Eligibility & Judging Criteria

The competition is open to individuals or teams of up to five members who are current students or have graduated within the past 12 months.

We welcome entries from a wide range of creative disciplines, whether you’re working as an individual, part of a team, or collaborating across multiple fields. While interdisciplinary collaboration can bring diverse perspectives, we encourage all innovative ideas, whether developed by individuals or teams.

The E2i Student Design Challenge is international, but all entries must be submitted in English.

Judging criteria

E2i champions a human-centred approach to design and innovation. Your submissions will be evaluated against the following criteria. Keep these in mind as they will act as your guide for developing a successful entry:

30%

Creativity, innovation and viability

How is your idea innovative? How is it different from existing solutions? Show us a balance of imagination and practical feasibility.

30%

End-user consultation and research

How have you engaged with stakeholders and consulted them during the problem-framing stage? How have their insights shaped your design? Demonstrate that your end-user is at the heart of your project.

20%

Design presentation

Present your idea clearly and professionally. Presentation sheets should communicate your design research and development process and explain how your design solution functions and makes a difference. This may include process visuals

20%

Potential impact

Explain the potential social, environmental, and community benefits of your idea. How scalable is it? What might be its long-term impact?

By keeping these criteria at the forefront of your design process, you’ll ensure that your concept is creative, practical, and ready for real-world implementation.

The SDC Judging Panel — comprising designers, industry experts, and innovators — will shortlist ten entries per brief, after which shortlisted entrants will present their projects in an online interview. The presentation will focus on further explaining how the entry meets the judging criteria.

Register your interest now!

Register your interest today and be the first to receive the challenge briefs and submission instructions.