Design often is associated with luxury brands and high-end lifestyle products, signifying social and economic vigor. But design is and can be much more.

The ability to design—to plan and shape changes in our physical or social environment—is something we all can and do perform on a daily basis, but designers are trained and have developed special skills within this field.

Since 2005, INDEX: has bestowed awards on products, services, and systems designed to improve life. From a pool of more than 700 designs nominated for the INDEX:Award 2009, the best are assembled in the INDEX:Award 2009 Exhibition.

The INDEX:Award 2009 Exhibition demonstrates the scope of the field of design and its great potential. This is reflected in the five categories: body, home, work, play, and community, encompassing everything from the individual's body to larger and more comprehensive initiatives in society.

The material
This material introduces students to the concept of “Design to Improve Life” and to the INDEX:Award criteria of form, impact, and context—with explanatory content on the way we normally think about design.

It also raises questions and suggests various assignments for the students to work with within that field. The material consists of introductions to design, what it means to design something, and what “Design to Improve Life” and “design process” are. It also reveals the various historic and topical perspectives of the exhibition and of “Design to Improve Life” as a theme.

Download material for middle school/secondary school pupils

Download material for high school students