If you’re not familiar with the contest, it started a couple of years ago, in honor of one of design’s true heroes. In Glimmer I refer to all the people who aren’t professional designers but can’t stop pursuing a great idea as "Basement Buckys," in honor of the wonderful visionary R. Buckminster Fuller. Bucky Fuller was way ahead of the curve when it came to issues such as environmentalism, and in general, he championed socially responsible design before it was trendy. But if responsible do-good design is sometimes associated with scaling back and thinking small, Fuller dreamed big: He envisioned new bold new ways for us to live, move about, and share the planet. And he also had a penchant for inspiring quotes. See the film clip below to hear Fuller’s unique voice and see some of his creations in action.

 

While still a young man, Fuller suffered a devastating loss when his daughter died. Fuller was on the verge of suicide, but instead famously committed “egocide”—deciding to dedicate his life to using design to help others. It’s reasonable to think he could have earned more riches, and perhaps reaped more glory, by designing luxury houses or automobiles instead of geodesic domes and three-wheeled wonder cars. But the narrow ambitions of commercial design weren’t enough for him. By tackling life-on-earth challenges, Fuller could ask deeper questions and try to jump higher fences. In this regard, he can be seen as a prototype for today’s social activist designers.

 

In keeping with Fuller’s large ambitions and grand visions, The Buckminster Fuller Challenge is looking for design solutions that take on the world’s great problems—and that acknowledge the complexities inherent in taking on those big, messy issues. “We’re looking for comprehensive anticipatory design solutions that address multiple problems without creating new ones down the road,” according to Elizabeth Thompson, executive director of the Buckminster Fuller Institute.

 

To enter the competition, visit http://challenge.bfi.org

 

By the way, last year’s winner was a design plan for a mobility-on-demand system that utilized fleets of shared-use lightweight electric vehicles, placed at automatic charging racks throughout a city. Can’t wait to see those on the streets.