Daily News
From Home Furnishing Business
Popular Vote in on Groovystuff Design Challenge
November 3,
2014 by in Industry 
Xin Li from Auburn University, David Roan from Florida State University, and Megan Ziesmer from University of Minnesota got the most votes during the “Groovystuff by Design: Connecting Education with Industry Challenge” at the Oct. 19-24 Market. Groovystuff, Dallas, Texas, specializes in furniture made from reclaimed materials.
The designs from Roan, Li and Ziesmer placed first from their respective schools. They competed with more than 60 other classmates who participated in an education to industry collaboration with Groovystuff for the fall 2014 academic semester. Under the guidance of design direction from the Groovystuff staff via Facebook, students were tasked with developing a residential home furnishings product utilizing the reclaimed materials found in the Groovystuff product line.
The class was then given a sponsored space at the High Point Market in “The University Hall of Innovation & Job Creation” to showcase their creations to the trade professionals attending the annual market. Each student display included a 20-by-30-inch product board, a one-quarter scale model and 42-inch tall pedestal for each of the student models. Students then interacted with trade professionals, who voted on the marketability of the designs, and gathered feedback on their designs for future production.
Each of the students will receive a cash prize and will be the first of their class to have his or her design go into quotation and production by Groovystuff.
“To be able to correspond with a real company and go beyond the conceptual into thinking practicality and marketability was an invaluable experience," Roan said. "Every designer needs to have their ideas put through the wringer at some point to experience the challenge of designing for other users and tastes. I’m thankful to have been a part of this.”
Groovystuff's not-for-profit 2013 ICON Award-winning “University Hall of Innovation & Job Creation” and “Groovystuff by Design: Connecting Education with Industry Challenge” seek to nurture home furnishings design talent in partnership with leading U.S. colleges and universities.