ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Design Student Wins Toyota Logistics Challenge 2024
ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Design Student Wins Toyota Logistic Design Competition in the Business Innovation Category
ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Industrial Design student Simon Lavender spent part of his summer in Paris, France. Toyota flew him and his fellow finalists and winners there in order to announce the results of their international design competition. The ceremony was held at the Toyota House in Paris. Held biannually, the Toyota Logistic Design Competition celebrated its 10th year with the 2024 contest. ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ are challenged to think up innovative, no-copy-paste, all out-of-the-box ideas to provide sustainable solutions for different problems in logistics. The idea behind this year's theme - Every Little Bit Counts - is that the death of one thing gives life to another. Since our planet only has one life, the challenge this time around was ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïña circular economy through logistics.
More than 1,500 submissions were received from 50 countries. 160 of those entries were invited to submit their creative concept, and the competition - according to the industry leaders serving as judges - was significant and top-notch. In two jury rounds, 10 finalists were selected and presented at Milan Design Week in April 2024. Top prizes were awarded in only three categories: Transportation & Product Design, User Interface, and Business Innovation Design. Each category winner received 5,500 Euro.
Simon Lavender, now a senior in the ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Industrial Design program at ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ, won the Logistic Design Competition in the Business Innovation Design category. His submission, BLOOM CHARGE, is about creating the fresh air that fuels our future. Simon envisions a circular fueling system with tree-like charging stations based on biotechnology that both cool and clean the urban air with algae while providing power charging for the vehicles beneath the BLOOM CHARGE wide, flat branches. The project was initiated as part of the Fall 2023 Design class led by Lisa Krohn, one of our outstanding ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Design faculty.
After returning from Paris, Simon said, "I am still in shock from winning the competition, since I went from just another homework project to a Toyota appraised winner in a matter of weeks. This experience really affirmed the effort I put into everything I do, as I have proof now that trying your hardest to innovate in every aspect of your life will pay off when the right people come around to notice. Being able to see Paris and meet the design and manufacturing leaders of Toyota was equally amazing! It gave me time to reflect on how design has completely changed my life for the better, allowing me to connect with a lot of like minded and talented people who continue to push me everyday."
