Riot Games, IDEO crown winners of inclusive design challenge

Riot Games has announced the 10 winners for its Designing for Digital Thriving Challenge. Designers were challenged with proposing solutions that would help make online and digital spaces places where people can be their authentic selves and thrive. 

The developer teamed up with IDEO, the Fair Play Alliance (FPA) and the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop to run the contest. This partnership was forged with the goal of building inclusive and healthy online communities both now and in the future.

Proposals had to fit the themes of “designing for marginalized voices,” “fostering healthy and resilient digital spaces,” and “building a future for kids and families.” Each submission was judged by subject-matter experts across tech, design, education, and gaming. They used a rubric to evaluate if projects were relevant, actionable, accessible and equitable, impactful, and creative.

After refining the 179 proposals to just 25, these finalists were able to meet with mentors and refine their ideas before the final round. From there, winners were chosen and awarded either $50,000, $10,000, or $5,000 for their work.

$50,000 Grant Recipients

• Global Nomads Group Content Creation Lab (Global Nomads, USA)
• Fostering Digital Wellness through Education & Empowerment (Digital Wellness Institute, USA) 
• Plot Twisters: Online game world for nurturing self-reflection and emotional literacy (Plot Twisters, USA)

$10,000 Grant Recipients

• Take Another Perspective: A Character-Playing Simulation (InGlobal Learning Design, USA)
• Transform youth mental health through innovative peer support (Youth Era, USA)
• Tilli’s Digital Safety Magic Box | Playful learning for kids and caregivers (Tilli, Sri Lanka)

$5,000 Grant Recipients

• Tempok: A Coming of Age Ritual for Digital Life (Tempok, USA)
• JOTLANDIA: collaborative storytelling for kids and adults (JOTLANDIA, USA)
• Deep Data Detectives (D3) Adventures (Nxt Wave Founders, USA)
• Gamifying Digital Literacy for Older Adults to Increase Autonomy (Ask Mabel, USA)

In line with this Challenge, Riot Games has been stepping up its non-profit efforts with various charitable project supported by its Social Impact Fund.

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