Ravi Naidoo, founder of Design Indaba, presented at the COPENHAGEN PRELUDE TO INDEX: Aiga Aspen Design Summit from 23 to 25 August 2007.
This followed his participation on the judging panel for the INDEX:AWARD in June 2007.
The Copenhagen Prelude Conference is held to celebrate the newly launched alliance between INDEX: and AIGA/Aspen Design Summit, which introduced a series of events between Aspen and Copenhagen that focussed on Design to Improve Life. During four sessions in two days, leading international design and innovation, thinkers and doers lectured, debated and engaged in conversations with the audience on four themes and sub themes within the realm of User Centred Design and Innovation (UCDI) and Design to Improve Life.
Naidoo presented the overall focus of the session and shared his experience regarding creative and business opportunities in Africa. In addition, he showcased how UCDI can be actively implemented to ensure solutions to the major challenges that face the African continent. The debates and recommendations of the conference were passed on to the AIGA|Aspen Design Summit in January 2008.
The results of the biggest design award in the world, the INDEX:AWARD, were also be announced. The award gives five category winners a prize of €100 000. Focussing on Design to Improve Life, the INDEX:AWARD further distinguishes itself by not categorising design according to traditional labels, rather asking that the nomination bodies think horizontally, across design categories and industries, when selecting their nominees for the five categories vital to human life: body, home, work, play and community.
On August 24, 2007, the winning designs in the five INDEX: categories were announced, receiving the world's biggest design award of €100 000 each. Two South African designers were among the 2007 winners. Elon Musk was part of the group that won the PLAY category for the Tesla Roadster, a 100% electric vehicle with 0-to-60 mph acceleration.
The second South African, Graeme Davies was among the industrial designers who won the WORK category for the Tongue Sucker. This device allows untrained bystanders at the scene of an accident to immediately open the airway of unconscious victims, preventing death or brain damage due to the tongue blocking the airway passage.
Being a member of the jury judging this illustrious award was an honour for Naidoo. Leading designers, design researchers, design writers and design thinkers completed the international jury. These included: Nille Juul-Sorensen (associate director Arup); Arnold S Wasserman (chairman of the Idea Factory); Paola Antonelli (curator of design and architecture at the Museum of Modern Art); Alex Blanch (co-founder of blink.design and director of the Executive Board of Identidades Latinas); Ged Davis (co-president of Global Energy Assessment and deputy chairman of EcoCities); Hella Jongerius (designer and CEO of JongeriusLab); Pontus Wahlgren (senior industrial designer of IDEO); Dr Robert Blaich (president of Blaich Associates Design Management Consultants); John Heskett (chair professor of design at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University); and Hael Kobayashi (digital entertainment executive).
