The face of the U.S. population is gracefully aging (literally) because the “Baby Boomer” generation (individuals born between the years 1946-1964) are entering the early stages of retirement. There are almost 80 million people who are part of this demographic.

The Global Age-Friendly Design Awards 2010 (GADA 2010) is a contest that is open to all students, graphic designers, design firms, and the general public.

The purpose of the contest is to seek out design ideas for new products that can be used to enhance and assist the general well-being and lifestyles of the elderly.

GADA 2010 states:

“[The elderly] are integrated into the mainstream of everyday life through a more inclusive and embracing approach in the design of buildings, public spaces and, more recently, products and services.

This is important not only for social equality but is also a significant opportunity for business growth through new products and services.”

The Contest Details
Your product must be designed specifically for the elderly.

The following criteria will be used to select winners from the submitted designs. According to GADA:

* Innovativeness in design
* Creativeness in solutions
* Commercial value add and manufacturability
* Relevance to the elderly market
* Ease of use and relevant aesthetics
* System and environmentally sustainable and friendly

Entries are to be submitted online to the official contest website. Your submissions should include the following:

* 4 - JPEG images (different perspectives) with total size less than ….4MB
* 500-word write-up on the design rationale
* Agreement to License Form
* Parent/Guardian’s Consent Form (for participants under the age of ….18)

The Awards
There will be several cash prizes (Singapore dollars) for contest winners in addition to having their work displayed at the International Conference on Design for Aging, held in Singapore from November 18-20 2010.

Open Category
1st Prize - S$1000.00
2nd Prize  -  S$750.00
3rd Prize - S$500.00

Student Category
1st Prize -  S$750.00
2nd Prize - S$500.00
3rd Prize - S$250.00

Contest Links and Additional Information
For important contest forms, information, and contest guidelines follow these links:

Contest Website Details
Contest Rules and Guidelines
Contest Submission Form
Licensing Agreement - PDF Doc
Parent/Guardian Consent Form - PDF Doc (entrants younger than 18 years of age)
Contact Information

The deadline for submissions to the GADA 2010 contest is September 26, 2010. You may enter as often as you like. This contest requires no entry fee.