Big Design Challenge
Using design to tackle Cornwall's biggest challenges.
The Big Design Challenge was a flagship project within Design of the Times (Dott) Cornwall, a major initiative using design to address social, environmental and economic challenges across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
Cornwall faces deeply interconnected challenges.
Including housing affordability, unemployment, transport connectivity, health and wellbeing. These issues are shaped by local geography, seasonal economies and social inequality, and cannot be solved by single organisations or top-down interventions alone.
Design thinking as a tool for collaboration.
Through a series of open calls and facilitated workshops, designers, innovators, students and local residents came together to explore challenges that mattered most to their communities. Participants were supported to research local needs, generate ideas, prototype solutions and test assumptions with real users. The process emphasised sustainability, inclusivity and long-term social impact.
Design as a catalyst for positive change.
Projects focused on housing and the built environment, employment and skills, transport and mobility, and community health and wellbeing. The programme culminated in a Dragons' Den–style pitch event, where several projects progressed into practical products and services — demonstrating how design can act as a catalyst for positive change.
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