Pakistani Woman Industrial Designer Wins Lexus Global Design Award
By Riaz Haq
Aqsa Ajmal, a graduate of Pakistan's National University of Science and Technology, is among six finalists for Lexus Design Award 2020 for industrial design. Each of these finalists will receive 3 million Yen (over $25,000) in funding and mentorship in an exclusive program in New York City under the guidance of prominent design leaders from a variety of design fields.
Aqsa's entry is named Pursewit. The device provides an easier way to incorporate sewing skills into income generation for the blind who rely upon touch and other senses. The thread path is much more simplified and streamlined; the user follows a straight, outlined path from the spool pin to the machine’s arm and through a loop, then down to the needle. The machine provides feedback at each step to ensure the process is completed, according to Lexus. |
Aqsa's entry ranked among the top 6 from 2,042 submissions from 79 countries. The other finalists are from China, France, Italy, Kenya, Russia and the United States.
Lexus describes Lexus Design Award competition as follows:
"Lexus Design Award provides a unique platform for young creators to demonstrate and further develop their talents. Founded in 2013 to support and foster up-and-coming creators, the program continues to evolve to inspire innovations in design that lead to a better tomorrow, and each year has seen a steady increase in number of entries from across the world. Last year, creators from 65 countries submitted 1,548 design proposals, many of which leveraged the power of technology."
Growing numbers of young Pakistanis are now participating and winning in international design and engineering competitions. Recent examples include Stanford Design Contest , AI Family Challenge World Championship and International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition . These wins offer increasing evidence of Pakistan's expected demographic dividend .
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