As we close another year (and a decade!), we reflect on the ups, downs, successes and failures. While it's been a hell of a ride, one feeling trumps the rest: gratitude! Because we're optimists, we thought we'd do a throwback on the top achievements of 2019. It never hurts to pat yourself on the back and, more importantly, we'd like to praise all of you — our partners, investors, alumni, family, friends and supporters, who were there every step of the way.
We became The Index Project
2019 kicked-off with a new and shiny brand but, still with the same solid values and mission: #designtoimprovelife. Our fresh identity was designed in collaboration with our talented friends at Kontrapunkt, and pays homage to our strong legacy, of almost 20 years, while making space for new generations to come.
We partnered with Google Arts & Culture
Launched in March, we have the privilege of being part of Google's Once Upon a Try — the largest online exhibition about inventions and discoveries ever curated. We produced 13 exhibitions providing a glimpse into our extensive Index Award design archive and the ingenious people behind the solutions.
We broke our nomination record
The clock lapsed on the 2019 submission deadline with 1,813 nominations — about 400 more than the 2017 cycle and around 1,200 more since the very first Index Award in 2005. And, naturally, we're aiming to break that record again in 2021. Seen anything with Index Award potential? Nominate it now!
We made The New York Times frontpage
"Can design save us?" The bold question we posed on the cover of The New York Times international edition. On top of our winner features on the NYT website, we were thrilled to see our name and mission in lights (twice!). A major bucket list item now ticked off the list!
We held Business x Sustainability
For the first time ever, we welcomed guests from all over the world to find out what it REALLY means to be a sustainable business or employee. The conference day was filled with workshops, panels and keynotes from Laerdal Global Health, Plastix, and the Drawdown Fund, to name a few. Curious about what we learned? Check out the insights.
We celebrated Index Award 2019
THE event of the year! We celebrated another amazing Index Award but, with a new identity, CEO and a bright and boisterous set of finalists and winners. For the first time, we also heard from some of our most iconic and successful past-winners, including Zipline, LifeStraw and Duolingo. What an evening it was, and we can't wait 'til next cycle!
We made new major investments
The Design to Improve Life Fund announced three new investments into impactful solutions from the Index Award 2017 pipeline. Zipline, the life-saving drones; WeFarm, a platform improving livelihoods of small-scale farmers; and green textile Piñatex joined a portfolio of eight other innovative companies.
We launched ‘Design Thinking in STEM’
In partnership with Siemens Stiftung, we introduced a new program combining STEM with design-thinking. So far, we've held workshops for educators in Cape Town, Berlin and Chile — the firsts of several programs to be rolled out across Africa, Europe and Latin America in the coming years.
We were featured on PBS
Thanks to the wonderful filmmaker Michelle Bauer Carpenter, documentary 'Enough White Teacups' featuring The Index Award was shown on America's PBS reaching millions of viewers. The film also screened at several international film festivals, theatres and more.
We published new reports with JA Studio
This fall, we published 'Optimism Blooming in a World Gone Mad' in collaboration with JA studio. The report reveals the thoughts of 138 design-thinkers and doers from 27 countries, and what they consider our biggest global challenges and best solutions. From the report, we discovered six new challenges to be published in 2020.
We talked all over the world
Last, but certainly not least, we travelled and talked. We spread the design to improve life mission (more than 40 times) to inspire hope and onboard people to the cause. 2019 was a great year for growing our community and we can't wait to move forward with old friends and new. Here's to 2020!
