SoundCloud - Winner of The 24 Hours Inclusive Design Challenge

The award for the best idea in the 24h Design Challenge at the Innovation for All 2010 conference in Oslo in May, went to a concept called SoundCloud. This is a new service for photo and video enthusiasts: audio tags that make browsing through pictures a richer and more meaningful experience.

Four teams of young designers, each with a "differently abled" design partner, had only 24 hours to create and present a new inclusive product. The winners were chosen through a vote among all conference participants. Two prizes, for best idea and for best presentation, were awarded.

The winning team was led by Jørgen Solstad from Kadabra Produktdesign. The idea to create a richer experience for pictures came about through learning that their design partner David, a blind heavy metal- and opera-fan, had more than 3000 digital images on his computer and 24 albums uploaded on Facebook, but only "boring" text tags to help him identify albums and individual images in each of them.

The winning team receive congratulations from Audun Lysbakken. Photo: Erlend Sæteren

The prize for best presentation went to the concept of a new "non-spilling" coffee cup named Cupola, with a self-sliding lid which prevents spilling when you drink from it.

You can find more information about the 24h challenge and the concepts produced by the four competing teams at the websites listed below:

• http://www.norskdesign.no/2010/winners-of-design-challenge-announced-article14851-8593.html
• http://socialbydesign.wordpress.com/2010/05/21/soundcloud/