Play with Plastics are you game for a challenge?
DIP 2026 Brief
While online gaming continues to surge in popularity, traditional games - including board games and outdoor activities - still hold a significant share of the total market, with a global turnover of more than £23 billion annually and annual growth predicted at 10 per cent. These games offer great opportunities for social interaction, physical activity, and mental stimulation. Tabletop games involving strategy, teamwork, or creative thinking remain popular for bringing friends and families together. Similarly, outdoor games that can be either individual or team collaborations, continue to thrive, especially in settings like parks, schoolyards, or gardens, so people can connect through fun activities.
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Your Task:
Design an original game - not an app – made primarily from plastics, which can be used indoors, outdoors, or both, and suitable for any specified age group. It could be designed for learning, for activity or just plain old-fashioned fun. Your game should be easy to understand, with clear rules or illustrated instructions.
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We can’t wait to see the results of your creativity!
The Brief
Timeline
13th March 2026 Submission deadline
27th March 2026 Preliminary judging
13-15 April 2026 Sumitomo Demag
8th May 2026 Final Judging
12th June 2026 Award ceremony
Prizes
1st £1,000
2nd £750
3rd £500
Highly Commended £250
All six finalists receive a cash prize, a placement with a DIP sponsor or an industrial course, and a year’s affiliate membership of IOM3.
How to Submit
1. Create a single pdf file with max 4 x A3 pages at 120 dpi resolution
2. Do NOT include name or university on your A3 slides
3. Name your file: DIP_ University_Surname, i.e. DIP_TDUB_Taylor
4. Email your files if smaller than 25MB to: dip.award@gmail.com. If files are larger than 25MB, use WeTransfer to send it to us (not to exceed 6MB)
5. Wait for a confirmation from us that we have received your entry. If you don't receive one, follow up with us.
Judges' Criteria
1. Adherence to brief:proof that the design has addressed what is required and the circular economy has been addressed and understood.
2. Originality: innovation in function, form or use of materials, or a radical solution to an existing problem has been demonstrated. Investigation of IP and patents has been undertaken.
3. Manufacture:indication that issues of cost-effective and sustainable production have been considered, from tooling and manufacture to marketing and disposal; an imaginative, intelligent and appropriate use of polymers, indicating that research has been carried out into materials and processing.
4. Sustainability:evidence that an understanding of the principles of sustainability has been applied to the design.
5. Presentation:a clear representation of the design and method of construction, and an indication of all the materials used. The first sheet should clearly explain, in five bullet points, why your design answers the brief. Maximum 10 points