The Index Project and the Faculty of Design of the Universidad del Desarrollo (UDD) are launching the second edition of Diseño Responde, Index + UDD Latin American Challenge.

This year, we're activating youth in the Latin American region to design sustainable solutions that help improve quality of life — for people and planet.

The theme of sustainable design is defined as designs that satisfy the needs of the present without compromising the ability to meet the needs of future generations. Therefore, students and graduates, from various disciplines, will create design solutions with the intent of creating a more conscious society.

Why sustainable design?
The world can't advance without sustainability at the heart of every initiative, and the figures prove it. In 2021, four of the key indicators used by the UN to measure the progress of climate change registered record levels. This includes the concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the rise in sea levels, the heat accumulated in the oceans and the acidification of our seas.

Additionally, the global temperature of the Earth is getting higher. The average temperature has increased by 1.2 degrees celsius since the end of the 19th century, according to the State of the Climate in Latin America and the Caribbean 2020 report, by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

The same report anticipates that Latin America will be one of the continents most affected by climate-related events. Latin America has also experienced the worst droughts in 50 years in the southern Amazon and, in 2020, broke the record for hurricanes and floods in Central America. According to UN figures, these events have claimed more than 312,000 lives in Latin America and the Caribbean and affected more than 277 million people between 1998 and 2020.

What's the competition timeline?
From October 17th to December 2nd 2022, participants can submit any design across the categories of Body, Home, Work, Play & Learning and Community. They'll then be judged by an independent jury of design experts and thought leaders across Latin America, including our Head of Technology & Future Thinking, Mariano Alesandro.

The five winners of the challenge will be announced in March 2023 and will each receive a prize sum of US$ 2,000. The winning designs will also be placed in the running for Index Award 2023, which will be celebrated in September 2023. For details, visit the competition page (Spanish).

Who are Universidad del Desarrollo (UDD)?
In operation for 22 years, UDD Design is among the two best Design Faculties in Chile and has been named within the top 100 faculties according to the prestigious QS ranking worldwide. The Faculty are leaders in the areas of entrepreneurship and innovation and are key players in promoting and fostering design focused on improving quality of life.

The Index Project is proud to have collaborated with UDD since 2018 to expand the mission of Design to Improve Life throughout Latin America.