N.C. State, Groovystuff Team for Design Challenge

September 25, 2012  by in UnCategorized   

By Home Furnishings Business in High Point on September 26, 2012

Reclaimed teak furniture vendor Groovystuff and North Carolina State University will collaborate on an education-to-industry cooperative for the fall of 2012.

The Groovystuff: By Design Product design Challenge with N.C. State provides retailers and interior designers a first look at the next trend of products made specifically for the emerging Gen Y consumers and buyers entering the workforce after graduation in 2013. In addition, the collaboration with N.C. State gives undergraduates real world exposure to the residential home furnishings market prior to graduation and a reason to join the home furnishings industry.
 
Fifteen students under the leadership of Professor Bong IL Jin of the university's Industrial Design Department are charged with designing a furniture, lighting, or home décor product that emphasizes form, structure, and sustainable manufacturing practice using the reclaimed materials found in the Groovystuff brand.

Utilizing an educational platform that emphasizes a Balanced Contrast, Professor Bong disciplines future design graduates on the considerations of more vs. less, simple vs. complex, abstract vs. tangible, and proven vs. unproven design when tapping into functional Design First products for the next generation of consumers. The student design must be aesthetically pleasing, expressive, innovative, and competitive enough in actual sales to be considered for mass-production and inclusion in the exclusive, celebrity endorsed, Dick Idol Legends Collection.
 
In addition to holding a previous chair position for the industrial design department at the Narai Academy of Industrial Design in Seoul Korea, Professor Bong IL Jin has worked extensively within the Korean automotive industry at both Kia Motor Company and GM Daewoo Motor Company and was recognized by the government of South Korea from 1995-1997 where he served as a Design Advisor for the Korean Institute of Design Promotion.

Since joining the faculty at N.C. State in 2000, Professor Bong has been recognized for leading students from the Industrial Design program through national and international education to industry sponsorships and exhibitions that have directly contributed to the ability of his graduates to gain employment after graduation.
 
To introduce future graduates to the residential home furnishings market, the Groovystuff: By Design Challenge is set up as a two-stage process. Stage one of the contest, students will be competing for the Popular Vote at Market and a cash prize by submitting a 20 x 30-inch product board, a ¼ scale model, and a 42-inch tall pedestal for display and presentation of their models to the retailers, designers, and trade professionals attending the Spring High Point Furniture Market, April 20-25.

In stage two, Groovystuff will put these designs into production and launch the finished goods six months later at the October 2013 High Point Market. Students then will compete for the grand prize: Most Written Orders at Market and rewarded with an additional cash prize, inclusion in the Dick Idol Legends Collection, permanent royalties for life, and a reason to join the residential home furnishing industry.