What happens when you get a bunch of software developers and social innovators together, give them a set of social problems and only 48 hours to solve them?
We wanted to find out.
In London between 4th-6th April 2008, the Social Innovation Camp brought together some of the best of the UK and Europe's web developers and designers with people at the sharp end of social problems.
Our aim was to find ways that easy-to-build web 2.0 tools could be used to develop solutions to social challenges.
Ideas for development
We received more than 70 ideas for an amazing range of web tools to change the world over the course of February and March 2008. Our call for ideas has now closed.
Over several rounds of sandwiches and a good few cups of coffee, the Social Innovation Camp advisory board gathered on Friday 14th March to pore over the submitted ideas.
Several hours, much deliberating and a few disagreements later, a decision was reached.
So, the ideas that were developed at the Social Innovation Camp, 4th-6th April 2008 are:
A site for storing user-generated information – such as carbon footprint, manufacturing conditions and reviews - against a product, identified by its barcode number.
A resource for anyone looking to make adjustments to their lives, be it as a result of disability, injury or impairment.
- Personal development reports
An online system that supports young people to identify their personal skills and qualities.
A tool to support the families of prisoners coping with the experience of being apart from a loved one.
A site for helping jobseekers using Web 2.0 tools, with a focus on migrant workers.
Freecycle meets Street Car: a stuff club.
Comments on what we liked about these ideas are being posted to our blog.
You can find out more about the decision process here.
Winning ideas at Social Innovation Camp 2008
So the weekend happened, the ideas were developed, people came and they seemed to have a lot of fun.
You can find out more about how it all went on our blog.
At the end of a weekend packed with discussion, collaboration and creativity, we ended up with seven (our six chosen ideas plus a rebel open mike project) presenting what they'd been up to all weekend.
We had £3,000 of prize money to give away to the projects with most promise. The judges deliberated and awarded first prize of £2,000 to Enabled by Design, with a runner-up prize of £1,000 to Prison Visits.