The winner of the Sanctuary Care-sponsored DBA (Design Business Association) Inclusive Design Challenge was announced at a prestigious awards ceremony last night.
The event, sponsored by Sanctuary Care for the second year, challenged designers to create a product, service, environment or communication to address the theme of sedentary lives, for example children who are glued to their computers or elderly people who might be physically less able.
The five shortlisted entries went head to head before a panel of judges at the Royal College of Art in London – with Matter, a product design consultancy based in Bath, declared the winner.
Matter worked alongside existing client Herman Miller to produce mo a revolutionary portable seating product that redefines an everyday icon of sedentary lives – the cushion. mo has a matrix structure, with each pixel conforming to the user’s weight. It is quite unlike a conventional cushion because it spreads its load evenly across the surface, supporting the user’s micro movements and allowing the blood to flow around the body.
Chris Weston from Matter said: “We are really pleased to have won and really proud of what we have achieved. It’s so nice to get the recognition, especially from the DBA.”
Described as ‘the combined Oscars and Olympics of Inclusive Design’, the challenge is a collaboration between the Royal College of Art Helen Hamlyn Centre and the Design Business Association.
Organiser Julia Cassim, senior research fellow at the Helen Hamlyn Centre said: "We have been delighted to work with Sanctuary Care for the past two years - it is rare for a sponsor to be so proactive and encouraging. Sanctuary Care has been an invaluable resource for the five short-listed design teams and facilitated the vital user research that is central to the Inclusive Design Challenge. It has been a key factor in ensuring that the results were not only innovative, wide-ranging and inspiring, but absolutely relevant to this year's theme of sedentary lives.”
Steve Wood, managing director of Sanctuary Care, a subsidiary of leading UK housing provider Sanctuary Group, said: “The standard of this year’s entries was truly outstanding and we are extremely proud to have given our backing so such an important event. We look forward to seeing this revolutionary product being used to assist those who lead sedentary lives.”
Open exclusively to DBA members, the challenge was launched in 2000 in response to a gap in the disability aids and equipment market.