The 2024 Stanford Center on Longevity Design Challenge invites student designers to help develop a new vision for how to move through these new life transitions. Designs that help make transitions more positive and meaningful can play a large role in optimizing longer lives.

The list of life transitions that can be addressed by design is long and includes (but is not limited to) transition such as:

Moving out of a family home to live independently

Completing a stage of education (could happen multiple times at different ages)

Joining the working world (at any age)

Beginning or ending military service

Getting married, re-married, or committing to a long-term partner

Joining or leaving a religious or civic community

Becoming a parent, grandparent, or great-grandparent by birth or adoption

Changing or losing a career

Getting retrained or going back to school

Moving to a different location or community and adapting to a new culture or language

Adapting to environmental or societal changes (e.g., natural disaster, political instability)

Transitioning to single life after divorce

Moving to a life that accommodates a chronic disease or disability

Changing diet or fitness routine

Going through puberty or menopause

Taking on caregiving duties for a loved one

Adjusting to the death of a partner, parent, child, or close friend

Transitioning from a family environment to an “empty nest” in mid-life

Cohabiting with roommates (of the same or different generations)

Downsizing in later life

Retiring

Starting an encore career

Becoming a volunteer

ELIGIBILITY:

The challenge is open to teams of 1-5 students enrolled during the 2022-2023 academic year, attending any accredited university or college globally.  Each team must have at least one full-time student and if the team is selected as a Finalist, only students may present.

Other (non-university) students may participate in the Design Challenge, but only as part of a team which contains at least one university (undergraduate or graduate) student.

BENEFIT:

Top winners receive cash prizes of $10,000 (1st place), $5,000 (2nd place), $2,000 (3rd place).

Finalists receive a $1,000 cash prize and mentorship from industry experts and researchers.