The event, which set design teams the challenge of designing a solution to problems faced by disabled or elderly transport users in only 24 hours, was launched at the Royal College of Art on the evening of Tuesday 5 April as part of the Include 2005 conference and ended the following evening with a keynote presentation by Michael Wolff.

This inaugural 24 Hour Inclusive Design Challenge builds on the success of the annual DBA Design Challenge which over the last five years has seen twenty-five teams, including Coley Porter Bell, Factory, Imagination and Seymourpowell take part.

Both Challenges take their lead from the Disability Discrimination Act which requires businesses and public sector organisations to make their goods, facilities and services more accessible for disabled people. It is no longer an option to ignore the needs of the larger population.

The 24 Hour Inclusive Design Challenge saw 5 teams pit their wits against a difficult brief (see below for the full brief). The teams had 24 hours within which to develop a concept that solves a clearly defined public transport issue that currently limits or excludes a disabled or older person from using it.

Each team had 6 minutes to present their ideas to an audience of 300 people once the 24 hours was up. The winner, voted for by the audience, was Bablefish - a service to help navigate difficult public transport hubs. Tim Fendley of AIG who led the team said “It works for people who find busy and complicated stations a real challenge - especially the visually impaired and elderly.” The other members of the winning team came from Tangerine, Plot and Botezco.

Concepts from the other four teams were also presented on the night:

• Factory Design Team - The Footprint - a modular suitcase that integrates into mass transit systems and takes the lug out of luggage.

• Fraser Design Team - My Buzz.co.uk - Smart ticket holder that informs travellers of their destination and warns of hazards.

• Sky Interactive Team - Bridge It - a gel/ rubber walk on walk off, roll on, roll off solution to bridge the gap between two surfaces.

• Team a go-go - PET - The Personal Excursion Ticket that allows travellers to access plug-in services for independent travel.

Deborah Dawton, Chief Executive, Design Business Association said “Traditional design processes have tended to overlook disabled and older people. Yet these groups are far from being an insignificant minority. In business terms alone they represent an important target minority. The Helen Hamlyn Research Centre is at the forefront of raising awareness and expectations in this important area.”

Download the brief that was set at the beginning of the 24 hours here