During an intense 24-hour sprint, students from the Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology (IADT), University College Dublin (UCD), and the National College of Art & Design (NCAD) came together for an exciting design thinking challenge. Their mission? To develop creative solutions to real social issues. Topics ranged from cybersecurity and bullying to the housing crisis, food security, transportation, and recycling. All issues that urgently need fresh perspectives.

The 24-Hour Design Challenge is an annual initiative run by the Media Cube Start-Up Innovation Centre at IADT. This year’s edition was sponsored by EisnerAmper Ireland, FilmEU / the C-Accelerate+ project, the Creative Future Academy, and the Local Enterprise Office at Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council, and supported by the Hult Prize. This mix of sponsors reflects a growing, collaborative effort between the private sector, government, and higher education institutions to strengthen Ireland’s entrepreneurial ecosystem for students. With this fourth edition successfully wrapped, IADT marks another milestone in becoming a reference point for student entrepreneurship in the region. 

Over the 24 hours, eight teams identified a social problem, conducted research, designed solutions, and developed business ideas , all culminating in persuasive pitches. What the Challenge proved once again is that diversity and multidisciplinary teams are at the heart of design thinking, sparking ideas that push boundaries and create real impact. 

Caitlin Hafer from What The Hack, facilitated the day and introduced the methodology students followed. The process included problem brainstorming, team formation, problem analysis, solution brainstorming, business analysis and validation, wrap-up reflections, and pitch preparation. Students were guided by mentors Fiachra Durkan (EisnerAmper), Manmaya Panda: Global Manager: Product & Engineering, Mastercard, Monish Kadam: Co-Founder HedgeHog Financial Wellness,  Fola OGrady: Lecturer, IADT and  Kathryn Robertson Arrebloa: CoFounder Norte Partners, who helped structure ideas and refine strategies ahead of pitching.

IADT would like to thank this year’s judging panel: Frank Keane (Head of Client Internationalisation, EisnerAmper Ireland), Alexandra Harris (co-founder & CMO, CogniStream), and John Moore (Local Enterprise Office).  

Congratulations to this year’s winning team: Siri Basani (NCAD), Iniya Baskaran (NCAD), Prerna Joshi (UCD), Disha Lad (UCD), Vanessa John Lobo (UCD), and Tushar Harpal (UCD), whose pitches showcased creativity, strategy, and the power of collaboration at its best.