About
The Metropolis Next Generation® Design Competition was created in 2003 to promote environmental activism, social involvement, and entrepreneurship in young designers. Metropolis saw the need for a new type of competition, one that went beyond the usual beauty pageants for finished projects, a competition that would generate and reward ideas. Metropolis celebrates the next generation by rewarding imaginative young designers, be they employed by large companies, those striving with their own young firms or on their own, as well as students.
The Next Generation® winners and runners-up are a testament to the success of this mission. Each project recognized has embodied the core values of good design—incorporating systems thinking, sustainability, accessibility, materials exploration, historic relevance, and technology—while forwarding our thinking on what designers can accomplish. The breadth of proposals has been stunning: building projects, urban planning and community building schemes, responsive interior environments, population pressure issues, new materials, ergonomics, product design, social and housing solutions, environmental management, water purity, and waste disposal in crisis situations and so on. The prize of $10,000 and the publicity have helped winners' and runners-ups' projects leap from the drawing board to implementation and production.
For 2012 we are challenging you to to develop solutions that empower, advance and include audience groups often overlooked in the design process (including but not limited to, our rapidly increasing aging population and citizens with disabilities). The form is up to you; consider how tech savvy people are becoming and what devices, materials and modes of transportation will stay relevant 20 years from now. Keep in mind what other audience groups will benefit from the design.
Metropolis encourages you to think big and test your ideas through the Next Generation® competition. Our Web site offers a wealth of information. Check back often for news, updates, and announcements. For further information, contact NextGen@metropolismag.com.
