Log in to Stanford Center on Longevity Design Challenge 2022-2023

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Design Challenge Judges

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:

(40%) Potential for impact – Will the design improve long life outcomes?
(30%) Originality – Has this idea been seen before? Is there something similar to it on the market?
(20%) Feasibility – Will the design work? Can it be produced at scale?
(10%) Affordability – Teams must identify their target population for the design. Would the cost of the design at scale make it a viable product for that population?

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.

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Stanford Center on Longevity
2021 - 2022
Design Challenge Participant's Guide

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.

CHALLENGE GOALS

Encourage a new generation of students to become knowledgeable about issues associated with longevity and well being
Create well-designed, practical solutions that promote lifelong healthy habits in all areas of well being
Provide promising designers with a path to drive change in the world

TEAM RULES

Each team must consist of at least one full-time student from any accredited institution of higher education anywhere in the world
Teams may have a total of up to 5 members, and may include non-students
Only students are allowed to present at the Finals

JUDGING CRITERIA

The four initial scoring criteria are as follows:

(40%) Impact – will the design improve long life outcomes?
(30%) Originality – has this idea been seen before? Is there something similar to it on the market?
(20%) Feasibility – Will the design work? Can it be produced at scale?
(10%) Affordability - teams must identify their target population for the design. Would the cost of the design at scale make it a viable product for that population?

A fifth criteria, "Overall fit with the theme of ‘After the Pandemic’" will be applied to the final score.

CHALLENGE TIMELINE

The challenge is organized into two phases that are synchronized with the 2021-2022 academic year.

Pre-Challenge Learning Period
Throughout 2021, the Center on Longevity will be publishing (through Twitter, Facebook, and the website at designchallenge.stanford.edu) information about the topic and other learning materials to help students better understand this year’s challenge
PHASE I (Submission Platform Open): September 13, 2021 - December 2, 2021
Phase I is the open call portion of the challenge. Solutions may be submitted at any time during this period, and judging will not begin until the submission period is closed. Participant designs must be submitted in English.
JUDGING PERIOD: December 3, 2021 – January 26, 2022
Finalists will be announced January 26, 2022 and invited to compete at the Finals Event in April.
PHASE II: January 27, 2022 – April 2021 (exact date TBD)
During Phase II, finalists will be asked to further develop their idea and to prepare a presentation to be given at the Finals Event in April. The Finals will take place in-person at Stanford University if conditions allow. If large gatherings are still inadvisable at that time, it is likely the Finals will be moved online.
Each finalist team will be assigned a mentor in order to help them practice and polish their design pitch. At the event, each team will present their idea to the judges who will then pick the first, second and third place winners.

COSTS

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:

We do not charge any fees to enter or participate in the challenge.
Each finalist team will be provided with $1000 to help with prototyping and development of presentation materials.
Each team selected for the finals will be eligible for up to $1500 in travel reimbursement (or up to $2500 for non-US teams) to help facilitate participation in the finals, if conditions allow them to happen in-person at Stanford. Reimbursement will be subject to Stanford University regulations on reimbursed travel.
Any intellectual property generated by the design teams remains their own. We ask only that you protect IP within your own submissions so that we can make all designs public in promoting the Design Challenge.