Innovative designs with IKEA
Monday 9 May 2011
Regional college students were rewarded for their innovative designs at the recent Southampton Solent University Design Awards.
In celebration of the University’s design courses, the University – in partnership with IKEA - invited art and design students from the regions Further Education colleges to design and create an ‘IKEA Hack’: a new product created from two or more pieces of existing merchandise from the iconic store.
Solent helped support college students involved by delivering two design master classes at the University and BA (Hons) Product Design undergraduates provided mentoring advice and guidance.
More than 30 designs were submitted from the five institutions taking part - Peter Symond's College, Barton Peveril College, Southampton City College, Totton College and Chichester College.
The winning designs were announced at a recent awards ceremony held at the University’s Sir James Matthews Building.
A judging panel of University and IKEA design specialists selected the top three designs, and the invited guests were able to vote for their favourite design for the audience choice award.
First place went to Marcus Biles from Peter Symonds College for his coffee cup reading lamp. As well as receiving a £100 cash prize his winning creation will go on display at the Southampton Store IKEA. Second prize went to Jordan Collings from Totton College for his slatted bed base upholstered chair; third prize to Aleksandra Wojciak for her shoe rack inspired bookcase and Robert Smith won the audience choice award for his bookcase-legged conference table.
Event organiser and Southampton Solent University’s Progression and Transition Officer, Jo Parrish said: “The The students got a real taste of what a design degree is about and IKEA were thoroughly impressed with the designs that were produced.”
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