INDEX is the world’s largest design award. It is awarded biannually in Copenhagen. It is interesting to a discourse for social design because it puts forth a broad definition of design which allows elements of the social world to be considered designable. The categories: Body, Home, Work, Play and Community transverse the categories of traditional design awards in by referring directly to everyday life rather than traditional design disciplines. The first INDEX: AWARD was held in 2005.

The focus of INDEX: represents a shift from traditional to that of “Design to Improve Life.” In this way, the aesthetic of INDEX: is a rewriting of the classic principle of kalos kagathos (beautiful-good), ascribing an ethic imperative to design.

At this moment in time, the means, the methods, the knowledge and the technologies to do things better to improve human life are all available. INDEX: believes it should be done by design, rather than by chance.

In order to target the whole design chain, INDEX: addresses business, industries, consumers, research and educational institutions. They believe that good will alone cannot lift the enormous task of improving life; it needs financial backup and industry needs to discover the link between what is really needed and what is profitable.

INDEX: is more than a design award. INDEX: is also education, networking, sharing, and development – all focused on Design to Improve Life. The good example cannot stand alone, it is said; to accelerate the improvement of the state of the world by design, a practical, theoretical and pedagogical framework is needed.

INDEX: AWARD is awarded next time in August 2009

INDEX: will issue call for nominations for INDEX: AWARD 2009 on August 27, 2008.