PRESS RELEASE

WINNERS ANNOUNCED AT RSA STUDENT DESIGN AWARDS 2019

• 95^th annual RSA Design awards recognise design through social, environmental and economic issues
• Elliot Butler, from Loughborough University wins CIM award of £1,000
• Faye Sedgewick, from Northumbria University wins Marketing Trust award of £2,000

The winners of the Student Design awards 2019 were announced today by the Royal Society of Arts. Now in their 95^th year, the Student Design Awards are the world’s longest-running student design competition, championing innovative design work from across the globe. The awards encourage the next generation of designers to tackle the complex issues facing businesses and society.

The 2018/19 competition welcomed over 700 submissions from 98 different courses and 25 countries responding to design briefs for tackling a range of issues from disability, democracy and transit, food production to death and dying. The ‘Alone Together’ category was sponsored by The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) and the Marketing Trust. The category focused on how different groups in society are affected by loneliness, challenging candidates to develop designs that helped reduce the impact that loneliness has on either physical health, mental health.

This year’s winners were Elliot Butler, from Loughborough University and Faye Sedgewick, from Northumbria University.  

Elliot Butler was awarded with CIM’s award of £1,000 for his innovative project, ‘Cove’, a two-part solution for young carers looking after family members who are at high risk of experiencing loneliness. Cove also integrates an app which provides a safe digital environment for those family members to meet other carers, as well as an accompanying pair of wearables with haptics that enable them to stay in touch with their relatives.

While Faye Sedgewick, from Northumbria University was awarded the Marketing Trust award of £2,000 for her creative project, ‘soften the traces of time’, an intergenerational living scheme for older people in Newcastle facing the challenges of social segregation, loneliness and managing their independence.  

The proposals were judged by leading designers and industry experts, including CIM’s creative manager, Jayne Chapman, in a rigorous two-stage process. Previous winners  include Sir Jony Ive, chief design officer of Apple and Richard Clarke, former head of innovation at Nike.

Discussing the awards, Jayne Chapman said: “On behalf of CIM, I am proud to support and help judge the RSA Student Design Awards. Design, innovation and creativity are all key components of the marketing discipline skills shown in abundance at the awards.

The level of entries this year was outstanding. Every year, we witness incredible creative pieces of work and it just shows that the next generation of talent in the creative industry are fast emerging. I am sure we will see many of the students in senior creative positions, driving the sector forward in the years to come.”

Another of this year’s judges, Matthew Taylor, CEO of the Royal Society of Arts added: “We’ve been massively impressed by the breadth of talent entering this year’s competition. The briefs offered featured some of the most challenging issues of our time.

It was remarkable to see how approaches to design thinking have changed, and the use of new mediums, such as the design of public services, and animations. We’re excited to be hosting this historic competition again and give promising young designers a leg up for their future careers.”

The 2019 winners will be celebrated at an awards ceremony at the RSA House in London on 19 June. The full list of winners, including images of their creations can be found here: https://www.thersa.org/action-and-research/rsa-projects/design/student-design-awards/winners/winners-2019 

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Notes to editors

For media enquiries

Please contact Will Grimond, Media & Communications Officer will.grimond@rsa.org.uk 

07972470135 

For CIM enquiries

James Delves
CIM Head of PR and External Engagement
james.delves@cim.co.uk

Corinne Lavictoire
PR Executive
corinne.lavictoire@cim.co.uk

About RSA

The RSA [the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce] is an independent charity whose mission is to enrich society through ideas and action.  Our work covers a number of areas including the rise of the 'gig economy', robotics & automation; education & creative learning; and reforming public services to put communities in control. 

About CIM

The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) is the world’s leading marketing body, with over 30,000 members worldwide, of which there are over 3,000 Chartered Marketers. CIM’s mission is create marketing advantage for the benefit of professionals, business and society with a focus on export, data and skills. It believes marketing is the critical factor in driving long term organisational performance.

CIM provides members and organisations with five key benefits: 

• Partnership – CIM is a professional and organisational partner to support performance and career development
• Education – CIM allows individuals and businesses to continuously upskill
• Information – CIM keeps members up to date with the latest marketing thinking, and keeps organisations at the forefront of practices
• Connection – CIM provides access to services, expertise and peers
• Recognition – CIM is the global benchmark of professional competence

For more than 100 years, CIM has supported, represented and developed marketers, teams, leaders and the profession as a whole. There are 130 CIM study centres in 36 countries and exam centres in 132 countries worldwide. In the last year, over 7,500 people registered at over 230 UK CIM events. Find out more about CIM by visiting www.cim.co.uk