The International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (Icsid) recently unveiled the World Design Impact Prize, an innovative and interactive design prize dedicated to recognizing, empowering and stimulating socially responsible design projects and initiatives around the world.

Starting 22 February 2011 at www.icsid.org, Icsid will begin accepting nominations from member organisations for exceptional industrial design led projects and initiatives that exemplify progress, impact and social responsibility in design.

“We at Icsid truly believe that the World Design Impact Prize has the potential to be a great vehicle for social, cultural, economic and environmental progress throughout the world,” stated Icsid President Dr. Mark Breitenberg. “This new prize concept will create an international platform to encourage and promote projects that are solving actual social and humanitarian problems using the processes of the expanding field of industrial design.”

A unique characteristic of the World Design Impact Prize is the unprecedented international selection process created to decide the winner. This will consist of over 160 Icsid Member organisations voting to determine the Prize winner through a collective internal selection, developed to involve local and regional communities. With each Icsid Member organisation casting their vote online, the selection process will bring together a tremendously accomplished group of leaders, pioneers and educators from the international industrial design community to determine the inaugural World Design Impact Prize winner. The official voting will be preceded by a public review process in which all nominated design projects and initiatives will be visible online for the public to view, critique, rate and share throughout their networks.

“For the past three years Icsid has worked hard to create a project that will advance responsible design around the world, draw on the unrivalled expertise of our members and include the participation and interaction of the public,” declared Dr. Breitenberg. “With the involvement of individuals working to improve their communities through design, Icsid Members and design enthusiasts worldwide, Icsid will take a great leap towards its vision of creating a world where design enhances quality of life.”

The World Design Impact Prize will culminate in the announcement of the Prize winner at the XXVII Icsid General Assembly on 27-28 October 2011 in Taiwan (Chinese Taipei), immediately following the inaugural 2011 IDA Congress held on 24-26 October.