Update: Sign-up for this year’s challenge by November 1st. Application Form (Word, 48k). Team Member Pack (Word, 64k).

This past November, Dublin hosted its first 24-Hour Universal Design Challenge. It would be impossible to capture the experience without taking part yourself, though Fiona Ashe just posted a video documenting the event.

Five teams were tasked with creating a new product or service along with a design partner who had a specific disability. Our team had the pleasure of working with Genny, a self-described “venetian blind”. Working through the night and collaborating on a superbly-talented team, MY WAY was created. MY WAY is a portable device and service designed to help anyone with a specific need find the path best traveled through the city. Our team garnered the People’s Choice Award.

The whole experience was a testament to what can be accomplished with a design-led, concentrated effort. Taking universal design principles on board allowed every team to create beautifully designed solutions that were accessible to everyone, regardless of age, stature or ability. My only disappointment was this was only 24 hours, and as we all had to get back to our daily routines, these well designed concepts remain just that, concepts. There is the lasting legacy that we all have a greater appreciation for universal design principles and will include extreme users in our design process.

However, how can we ensure that the next challenge, or similar events, have funding and follow-through in place to make it possible to see these projects through?

A big shout out to the A Team!

Back row: Sinead Reynolds (DIT), Ruth Collins (TrinityHaus), John Smyth (IT Sligo), Bob Gray (Red&Grey Design), Damien Crossan (IT Sligo), Conor O’Sullivan (IQ Content), John Wood (IQ Content) Front row: Tony Mangan (Trulife Healthcare), Genny Carraro (Our Design Partner), Justin Knecht, Kevin Cannon