Nora Gavare and Madara Salma, graduates of the Design Department of the Art Academy of Latvia, have received awards in the Universal Design Institute’s international competition “Universal Design Competition 2020”.

In early March, Germany’s Leading Design and Munich’s Creative Entrepreneurship Week (MCBW) took place in Munich, during which the Munich Institute of Universal Design organized an international exhibition and competition "Universal Design Competition 2020".

For several years, the competition has been identifying and promoting projects, products and services created by students, start-ups and companies in the universal design category. The organizers of the competition emphasize that nowadays universal design has become not only a design topic, but also a well-thought-out design discipline of economics, science and society.

During a tense evaluation of more than 100 experts and members of the consumer category jury, Nora Gavare (graduate of the AAL Design Department master's program) was awarded the Universal Design Expert Award, while Madara Salma (AAL Design Department bachelor's program graduate) received both the Universal Design Expert and Consumer Award.

"This is a serious start for cooperation between the cities of Riga and Munich in the field of creative industries - in the fields of art and design. It is a pleasure that the Art Academy of Latvia starts it with a positive evaluation of its students' performance - three awards in the field of universal design”, Rector of the Art Academy of Latvia prof. Kristaps Zariņš.

The work submitted for the design award by Nora Gavare “Kopienas dārzs _audz_”/ ”Community garden_grow_” was created in cooperation with AAL lecturer Liene Jākobsone and is a social, universal and experiential design project based on the principle of participation - for the public. Where the GARDEN is not just an area to grow vegetables, but a PLACE to create an understanding of the synergy of man, nature and time. The idea of ​​the project “_audz_”/”_grow_” is to bring the city residents together and develop gardening in the city context. Thus, to share and gain knowledge, increasing understanding of the origin of food, as well as actualizing the movement of a healthy and sustainable lifestyle.

Madara Salma participated in the competition with her work “Rati & Ragavas”/ "Cards & Sleds". It was made together with AAL professor Barbara Ābele, associate professor Ervins Pastors and emeritus professor Juris Panteļējevs. “Rati & Ragavas” was created as an interpretation of the Latvian saying “Ragavas taisa vasarā, bet ratus ziemā,” / “Sleds are made in summer, but cards are made in winter”. They serve as cards and sleds, regardless of seasonality. Assistant forvarious household chores. Increasing the joy of being and working together of different generations.