Airtel and UP Magazine Partner To Launch Design by Disruption (DXD) 2015 Awards

BAKE (Bloggers Association of Kenya) will be hosting Airtel on 5th February 2015 from 6pm. The agenda is Airtel’s partnership with UP Magazine to bring DXD 2015. DXD, short for Design by Disruption, is a first of its kind award ceremony that seeks to award key change makers in Kenya – people who use solution based thinking to overcome challenges. Popularly known as ‘Design Thinking’, the award looks to reward innovative elements in Kenyan society and is organized in three phases. Phase one is a call for entries and launches in February 2015. Phase two is the announcement of shortlisted participants and will be in October 2015. Finally, phase three is the awards gala in November, 2015.

Sharon Nyambane makes a living off selling her own art crafts. She enrolled in a women group empowerment program in Gesonso, Kisii County three years ago, where she gained the skills and knowledge that have economically empowered her.Trained by a fellow group member, she learned how to make bags, wallets, mobile phone holders, and hats, often creating the designs by recycling plastic bags.

Sharon’s design skills and products are a source of attraction to many. More importantly, she has continued to use the same skills and knowledge that she gained three years ago to empower other women in the program, creating value in their lives and those of their families. Through her work, she has helped transform women’s lives, giving them new opportunities to become financially self-reliant.  As a change-maker, Sharon has facilitated positive and sustainable change in her community and beyond.

The selection criteria for all of the awards are excellence, innovation, and enhancement of the quality of life. Individual candidates must be citizens or long-term residents of Kenya and have been practicing de­sign for at least three years. Corporations and institutions must have their headquar­ters in Kenya. Corporations and institutions must have their headquar­ters in Kenya. Honorees are selected for a body of realized work, not for any one specific project.

The award categories include: Architecture Design, Communications Design, Fashion Design, Interior Design, Interactive Design- focusing on web design, gaming and mobile interfaces, Tech Design, Product Design- useful human based designs that improve life, Green Design- Covering de­signs that improve or enhance the environment.            

Candidates are proposed by an Official Nominating Committee and are invited to submit materials for a jury’s review. After the February launch event, submission will be welcome at www.dxd.co.ke. The DXD committee will oversee the events and submission process and the Grand Jury will conduct the voting exercises following the final submission dates.

Submissions and entries, nominations and winners will be picked three months be­fore the scheduled gala night event date in November 2015. Submissions will be due and vetted three months prior to this date.  Submissions and entries will close on August 31^st, with nominations picked before the November event and the winners announced during the event.