Herman Miller, in collaboration with AUD Interior Design Department, invites undergraduate Interior Design students to Resilient Challenge, a unique opportunity to be the innovator of a changing world and to showcase your work to the international design community.
The competition will launch on 15th September 2020 and run until the end of November 2020. The participating universities are Manipal University, DIDI, Ajman University, Heriot Watt, Zayed University, Amity University, Al Ghurair University and American University in Sharjah.
The challenge will focus on the investigation and design of an efficient and flexible furniture system station for designers, architects and students in design and architecture, suitable for home-based use, office-based use or academia-based use. This encourages students to utilize their design skills and challenge themselves to creative heights.
Herman Miller’s Regional Director, Stacy Stewart commented, “The Covid-10 pandemic has had a dramatic effect on people’s work experience. We wanted to combine the learnings from lockdown with a love for research-led design. We’ve learned a lot as a business as we’ve moved into the ‘new normal’ and we want to give students an opportunity to leverage our research and experience in their own design.”
Kristin Lee, Chair and Associate Professor of Interior Design also commented, “There is an old saying that when life hands you lemons, make lemonade. This is what the Resilient Student Design Challenge 2020 seeks to do, figuratively. This competition builds on students’ knowledge base as well as their own perspectives. Designers adapt, seek alternatives, and grow; always optimistic about the future.”
Annamaria Lambri, Associate Professor of Interior Design and Outreach Coordinator – Interior Design said, “The design requirements are for a system or product of no more than 5 parts which are easy to assemble and use. It has to be light in weight, easy to move (it may be portable) and easy to clean and sanitize. It has to ensure social distancing and safety protocols can be adhered to, while being flexible, sustainable and innovative.”
Please visit https://resilientchallenge.eventbrite.com/ to register before 30 September 2020. Videos must be submitted by 1 November 2020.
The submission must include:
- Individual work showcasing a digital video no more than two minutes.
- “THE STORY”: Design Concept Statement and references, name of the project and brief description
- Statement on sustainability and how it has been included in your project
- Research Summary on new needs and reasons, 3 written goals the design should accomplish (Key words #)
- Visuals (with graphical explanation of system’s flexibility)
- Main materials
- Entries must meet the submission date, late entries will be disqualified
- Multiple entries by the same candidate and team will not be considered
Top 10 submissions will be showcased to the public during Dubai Design Week 2020. The top 3 contestants will be offered an internship with leading Architecture and Design firms in the region.
