Students of the world
can solve our problems!

It is said that if humans continue to live as they do, they will need three earths in 2050.

The younger generation can use their design and creative skills to find solutions for what is the most urgent scenario in human history.
With that strong conviction, we created these awards.

These awards invite students from all over the world to use their design skills to create new, bold, and innovative solutions.
You can help reshape the future of humanity with your design.

Special Sponsorship

Sponsorship

  • 株式会社ナフコ
  • ひよ子本舗吉野堂

About the SDGs Design
International Awards

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Global society is increasingly expecting great things from design. Motivated by the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we’re seeing efforts all over the world to solve problems seemingly unrelated to design like hunger, poverty, and inadequate food supply.
Design’s role has moved beyond just the use of colors and shapes.
Design offers an effective way to solve society’s problems.
These awards recognize and encourage students with great potential to change society. They aim to share brave new solutions widely around the world, serving as a driving force to improve our future society. We look forward to many students contributing their ideas, and we hope for generous support and sponsorship of these awards.

SDGs Design International Awards Committee

Theme

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Let’s Create "Sustainable design for FOOD"

“Food culture of the future” ideas envisioned by students around the world.

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Sustainable design for FOOD

“Food” is indispensable for life.
What can we do to ensure life continues to exist through our eating and food practices?
Food is essential for humans and animals to exist.
We are seeking designs to address social problems that deal with food, such as sustaining it, preserving its culture, and making it possible for everyone to have access to it.
Please feel free to think creatively with the following keywords as reference.

1

Food Culture:

Designs that preserve food culture and connect it to the future

Examples:

  • Ideas for passing on traditional food culture, such as cooking methods, ingredients, eating styles, and serving styles, to future generations
  • Ideas for promoting understanding of unique food cultures of countries or regions to people from different nations

2

How to eat:

Designing ways of eating that lead to new behaviors

Examples:

  • Ideas for containers and utensils that are easy for various people (e.g. those with disabilities, elderly, children, etc.) to use and cook with
  • Ideas for environmentally conscious containers and cooking methods
  • Ideas for making mealtime an enjoyable experience

3

Sustainable Food:

Designs that address social challenges related to food and create a better future.

Examples:

  • Ideas for changing eating habits to reduce food waste
  • Ideas to enable the production of new kinds of food that respects the global environment

4

Food Technology:

Designing to transform food and its consumption for the better with technology

Examples:

  • Ideas for technologies and systems to improve food distribution.
  • Ideas for farms and agriculture that protect the environment to enable production that does not adversely affect the land

5

Miscellaneous:

Food design ideas other than above four themes.

Examples:

  • Ideas for food that is easy to store, transport, and eat in the event of a disaster
  • Ideas for creating memories and fostering communication involving food
theme2

Let’s Create “Sustainable design for FOOD” with Companies!

Solving social issues cannot be achieved by one person alone; cooperation with companies and the local community is also necessary. What can companies do to support raising children? We are looking for ideas for events, tools, apps, systems, facility designs that address this issue.

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    Helix Experience Award

    Helix Experience

    "Let's design restaurants of the future where customers, owners, and the local community can all be happy"

    Restaurants are places where people can have a good time and feel energized through food; a space where they do not just fill their stomachs but enrich their lives. Restaurants have also played a role in spreading food culture trends throughout the eras.

    In today's society, food purposes and preferences are becoming more diverse, and at the same time, travelers from overseas are looking for local and traditional foods. The idea of the "additional value of food" is also expanding. However, it is not realistic from a management perspective for restaurants to meet all these needs and wants.

    So, let's design a restaurant that owners, employees, consumers, and the rest of the community can enjoy.

    For example...

    Design of a food service space that emphasizes regionality

    • ・Future restaurants that energize the region, local produce, and visitors
    • ・New designs for serving local food
    • ・Design for food service where all processes are visible (production, distribution, cooking, serving, and eating)
    • ・Keywords: "self-sufficiency," "co-creation," "local production for local consumption," "roadside stations," "visible producers," etc.

    Design of a food service space that emphasizes diversity

    • ・Design of Japanese food that will please tourists from overseas (space, tableware, presentation, food, service)
    • ・Fun food designs that overcomes food minorities (religion, allergies, disliked tastes, textures, appearances, smells)
    • ・Restaurants that utilize the latest technology
    • ・Design of a food service space that will please families (events within the venue, celebratory services, presentation, tableware, souvenirs)
    • ・Design a place where food is served where employees will be happy with (for corporate events, employee benefits, dining out)

    We are looking for a wide range of systems and new ideas that will make everyone happy.

    In addition, we plan to prioritize ideas that can be implemented in our restaurant when selecting the corporate award. If you would like to visit the site, please let us know.

    Inspection reception:
    Kusumoto(kusumoto-h@yuko-group.co.jp )

Awards

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theme1

Sustainable design for FOOD

  • Gold Award Gold Award 300,000 yen +Certificate
  • Silver Award Silver Award 100,000 yen +Certificate
  • Bronze Award Bronze Award 50,000 yen +Certificate
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Let’s Create “Sustainable design for FOOD” with Companies!

Corporate Award(s) Corporate Awards 50,000 yen each
+Certificate

The companies supporting and actively participating in the SDGs Design International Awards will nominate winners from the entries.

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青メダル Special Award(s) for
High School Students
Certificate
緑メダル Merit Award Certificate

Entry Overview

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Eligibility
Any students in universities, graduate schools, vocational institutions, or high schools in Japan or overseas interested in design may apply (including working students).
Students not majoring in the design discipline are also welcome to apply.

Student can apply as an individual or in a group.

Student must belong to an educational institution at the time of application.

Conditions
Any genre is welcome.
We are looking for a wide range of ideas such as product design, graphic design, fashion design, architecture, urban planning, engineering, sociology, and any field.
Application
Period
August 1, 2024 – October 20, 2024

Inquiries

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SDGs Design International Awards 2024 Committee

Unit Addressing SDGs through Design

SDGs Design Unit