Sponsored by
Student Design Awards 2012/13
Workplace 2030
Creating the workplace for future generations
Brief
Create a vision for the workplace of the future or an aspect of it that responds to the needs and wants of generations to come.
Scope
For the purposes of illustration only, the following would all be viable responses:
– a behaviour change strategy that supports and fosters understanding and acceptance of shared workspace or alternative ways of working
– a service design solution that helps people address work-life balance or facilitates collaboration across regions and time-zones
– an architectural or interior design solution that supports a change in the way people work or a new way of using or allocating workspace
– an innovative application or user interface that facilitates better and more seamless collaboration both for those working remotely and those working together
– a future-proofed product or furniture design
– a communications campaign or social media solution
– a new vision of how, when and where we work
– a more sustainable and energy-efficient workplace concept or product
... and many others are possible.
Successful solutions will demonstrate thorough research into the range of external factors and future influences on the world in 2030 and the consequent implications for the world of work ranging from, but not limited, to a change in
RSA Projects Student Design Awards 2012/13 Website: www.thersa.org/sda Email: design@rsa.org.uk
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demographics, globalisation, societal changes, technology, environmental sustainability and a low carbon economy.
The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) will be looking, in particular, for highly innovative and forward-thinking responses that could be adopted by employers or employees in both the short and long-term. Responses should demonstrate how the design might be implemented and applied in the real-world, in the future, with specific consideration given to thorough research. The ingenuity of the solution will be a key factor when reviewing the entries.
Award
The Royal Bank of Scotland Award of £3000.
RBS will also consider a placement for the winning student/s and may help the winning student/s prototype their work. This will be at RBS’s discretion.
Please note that the judging panel may decide on more than one winner and will allocate the cash award accordingly.
Workshops
All entrants working on this brief will be invited to attend a workshop on the future of work at an RBS office. The workshops will provide an opportunity for participating students to discuss and debate future scenarios for work and the workplace. The workshops will be held during October and November 2012 and will be organised regionally to allow as many students as possible to attend. Further information and confirmation of the dates for each region can be found on the RSA Student Design Awards website in coming weeks.
Mentoring
All short-listed entrants for this brief will be invited to a mentoring session with a designated mentor. The mentors will be matched to entrants based on the theme of the project. The mentors will help short-listed entrants develop their projects and prepare for interview.
Submission requirements
Entries should comprise the following:
– up to four A3 boards (max. four) showing design development and final designs
– ‘The Big Idea’ – a short, typewritten text (max. 250 words, sans serif, 14pt type) that captures your idea and helps the jury to quickly understand your solution, the process by which you reached it and the benefits you believe it will create
– one sketchbook (photocopied pages from your sketchbook will be accepted) illustrating development of your solution in response to the brief
All work (except sketchbooks) should be submitted on A3 lightweight card or foam board and all items (boards, sketchbook, written statement) should have an RSA label on the back. Please do not submit work in plastic sleeves or in boxes. These requirements are in the interests of students to ensure the safety of their work whilst in storage and transit, and to ensure that it can be displayed for judging in an efficient manner.
Submissions are due by Friday, 22 March 2013 at 17:00. Please see the Schedule of Key Dates for further information.
Further notes for entrants
You have a maximum of four A3 boards, a sketchbook and a written summary not exceeding 250 words to communicate your solution to the judges. You have to distil your weeks or months of work into a story that is digestible in a short period of time. Imagine it like an advert and sell your work to the judges.
Any models or mock-ups should be submitted as photographs or print-outs mounted on one of your A3 boards – do not submit 3D work at this stage. If you are short-listed for interview, you are welcome to bring mock-ups and models, but for ease of judging at the first stage, only 2D material is accepted.
Workplace 2030
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How this brief will be judged
1 Social benefit 15% 2 Research 20% 3 Design thinking 20% 4 Commercial awareness 10% 5 Execution 15% 6 Magic 20%
develop and react to their environment and their condition when they are ‘at work.’ Envisage a future workforce and how and where they will work without focussing on the technological limitations and details of today.
The workplace hasn’t fundamentally changed in the last century, but both industry and technology have. Significant developments in technology and communications in recent years have facilitated not just flexible working from home but, increasingly, working whilst on the move.
Even with changes to how and where people work, there remains a deep- rooted need and desire in people for work and the social value of the workplace. Work is an important part of good mental health, providing workers with constructive challenges and a sense of accomplishment whilst building confidence. The challenge is to look forward to the future of work and the workplace and what people will want from it in a decade, two decades, or even a half-century.
Today, the workplace is a key driver in providing businesses with the right environments for them to grow and develop. The people working in these businesses are fundamental in driving them forward and by providing them with the right work settings, people can work more collaboratively and productively. Think about whether this will still be true for future generations and how the nature of work and the workplace might will change to meet the needs and wants of future generations.
You may want to consider the following questions:
– What are the overall trends that are affecting the world of work?
– What might we want or need from work in the future that we don’t know now?
– How does the workplace contribute to the meaning of work?
– What are the barriers to changing working culture?
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Judging criteria
There are six judging criteria that your entry will be measured against:
1 Social benefit How does your design benefit society?
2 Research Where did you go to research this issue? Whom did you speak to or interview? What questions did you ask? What did you learn?
3 Design thinking We want to know about your thought processes and insights. Your insights might be research- based or intuitive, or a combination of both, but the judges want to see you relate the final concept clearly to these insights. What journey did you go through to get to the final result?
4 Commercial awareness Does your design make sense from a financial point of view?
5 Execution We are looking for a design that is pleasing and looks and feels well- resolved
6 Magic We are looking for a bit of ‘magic’ – a surprising or lateral design solution that delights
Judging process
Please see the Entry Pack for more information on the judging process, including key dates you should be aware of throughout Spring 2013.
Background
Will the office as we know it exist in 2030?
This brief asks you to think about this question and a range of other questions about the future of work and the impact on the future of the workplace – whether an office, a retail environment, a bank, a school, a factory or many others.
We are interested in envisioning and conceptualizing the future of the workplace in design-oriented ways, where social changes are as important as technological developments in shaping the future of work. Think about how people
RSA Projects Student Design Awards 2012/13 Website: www.thersa.org/sda Email: design@rsa.org.uk
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Think about the characteristics of the workforce of the future – will people be more mobile, culturally and geographically diverse, and/or more concerned with environmental impact? What are the implications for companies and corporations if and when people work in different ways?
You may also want to think about your own experience of work and why, how and where you were the most productive and excited about the task at hand. Your response should be built on a strong human-centred research and insights rather than assumptions – and across
a range of users. Different people have different needs and requirements; your solution might respond to a future need yet to be identified. With this in mind, you are strongly advised to conduct some empathic research to ensure your designs are human-centred as well as fitting within the future contexts.
Sponsor information
The Royal Bank of Scotland is recognised as a pioneer in providing choice to its employees in the way they work. Their Choice Programme has evolved over a number of years to explore, develop and deliver a flexible approach to how and where people work and their working environment. This brings benefits for
both the individual, in terms of work life balance, and the business, through effective use of property resources. This is the second year RBS has been involved in the Student Design Awards and our aim is to encourage and support as many students as possible in their design studies to prepare them for their careers in the professional design environment.
Workplace 2030
Brief devised in collaboration with Russ Camplin, Design Manager, Property Portfolio Strategy and Tim Yendell, Head of The Choice Programme, Design and Moves at The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc.
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Student Design Awards 2012/13
RSA Projects Student Design Awards 2012/13 Website: www.thersa.org/sda Email: design@rsa.org.uk
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Deadline for Entry Form(s) and Fee(s) for all projects
Submission period for all project entries
Schedule of Key Dates
Key Dates for submission of Entry Forms, Fees and work
Friday 22 March 2013
Please register by this date using our new online registration system, available from January 2013 at www.thersa.org/sda
If registering by post, please ensure your Entry Form(s) and Fee(s) are postmarked by this date. Entry Form(s) and Fee(s) should be sent under separate cover – not with your entry – to:
RSA
Student Design Awards Registrations 8 John Adam Street LONDON WC2N 6EZ
UK
Monday 11 February
– Friday 22 March 2013
Regardless if you register online or by post, you must send your entry in by post to Brooks Transport.
Entries will be accepted at Brooks Transport Services Ltd on any weekday within the dates stated above between 09:00– 17:00, excluding weekends and bank holidays. Entries arriving after 17:00 on Friday 22 March 2013 may not be accepted.
Please remember that all entries should be sent or delivered to:
Brooks Transport Services Ltd Unit 2/15 Second Avenue Bluebridge Industrial Estate Halstead
ESSEX CO9 2SU UK
All entry forms/fees should be sent or delivered to:
RSA
Student Design Awards Registrations 8 John Adam Street LONDON WC2N 6EZ
UK
12.10.2012