Alum wins Helen Hamlyn Design Award
Joy Lu 21 ID wins Helen Hamlyn Design Award - The Snowdon Award for Disability
The annual Helen Hamlyn Design Awards recognizes creativity in human-centered and inclusive design across all disciplines of the Royal College of Art (RCA). The winning projects are chosen from the RCA’s MA and MRes graduating cohort who put forward their designs for consideration. The awards are organised by the RCA’s Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design (HHCD)–a global leader in inclusive design, design thinking and creative leadership, endowed by the Helen Hamlyn Trust.
The Snowdon Award for Disability with a prize of £2,000 (one of the Helen Hamlyn Design Awards) was awarded to the project 'We Are In This Together', by Joy Lu, (RCA MA Design Products, 2023) and Beatrice Sangster, (RCA MA Visual Communication, 2023). This project addresses the issues people with disabilities face navigating higher education in art and design. A handbook, a curated set of discussion objects and a set of activity cards provide guidance, prompt conversations around related topics, and assist self and peer reflection. It is a communal inclusion plan that welcomes everyone into conversations on disability and neurodiversity.
"We are deeply honoured to receive the Snowdon Award for Disability, and are really grateful for the support from the Snowdon Trust. It’s wonderful that neurodivergent and disabled voices were represented and heard during the application process. I want to thank the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design, the Snowdon Trust, the judging panel, my tutors, my technician friends, my parents, and the generations of neurodivergent individuals who fought for the level of awareness and acceptance that we have today.” -- Joy Lu (MA Design Products, 2023)"
"Joy and Beatrice gave a beautiful and heartfelt presentation for their design. The design and the thinking behind it aligns very much with the work of the Snowdon Trust. I am extremely proud and happy to give them this award and hope that it is a small foundation towards some very important work and ideas they have to offer in the future.” -- Lady Frances Armstrong-Jones, Trustee at Snowdon Trust
