Major design award
Adare has been short listed by the Design Business Association (DBA) in its annual search for the nation’s Inclusive Design Champion.
This highly acclaimed competition seeks to illustrate the key role inspired design and communications can play in improving the quality of life for disabled and older people. The DBA challenge has been described by the BBC’s Business correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones as “the combined Oscars and Olympics of Inclusive Design”.
There was a huge level of interest for this year’s competition with design agencies submitting a 300 word précis outlining a creative solution to enable people with dementia to remain independent and continue to live in their own homes.
Six agencies have been shortlisted and will attend a briefing workshop, followed by user forums to expand their concepts. Judging will take place at the Royal College of Art in January, followed by an exclusive award ceremony in March.
Adare’s Creative Services Director, Sarah Holmes, explains: “The DBA’s Inclusive Design competition is always a hugely rewarding challenge. This year it focuses on Alzheimer’s, of which the team had no first-hand knowledge. But we do know all about the power of communication, so we tapped into our diverse range of marketing experience to devise a truly inspiring entry.
“Members of Adare’s 35-strong creative team of copywriters, designers, programmers and project managers brainstormed possible solutions that could help the 560,000 people currently living with dementia in the UK.
“By using the team’s wealth of knowledge in delivering integrated marketing communications solutions through inspired design, as well as fully appreciating the challenges people with dementia face, we’ve submitted an innovative creative concept to aid those suffering from memory loss.
Taking part in the DBA Challenge will also bring massive benefits for Adare. The creative team will develop essential new skills on the subject of inclusivity, and learn how to innovate within the framework of the Disability Discrimination Act 2005. What’s more, short listed projects receive wide exposure to international media, which will provide plenty of opportunities to raise Adare’s profile on a global level.
Adare Chief Executive, Robert Whiteside, adds: “It’s testament to the skills of our creative team that we’ve been shortlisted for this prestigious award.
“The DBA Challenge is all about inspired communications – delivering the right message to the right audience at the right time. This is the cornerstone of Adare’s creative strategy: changing the way our clients communicate with their customers by developing highly innovative solutions that are media-neutral.
“Adare is at the forefront of creative data and technology deployment. This DBA recognition follows a period of intense strategic development for the company, including our new brand positioning and the unveiling of a new multimedia Customer Communications Centre in West Yorkshire.”
The shortlisted companies will now work closely with the Helen Hamlyn Research Centre at the Royal College of Art, Sanctuary Care, the London Centre for Dementia and Cambridge University as well as with user and expert forums in order to expand on their initial concepts before submitting a final entry in January.
