Design for life
Compasso d'Oro for IED
Europe's largest network of Art and Design schools claims two awards in its 60th anniversary year. The Compasso d'Oro Design for Society goes to The Glitch Camp, the first free urban campsite for design students during Milan Design Week. The Compasso d'Oro Young Certificate goes to A occhi chiusi, a collection of inclusive games designed by students at IED Roma. Two projects, one shared mission: design as a force for the common good.
The jury's reasoning
"A creative response to the challenge of accommodation in major cities during extraordinary events; capable of fostering inclusive practices for young audiences, while championing the values of sociability and democratic community-building."
Official Jury Statement · Compasso d'Oro 2026The concept
The disruption, the error, the bug from which an advantage can emerge. The anomaly that opens the door to unexpected opportunity.
Born out of the housing crisis during Milan Design Week, The Glitch Camp transformed a structural constraint into a tool for inclusion, socialisation, and cultural exchange. A project that embodies the IED manifesto: Design for life.
The project in numbers
Voices from the camp
"The Glitch Camp grew out of a reflection developed at IED, with the aim of building an accessible meeting point for young people: a chance to come to Milan, hear from voices in the design world, discover Design Week, and genuinely meet one another — face to face. Because meeting in person carries a value that goes far beyond simply being connected."
Riccardo Balbo · Academic Director, IED Group
The editions
Sustainability and impact
From its very first edition, The Glitch Camp has adopted low-environmental-impact solutions oriented towards material circularity.
- Ferrino Tent Set tents: a modular ecodesign system that reduces material waste and product disposal
- Solar-powered lighting throughout all camp areas
- IKEA kits and furnishings donated to third-sector organisations at the close of each edition
- Production entrusted to Piano B, an agency specialising in reducing the environmental impact of events
Project partners
The Glitch Camp is made possible by partners who share the vision of accessible, responsible design.
Compasso d'Oro Young Certificate 2026
A collection of inclusive games designed to be played without sight, as a sensory experiment in play and learning.
Developed within the Bachelor of Arts in Product Design at IED Roma, the project explores the educational power of the senses and imagines new forms of multisensory learning. Students designed a series of games to be played blindfolded, aimed at stimulating touch, listening, movement, and perceptual memory.
The process unfolded through research, physical prototypes, and sessions with professionals in the educational and museum sectors, including the MUSE — Museum of Science in Trento. The result is a collection of games that brings together design experimentation and pedagogical sensitivity: an invitation to play — quite literally — with your eyes closed.
"The project stems from a reflection on current educational models — often almost entirely centred on sight — and proposes a playful approach capable of nurturing different abilities and including children with varied learning styles."
Compasso d'Oro Young Certificate 2026 · IED Roma, Bachelor of Arts in Product Design
The Glitch Camp and A occhi chiusi are a tangible expression of IED's values: Design for Life. Placing the common good at the heart of the institution's mission, and design as the means to achieve it.
IED — Istituto Europeo di Design · 60th Anniversary · 2026