12th Stanford Longevity Design Challenge 24/25 – Winners!

As I reviewed the eight finalists from the short videos produced in the last weeks leading up to the finals I kept in mind the opening overview statement the Design Challenge ran with that said: “Students are invited to create solutions that expand or rethink education and learning opportunities at any age, particularly those that close opportunity gaps and ensure equitable access to educational opportunities for all, regardless of socio-economic background or age.” 

At any age. Indeed that was the singular phrase that struck me when it just so happened that I watched three videos back to back that focused on gaps in the education needs of children and young adult students. In each of these three videos, two representing university design teams from India, the overriding particular message was the same – how to enhance learning and development needs not well addressed in the standardized curriculums in schools and colleges. 

It was hard to break a tie between the two stories from India, but in the end my first place choice this year was the team from the Indian Institute of Technology and their entry called Flo – a deck-building card game which takes players on a journey, exploring connections between challenges and personal abilities. It is inspired by the Japanese concept ikigai which generally defines as your inner motivating force that gives you a sense of purpose, your reason for living.

In that sense when it comes to education pathways, as described in the video, Kavyashree Venkatesh talked about the outcomes of this card game, how the team wanted to “empower the kids to make unconventional choices, how they could overcome the societal pressure, how we could help them follow their passion, find their purpose, not fall into the herd mentality…”

Shubham Vernekar spoke to how the game might help students streamline the way they are choosing their work options, and “because work is a very strong part of our lives” the Flo team thought that “education was much more than what was taught in schools and colleges…”

It turned out that my 1st choice Flo captured the 2^nd place award! You can view their 12 minute pitch in this link Flo YouTube Presentation. The narrative further explains the gamification of the career and learning journey that seeks to foster a cross-generational exchange of knowledge where at its core it links connection, community and culture. As I watched this it reminded me of similar exercises I applied without an app as a career consultant many years ago.

But my 2nd Design Challenge choice also from India, was the team from MIT World Peace University (MIT-WPU). Their interactive educational kit called Kahaani is designed for marginalized children in India, teaching social-emotional learning through games. User Experience Design student Rucha Wadekar said how witnessing kids on the streets selling toys, led the team think why they aren’t learning how to play instead, “making childhood memories”.

Well researched by Wadekar and fellow grad student Tejaswini Joshi, this game Kahaani considers three elements of a child’s learning and awareness – self, others and the environment. In their interviews with teachers they were told that while schools had subjects for social learning, these were largely theoretical, not practical and then when it comes to design the curriculum, unique geographical, social and cultural conditions and family dynamics are not considered. 

Now as the curtain closes on this year’s edition of the Stanford Design Challenge I come away thinking once again that really the technology is primarily not the thing – it’s about the story, the issue, problem, gap or opportunity that the technology design is meant to serve. And so I’m satisfied that the gamification theme of the designs from India are simple, practical and useful and that both the teams from India told their story best.