Celebrating Creativity: Announcing the Top 6 Winners of BRIDGEGOOD's 15th Annual Design Challenge
On May 7, 2024, BRIDGEGOOD Studio in Oakland’s historic Jack London Square buzzed with excitement as the Top 20 design students showcased their remarkable creations at the 15th Annual Inspire Oakland Design Challenge. The event, supported by Adobe, the Tech Equity Collective, and the Lowell Berry Foundation, brought together nearly 150 design students, volunteers, instructors, supporters, and community members for a memorable 3-hour celebration.
The showcase reached maximum capacity, demonstrating the community’s strong support for budding designers. Attendees enjoyed delicious food and drinks sponsored by Lobosol’s and Waterloo Sparkling Water, adding to the festive atmosphere. Over 20 industry professionals served as judges, carefully evaluating the culturally-rich designs that highlighted the creativity and spirit of Oakland’s youth.
We are thrilled to announce the Top 6 designers of this year’s challenge:
- Alex Woods – Canada College
- Brynja Elinbergsson – Diablo Valley College
- Enrique Gonzalez Garcia – Chabot College
- Jade Agustin – San José State University
- Maria Christina De La Cruz – Canada College
- Nikole Ahne Morales – Chabot College
These talented individuals impressed the judges with their unique perspectives and innovative designs, each capturing the essence of Oakland’s vibrant community.
Shaun Tai, Executive Director of BRIDGEGOOD, shared his thoughts on the event, saying,
“The Top 20 designs represented the very best and most meaningful parts of inspiration from our Oakland community. My personal goal is to highlight Oakland in its purest form – the voices and creative minds of our young people, unfiltered. Inspire Oakland is movement building at its rawest and most unleashed state, and we are thrilled to invest in our artists, especially through difficult economic times.”
The winning designs covered a range of topics including social and racial activism, the spirit of the Black Panthers, disability justice, Oakland creativity, queer love, the vibrant Oakland art scene, and a tribute to Jun Anabo of Lucky Three Seven, one of Oakland’s most popular Filipino restaurants.
The Inspire Oakland Design Challenge offers students a chance to gain real-world experience while exploring careers in design and technology. Participants create original “Inspire Oakland” designs that inspire Bay Area residents using their unique creativity, vision of diversity, and spirit of innovation. This professional opportunity includes creating a bulletin billboard, bus bench ad, social media flyer, LED display, and t-shirt design.
To support the next generation of student creatives, we invite you to make a tax-deductible donation at www.bridgegood.org/donate. Your contribution will help nurture the talents of young designers and ensure the continued success of programs like Inspire Oakland.
Join us in celebrating and supporting the future of design – right here in Oakland.