Below is a list of considerations we recommend you factor into your project to ensure it is appropriate to the context. You might ask yourself these questions a few times throughout the design process – it’s okay if you don’t have all the answers in week one!
You can also check out our FAQ guide if you have questions that you can’t find the answers to: Some Big Tricky Questions: Explained.
- Sustainability of design – Consider the long-term sustainability of your project proposal. What measures could be put in place to ensure the successful continuation into the future?
- Community impacts and stakeholders – What impact will your design have on members of the community? Who are your key stakeholders? Is there anyone you haven’t included?
- Environmental impacts – What impacts, both positive and negative, will your design have on the local environment? What measures would you propose be put in place to mitigate any negative impacts?
- Cultural and social factors – Does your design align with and/or celebrate the cultural and social practices of people who live and work in your project context?
- Community engagement – How would you propose that EWB and our community partner(s) engage and consult the community throughout the project? Think about the initial design right through to implementation. What avenues are there for community members to become involved? What form(s) of community engagement might be required for your particular design response?
- Cost and economic benefits – What is an estimated cost of the project? Think about the ‘Capital Expenditure’ (initial cost to start) and Operational Expenditure (ongoing costs over time), which might include materials, implementation costs, operation/program delivery costs, and maintenance costs. Consider if there are any potential economic benefits to the community which could result from the project.
- Effective technical design – Is the technical design the most appropriate and effective for this context? Take the time to show what alternatives were considered and why you are proposing your design as the most appropriate. Previous EWB Challenges show that the most successful designs are often ones that are simple in design and can be implemented / prototyped (tested) rapidly in the community.
- Materials choice – Have you considered the use of locally available materials that are culturally acceptable and environmentally friendly wherever possible? Transportation of project materials and availability of materials which might be required for future maintenance are a significant consideration for projects in remote locations in which EWB works. Where might your proposed materials be sourced from?
- Delivery and ongoing management – How might you construct and/or implement the project? Is the design response one that considers local capacity for ongoing management, repair, and maintenance? As much as possible, does your design or system proposal align with locally available expertise?
Additional considerations for specific contexts
There are often also additional place-based design considerations for the context you are designing for. Be sure to look out for these on the pages within your particular Challenge section on the website.
Program Rubrics
Each program within the EWB Challenge Series has a rubric to assist external assessors review your work consistently.
