Movin’On Challenge Design Reveals Top Concepts
Submissions brought inclusive mobility design with focus on age and disability
Since its inception in 2001, Challenge Design has received more than 14,000 entries from 134 countries
Drew Spahn’s “Crosswing” concept took the top spot in the Movin’On Challenge Design’s 2021 global competition. The New Jersey design student created the concept to address the theme, “RESPECT: Ending Isolation and Conquering the Mobility Divide.”
I really enjoyed the RESPECT, the actual theme itself. Because I’m always interested in how to make things like respect, and impact, and social, make those things fun and joyful, rather than a duty.
Angela Hariche
All 170 entries this year sought to create inclusive mobility for those who are often overlooked when mobility solutions are being designed. For Spahn’s concept, the Crosswing enables people with amputations to move around cities more efficiently by giving them the ability to skate for transport or leisure.
The second-place spot went to Danish design student Stefan Perriard for a car-free city concept, making the future city more about people and less about cars. In third place, Colombian architect and designer Elkin Alejandro Cruz Castro reimagined urban inclusivity through a system that brings flexibility and culture to mobility.
Entries came from all over the world from individuals, students, schools and cross-functional teams of designers including professional studios, teachers, artists, architects, engineers and futurists. A panel of eight jurors spent two days judging submissions.
The jury comprised:
- Angela Hariche, CEO, Catapult Design,
- Dave Marek, Acura executive creative director, Honda R&D Americas, Inc.,
- Craig Metros, design director, NA Truck, S.U.V. & Commercial, Ford Motor Company (retired),
- Damien Michelin, honorary juror, Michelin North America,
- Frank Saucedo, design director, General Motors,
- Louise Pelletier, directrice, Centre de Design, University Quebec at Montréal,
- Stewart Reed, chair, Transportation Design Department, ArtCenter College of Design,
- Thomas Sycha, head of MINI exterior design, BMW Group (Europe),
- Freeman Thomas, global advanced design director, Ford Motor Company (retired); CEO, Meyers Manx, Inc.
Well, the theme was good. It was very good. I think in this year, when I think inclusivity is like, for our company and I’m sure with yours as well, it’s a major theme. And again too, it’s just kind of breaking down a lot of barriers that, I don’t think I’ve been there.
Frank Saucedo
“Sustainable mobility is a universal opportunity, and that’s what this year’s theme brought,” said Mike Marchand, director of sustainable development and mobility for Michelin North America. “Advancing mobility solutions, particularly for underdeveloped areas of the world is important. To accomplish this, we bring together designers and futurists and city developers — people who can look at the end user experience and make sure that we incorporate the needs of the individual into the ultimate design solution.”
Each year’s Challenge Design theme invites designers to create a sustainable solution for a global mobility challenge.
Challenge Design was created by Michelin in 2001, and in 2020 became part of the Movin’On Summit, joining the world’s foremost sustainable mobility ecosystem.
The 2021 honorees were announced live from the Movin’On Summit. In addition to the three winners, there were 13 “Judges Awards” that gave honorable mentions to concepts.
The topic was great. It led to some very interesting conversations about specific projects, but also at the end, I think the projects that emerged gave us all sorts of ideas about potential topics. I was quite surprised to see how it evolved and the whole question of mobility has evolved over the years.
Louise Pelletier
The 2021 Movin’On Challenge Design RESPECT Winners:
First Place: Drew Spahn of the U.S. (New Jersey), Kean University, for design entry “Crosswing.”
Second Place: Stefan Perriard of Denmark, Royal Danish Academy – Design, for entry “Tramo. Mobility for the car-free city.”
Third Place: Elkin Alejandro Cruz Castro of Colombia, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, for design entry “Nomada! Solve the right problem: Urban Inclusivity.”
I liked the theme. I think this is good. I think this is quite a strong one in terms of, many people were confronted with the restrictions in the last time. Mobility restrictions, not only because they are disabled or not able to do things, but they’re not allowed to do things, at least in Europe.
Thomas Sycha
Judges Awards:
In addition to the three winners, the Jurors selected the following to receive RESPECT Judges awards.
| Place | Design Name | Name | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Judge’s Award | Tube – Shuttle for Athletes of the Paralympic Summer Games 2028 in LA | Dragan Mamic | Germany |
| Judge’s Award | Volkswagen Kalmar | Anatolii Sizov | Ukraine |
| Judge’s Award | T.FLEX | Siavash Jafari Jozani | California, U.S. |
| Judge’s Award | UX – Urban Sharing Experience | Sebastian Weigand | Germany |
| Judge’s Award | Volvo Atrium | Jung Taek Cho | Republic of South Korea |
| Judge’s Award | Clothing Delivery Vehicles for people with musculoskeletal problems | Ivan Galin | Russian Federation |
| Judge’s Award | Concept Holosafe | Kiran Babu | California, U.S. |
| Judge’s Award | Clean Slate: the mobile hygienic solution/a> | Benjamin Smith | New Jersey, U.S. |
| Judge’s Award | Volvo Bubble | Loannis Stergiadis | Greece |
| Judge’s Award | Orbit | Seongha Lee, Byunghyun Bae, Byungyoon Jung, Minsun Lee | Republic of South Korea |
| Judge’s Award | Dystrophic Diseases Project | Cédric Rouvroy, Henri Oeschlin, Antoine Fornies, Alex Luke | France and India |
| Judge’s Award | TeaChair | Hui Ying Hsu, Chen Xiang-Yun and Shih-Hsuan Chiu | Taiwan |
| Judge’s Award | Hope | Gustavo Mejia Perez, Alicia Avila Cruz, Veronica Lizet Avila Baca, Maria Fernanda Lugo Miranda, Pablo Antonio Marroquín Martínez and Mauricio Rodriguez Hernandez | Mexico |
“We found that people really responded to this theme,” said Nick Mailhiot, chairman of the 2021 Movin’On Challenge Design competition. “It excited them. They thought of solutions that were much more thorough. They really invested their heart and their soul in thinking about the research, thinking about the concept, thinking about all the different ideas and the systems that go into it. These designers want to solve real problems.”
I really liked that it was a single-word theme. The word, Respect. Perfect. I think that was excellent.
Stewart Reed
The 2022 Movin’On Challenge Design theme will be announced in July. To learn more about this year’s competition, click here.
Your Privacy Choices