Hasta La Ideas

Our friends at Design 21, the UNESCO-sponsored, globe-spanning social design network, have announced the results of their latest competition. “Game Changers” challenged Design 21 members to devise “a game that aims to create change by improving lives or inspiring new behaviors.” After reviewing 90 entries from 29 countries, jurors Emily Pilloton and Richard Hutten awarded first place (and $2,000) to Brooklyn-based Danielle Pecora for her “be-B: Braille Education Ball” (pictured in prototype). Pegs that are magnetically attached to the ball each feature a Braille letter on one side and the corresponding Latin letter on the other. The ball is also indented with circles that each contain a Braille letter. The object of the game is to match each Braille peg to its corresponding spot on the ball. “The aim of be-B is to create a fun and interactive learning experience for children learning Braille and to invite sighted users to learn about another way of seeing the world,” noted Pecora, an alum of Parsons and Pratt, in her entry. The judges found the concept exceptional for its success “in combining purposeful aesthetics with an empathetic approach that sheds light on the experience of being visually impaired.” Israeli designer Elad Goldshmidt took second prize ($1,000) for his innovative wheelchair driving simulator, which combines a racy video game interface with a real wheelchair controller, while Indonesian programmer Fazri Aziz and his team won the popular vote for “Go Go Recycle,” a video game that promotes environmental awareness.

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