The RCA Grand Challenge 2022/23: Engaging Communities for Generating Marine Sustainable Economies

In the largest Grand Challenge to date, students across the RCA’s School of Design are exploring the ways design can leverage and stimulate citizen science-led practices for increasing the health and productivity of the world’s oceans. The theme is a progression from last year’s ocean-based challenge, with more focus on community-centred knowledge and solutions.

The RCA Grand Challenge is the biggest single-institution postgraduate design project in the world. Established in 2016, the annual challenge runs across the entire School of Design, bringing together MA students in a range of disciplines including Design Products, Fashion, Innovation Design Engineering, Global Innovation Design, Intelligent Mobility, Service Design and Textiles. Students are briefed to tackle key global challenges through collaboration, and by responding to social, cultural, and economic factors as well as science and technology.

This year’s Challenge aligns with the goals of the UNESCO Ocean Decade (2021-2030) to support efforts to reverse the cycle of decline in ocean health.

In January, 97 student groups partnered with RNLI volunteers across the UK, with the RNLI’s integration within these diverse coastline communities providing a valuable network to connect the student groups to the local populations and the ocean. The resulting design solutions are all aiming at increasing the resilience of UK coastal communities.

The student groups have submitted video presentations of their designs and 12 projects have been selected for the shortlist. From 10 - 14 March 2023, the shortlisted projects will be on display to the public in the Grand Challenge exhibition at the new RCA Battersea campus designed by Herzog & de Meuron. These creative innovations will demonstrate the effectiveness of a community-centred approach to design whilst revealing intriguing qualitative data about ocean-based economies in the UK. The devised solutions address a range of topics including increasing sea grass growth, reducing the erosion of seabeds, and upcycling abandoned boats.

The three winning projects will be chosen on 9 March by a judging panel including representatives from the RCA and the RNLI.

Discover the Grand Challenge 2022/23 Shortlist: https://www.rca.ac.uk/news-and-events...