Judges for the Design Challenge are drawn from a broad spectrum of industry, government, academia and the community. They bring with them expertise from their chosen field, as well as a strong interest in improving wellbeing across the lifespan, and in the aging space in particular.
Phase I
In phase one, once the entry period has closed, judges are assigned a cross-section of submissions and rank them numerically according to the following criteria:
A fifth criteria, "Overall fit with the theme of ‘Longevity Ready Environments’” will be applied to the final score.
When complete, the judges' scores are compiled for all teams and then adjusted algorithmically to develop an overall ranking.
There are typically 20-40 judges in this phase.
Phase II
At the Finals Event in April, each team is given 7 minutes to pitch their idea to our panel of judges. An additional 5 minutes for judge questions and student answers is then provided.
In Phase II, the judges utilize the same scoring and criteria as in Phase I, but then meet as a group to review the overall scores and select the top three winners, typically by unanimous consent.
There are typically 7-9 judges in this phase.
Download a copy of the Rules by clicking here
Thank you for your interest in the Stanford Center on Longevity’s 9th annual international design challenge “Longevity-Ready Environments: Rethinking Physical Spaces for Century-Long Lives.” The competition is open to university students around the world who want to design products and services which optimize long life for us all. Finalists will receive sponsored travel to Stanford (conditions permitting), where they will present their designs to a panel of judges from industry, academia, and government in competition for $17,000 in total cash prizes.
The four initial scoring criteria are as follows:
A fifth criteria, "Overall fit with the theme of ‘After the Pandemic’" will be applied to the final score.
The challenge is organized into two phases that are synchronized with the 2021-2022 academic year.
All participation by student teams is without cost. The Challenge is completely funded by corporate sponsorships. We believe that all students should have the same opportunity regardless of their financial situation:
For questions about the challenge and the judging process, please contact:
Marie Conley Smith
The submission period has started for this phase.
If you change, add or remove elements from this entry form, previously submitted entries will be altered.
Please be sure to communicate these changes to your participants, so they can unsubmit their entries and edit them if necessary.