DESIGN CHALLENGE

2017 - 2018

“PROMOTING LIFELONG HEALTHY HABITS THROUGH DESIGN”

Promoting Lifelong Healthy Habits through Design

The Stanford Center on Longevity Design Challenge is a global competition that encourages students to design products and services to improve well-being across the lifespan. In its fifth year, the Challenge is focused on ideas that create and support healthy habits –including financial, physical, and social behaviors—which are shown to improve quality of life.

CHALLENGE GOALS: 

1. Create well-designed, practical solutions that create and support ongoing habits that improve well-being

2. Encourage a new generation of students to become knowledgeable about issues associated with well-being

3. Provide promising designers with a path to driving change in the world

According to the Sightlines Project of the Stanford Center on Longevity, there are key areas in the realm of healthy living, financial security, and social engagement that impact the quality of life at every age. “Effective actions to address these issues via policies, awareness and innovation can improve individual and national well-being as we enable and prepare for living well and living long in 21st century America.” The 2017-2018 Challenge focuses on solutions to maximize physical, mental, and financial resources for individuals and families of any age.

ELIGIBILITY 

The challenge is open to teams of 1-5 students enrolled during the 2017-2018 academic year, attending any accredited university or college globally.

AWARDS FOR EACH DESIGN TRACK 

• Cash prizes: $10,000 (1st place), $5,000 (2nd place), $2,000 (3rd place).

• Finalists receive mentorship and personalized coaching from industry experts and researchers.

• Finalists receive airfare and hotel reimbursement (up to $1,500 value) for a

student to attend the Finals at Stanford University to present their idea to investors and potential customers.

• Finalists attend an entrepreneurial workshop at Stanford and learn how to take their concept into execution.

KEY DATES: 

• Kick-off: September 2017

• Phase I submissions due: December 2017

• Finalists (5-8) announced: January 2018

• Finals: April 2018

JUDGES 

The Challenge will be judged by world experts in design and technology including carefully selected academics with expertise on the topic; executives from technology and consumer goods firms; venture capitalists; and senior representatives from related mission-driven organizations.