Laurier’s UX Design for Change challenge seeks student ideas to alleviate homelessness

Jan. 10, 2023
For Immediate Release

Brantford – The Design for Change challenge, presented by Wilfrid Laurier University’s User Experience (UX) Design program, is returning in 2023 with a new theme and bigger prizes for student designers.

This year’s six-week human-centred design event will challenge students from any program of study to develop and design solutions to turn care and compassion into tangible solutions for people experiencing homelessness.

Post-secondary students from across Canada are invited to participate for the chance to win up to $30,000 in cash prizes. Online registration for the challenge is open until Feb. 10.

From Feb. 13 to 16, registered students can participate in workshops and will have access to mentorship from community, government and industry leaders as they work on their design. Students can participate alone or in teams of up to five and no prior experience in human-centred design is required.

“On any given night, more than 30,000 Canadians will experience homelessness,” said Abby Goodrum, Laurier's User Experience Design program coordinator. “Our goal is to contribute ideas that can make homelessness in Canada rare, brief and non-recurring. We are not necessarily seeking digital solutions – we are asking for human-centered approaches.”

Top finalists will be chosen to pitch to judges virtually on March 28. Judges will evaluate student submissions based on design process, usefulness and potential impact. The winning team will receive $3,000 per team member, the second-place team $2,000 per team member and the third-place team $1,000 per team member.

Design for Change is presented by Laurier's User Experience Design program and sponsored by Scotiabank. There is no cost to participate, but space is limited. Registration closes Feb. 10. For more information, visit the Design for Change challenge web page.