Future Talent Awards

Leading law firm Bolt Burdon Kemp has launched the student design competition, ‘Design the Change’.

The idea of this student design competition is to design a product aimed at improving the lives of people with a spinal cord injury – it can be something simple – like a newer, easier way of accomplishing an everyday task – or something complex – like completely reimagining a common household appliance.

The firm, which acts for people with a spinal cord injury and, with their specialist team, helps them get their lives back on track, is looking for a design which is new, unique and practical, and which really considers their needs.

The student design competition launched on 01 September 2020 and closes on 23 April 2021. The winning entry will receive a £3,000 prize, along with £2,000 for their university and the chance to take a week placement at charity Cerebra’s research centre. This competition is open to individual students and teams of up to four – undergraduates or postgraduates – from any higher education institution, college or university in the United Kingdom.

Commenting on the launch of this competition, Victoria Oliver, head of the spinal injury team at Bolt Burdon Kemp, said:

“We are very excited to be launching our ‘Design the Change’ competition. We want to see the world made fully accessible and we think design plays an important role in making that happen. In my role as a solicitor in the Spinal Injury team I have seen first-hand the difference well designed products can make to the life of someone with a spinal cord injury. The right product can take a previously challenging or impossible task and turn it back into a simple everyday activity that can be done without planning or assistance.  I cannot want to see the designs the students come up with.”

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The entries will be judged by a panel, including a variety of experts specialised in the field of spinal cord injury and product design, and a representative from charity Cerebra.

For the full brief and terms & conditions, please visit: https://www.boltburdonkemp.co.uk/design -the-change