Peaceware revisited

In 2008 Anders Michelsen from Copenhagen University and Lars started the Peaceware-project in Sri Lanka, and I am very happy to see how Anders and some great people via Danish Refugee Council, has now succeeded in establishing The Somaliland Telemedical System for Psychiatry - a national Mental Health Care in Somaliland based on telepsychiatry. A very important project with some great perspectives for the use of ICT. Please visit and donate: http://peaceware-somaliland.com/

Sort your trash can – open innovation

I was recently asked by Vestforbrænding (Denmarks largest waste management company) if Blå Himmel would design and lead a competition-format, that was to result in creative and aesthetic ideas for a future trash can for sorting private waste. This developed into an international open innovation- and design competition named; ”Sort your trash can”. Both American, European and Asian design schools has been invited to take part in this project.

With the open innovation style competition Vestforbrænding is blazing new paths. Opening it's processes to young talent, and entering into an open dialogue, the company radically changes the closed traditional processes of engineering solutions. With an emphasis on co-creation, the web-based idea competition promises to be an innovative new way for Vestforbrænding to get closer to it's users. With ”Sort your trash can” it is possible for everyone to have direct influence on the trash cans outcome by commenting on the designers ideas, which are available on the online innovation-platform join.dk. Join is a free online portal that focuses, as the slogan puts it, on designing together. join.dk is one of several great Web2.0 open innovation platforms flourishing, proving to be a both creative and cost-effective method to get in touch with a global talent pool.

The competition runs now and until the 28th of october. Read more about the competition at http://www.sortyourtrashcan.com/, and see the creative contributions at http://join.dk/#designs/all