The Aspen Design Challenge jury convened in New York City February 20–21, 2009 and selected seven projects as Finalists , as well as ten projects for Honorable Mention . See images from the finalists’ projects below, then select Finalists in the menu at left for more information.

The Aspen Design Challenge is an annual call to students worldwide, inviting them to address an international problem that is not only crucial in today’s world, but critical to our survival and the world that they will one day inherit.

The Challenge is a partnership between AIGA, the professional association for design, in the United States, and INDEX:, a nonprofit  organization in Denmark that is dedicated to changing global mindsets by exploring and showing how design can improve life for people. This year’s challenge, “Designing Water’s Future,” is a collaboration with Circle of Blue—the international network of leading journalists, scientists and communications designers that reports and presents the information necessary to respond to the global freshwater crisis—and COLLINS:, a communication design and innovation firm based in New York City.