the winners of the Greener By Design 2009/Steelcase Sustainable Design Contest!  The winners were selected by Net Impact, Steelcase, and GreenBiz.com  based on originality and creativity, use of core environmental sustainability principles, and clear evidence of social value:

  • Dave Berger from Cooper Union for his idea, Solar Lights, an affordable solar-powered lighting system for the millions of people living in remote, rural regions of Africa and the rest of the world
  • John Dreher and Mike Norelli from MIT for their idea, MC Shared, a human-centered energy monitoring system that empowers Americans to be more energy efficient in their homes
  • Edgar Rudberg from the University of Minnesota for designing The Community Cactum Rainwater Collection System, a kit that aims to help water deprived communities collect and store rainwater

Check out this press announcing the winners:

Four Steelcase Scholarship Winners to Attend Greener by Design '09, Matthew Wheeland, GreenerDesign, May 18, 2009

2009 Greener By Design/Steelcase Sustainable Design Contest Challenges Students to Explore Intersection of Design and Corporate Responsibility, PRNewswire, May 18, 2009 


Contest Background:

Steelcase, the global manufacturer of office furnishings, funded four full student scholarships to the 2009 Greener by Design conference. The four lucky student winners of the Steelcase Sustainable Design Contest will receive full conference registration, as well as travel and lodging at the event, scheduled to take place May 19-20, in San Francisco, CA.

Participants were asked to:

1) Tell us in 500 words or less about your idea for a product, service, or business venture with a social and/or environmental benefit. You may, but are not required to, submit design files, concept papers, drawings, business plans, or photographs.

2) Briefly express - through the media of your choosing - how you view the intersection of design and corporate responsibility, and your perspective on how design can play a catalytic role improving people’s lives. You can submit photos or drawings or just provide a brief written statement for your application.

3) Submit the above materials plus a brief application form (.pdf) to info@netimpact.org.

Applications were judged by Net Impact, Steelcase, and GreenBiz.com. Please note that all applicants must be full-time students and the application deadline was Friday, April 24, 2009. Winners were notified by May 4, 2009.
 

About the Steelcase Sustainable Design Scholarship Program

With a long history of leadership in sustainable design, Steelcase is looking to Net Impact to help identify ways that design, defined broadly as products, services or business ventures, can be used to improve lives.  Net Impact is thrilled to promote the opportunity for four full-time student members to attend Greener by Design free of charge.
 
The Steelcase Sustainable Design Scholarships include full conference registration; airfare and two nights lodging at the historic Palace Hotel in San Francisco, CA. Winners will be recognized at the event and may have the opportunity to present their work to conference attendees. Scholarship winners will be uniquely positioned to take advantage of all conference sessions, keynotes, and networking opportunities, and have the ability to meet executives from some of the world’s best-known brands.
 
The focus of the contest is on the design of products, services, and business ideas that have an environmental and social benefit.

>> Read complete contest rules (.pdf)

>> Submit application form and enter to win (.pdf)


About Greener By Design 2009

Bringing green products to the mainstream requires a focus on aligning environmental innovation with affordability. But how are successful companies designing greener products with little or no price premium?  How are they using product innovation to cut costs, improve efficiency and quality, reduce risk, and retain customers?   Greener By Design, produced by GreenBiz.com, is the conference where hundreds of brand managers, business strategist, sustainability officers, marketing directors, product designers, material sourcing experts, and many others go to get the answers, tools, insight, and inspiration to improve their company’s bottom line through product innovation and green design techniques.