http://www.ocad.ca/students/articles_campus_life/20090429_toronto_unbound.htm
In June of 2008, OCAD’s third-year Industrial Design students had the opportunity to participate in Toronto Unbound, an exhibition featuring unique design solutions meant to enhance Toronto neighbourhoods. The hugely successful exhibit took place at XPACE, a student-run exhibit space located in the Queen West neighourhood, and drew a crowd of close to 300 on opening night.
Toronto Unbound represented the culmination of an immense amount of work and an incredibly engaging partnership between OCAD, the City of Toronto, and OpenCity Projects — a group of writers, filmmakers, strategists and designers dedicated to enhancing the city living experience. This year, five of the solutions proposed by students are being implemented throughout Toronto.
The exhibition followed a full-semester project involving students enrolled in ID Studio 4: Design for Flow Space, which is a core course offered to Industrial Design students at OCAD. The course asks students to focus on experience design in their projects, a practice that involves improving the quality of the user experience. A partnership between OpenCity Projects and the City of Toronto was initiated prior to start of the course to help students understand the value of stakeholder insight and how it informs design. As Faculty of Design Professor Job Rutgers explains, “I organize the course each year together with a partner organization in order to provide a real-world context for students, making sure that they gain an in-depth understanding and immersion in user-experience research and concept testing. As this is the last core studio course they’ll take before they embark on thesis, it’s important to engage them in a full-semester project.”
The mandate of OpenCity Projects is to enhance the Toronto living experience. With this as their core inspiration, students working on the project proposed innovative solutions that ranged from creating safer neighbourhoods to integrating new residents into the community. They also immersed themselves in specific neighbourhoods as part of the lab, discovering residents’ insights, identifying challenges and opportunities, and generating design solutions that extended beyond the physical to address peoples’ needs. Of the 80 design solutions created, the most compelling 22 were chosen for the exhibition. A special jury representing all partners selected the top 5 projects to be implemented by the City of Toronto over the next year.
“I applaud the efforts of OCAD students to craft unique designs for our streets and neighbourhoods,” said Mayor David Miller about Toronto Unbound in 2008. “By engaging Torontonians, the designers have responded to the needs expressed by local residents while revealing something new about familiar public spaces. This partnership between OCAD, OpenCity Projects and the City is helping make Toronto a truly livable city.”
Says Vincent Monastero, whose project Red Carpet is soon to be implemented in Parkdale and West Queen West, “We studied the neighbourhood for four months to choose an idea that would be the best fit. We didn’t want it to exist at a remove from the people who live there.” Monastero’s project intends to help dismantle what he perceives to be the physical, spatial, cultural, social and economic division between these neighbourhoods, which are separated by the overhead railway bridge that spans the intersection of Dufferin and Queen streets. His proposed solution comprises a red carpet in the shape of meandering arrows, which guide people in and out of the streetcar at the stop in front of the Gladstone Hotel. “This particular stop was chosen,” says Monastero, “because it has the most traffic and is the most visible. The project is meant to bring attention to your arrival into the neighbourhood and then your departure out of it.” Residents have praised the proposal for to the way it will serve, potentially, as an area landmark, and the way it will keep people from getting lost when they visit.
This year, OCAD’s Industrial Design students are participating in a similar project in partnership with OpenCity Projects and Luminato. “Icebreakers” — the theme for the 2009 project — focuses on communication and its ability to bring people together and strengthen communities. The students are asked to design solutions, objects, spaces, signage or rituals that serve as interfaces connecting people. The top design solutions will be exhibited at Brookfield Place (formerly BCE Place) for one day as part of the Luminato festival, and at XPACE for 10 days.
“For students participating in this project, it is first and foremost a deep immersion in user-experience research methods,” says Rutgers. “The course opens new opportunities for designers. It also provides students with the tools and process to identify and develop these opportunities.”
By Veronika Lukacs, third-year Criticism & Curatorial Practice student at OCAD.
http://www.ocad.ca/students/articles_campus_life/20090429_toronto_unbound.htm
Saturday, May 23, 2009
OCAD on Queen
http://www.ocad.ca/students/articles_campus_life/20090324_ocad_on_queen.htm
OCAD's downtown location and close proximity to a plethora of art galleries is a source of inspiration for students; it also offers them the opportunity to become deeply involved in the local arts community. OCAD on Queen — a series of seven exhibitions featuring the multimedia works of this year's fourth-year Sculpture/Installation thesis students — takes full advantage of the vibrant scene surrounding the university. InterAccess Electronic Media Arts Centre, the galleries Lennox Contemporary and Board of Directors, as well as Gallery 1313, will be displaying the students' works from March 5 to April 26.
Over the two-month period, four of the exhibits will take place at Board of Directors with one each at InterAcess, Lennox Contemporary and Gallery 1313. While the exhibits at Board of Directors are shorter, running for ten days each, they are also solo or duo shows. The exhibits at the other three galleries are group shows featuring the work of several students.
OCAD on Queen is a product of the collaborative efforts of faculty, students and galleries, and it presents Sculpture/Installation thesis students with the opportunity to gain experience installing their works in a professional space. Because the exhibits take place off campus, students must seriously consider location and site-specificity in relation to their work. This is particularly pertinent to sculpture and installation, which tends to be informed by the context of presentation. One of the biggest challenges is to make work that is complicit with a pre-existing gallery space.
Although all Sculpture/Installation thesis students are required to participate in OCAD on Queen, many students had to submit an application and approach the gallery with a visual portfolio and statement. This is not unlike the process they’ll undertake as professional artists. “We wanted it to be as close to a professional exhibition experience as possible,” says Faculty of Art Associate Professor Ginette Legaré, who oversees the event. “Important players in the community are interested in collaborating with us because of the quality Sculpture & Installation students achieve in their fourth-year thesis. This event allows the transition between being a student and a professional artist happen in a more supportive manner.”
Denise Morazé, a thesis student whose work will be displayed at Lennox Contemporary, had a positive experience participating in the event. “It was a very democratic, consultative process,” says Morazé. “Students were able to contribute ideas based on their own experiences and backgrounds. I’m a mature student and I’ve worked in public relations, so I was in charge of the promotion of the event. Nicholas Carlino took care of the liquor licences, Christina Kostoff put up posters, Marie-Josée Pirri picked up supplies at Gallery 1313. There were designated coordinators for different tasks and students were able to make some sound suggestions.”
One thing that makes OCAD on Queen different from the thesis presentations of other, similar programs is the fact that the students’ final critiques take place in a gallery space rather than at the university. A panel composed of two faculty members and one external panel member comes to the gallery and participates in an hour-long discussion about the students’ work. As thesis student Sophia Zheshui Lin explains, “Our thesis papers are due one week before the critique, and the panel comes and asks questions on the basis of our papers and exhibits.” It’s clear that having the event off campus is the right thing to do. “The whole experience is an important opportunity to show our work in a proper space.”
Displaying the Sculpture/Installation students' work on Queen Street is sure to generate publicity for the program as well as the university. "It’s a very special crowd on Queen Street," says Lin. “I find that at school we’re often protected by the academic environment, but on Queen there are people who are educated about art as well as those who stroll in [to the gallery] accidentally, without necessarily knowing what we do at OCAD."
The students’ works will displayed until April 26th. Please see the Events Calendar for a detailed schedule or visit www.ocad.ca/ocadonqueen. This series of seven exhibitions is made possible through the generous support of the Nora Vaughn Bequest to the Sculpture/Installation program at OCAD.
By Veronika Lukacs, third-year Criticism & Curatorial Practice student at OCAD.
http://www.ocad.ca/students/articles_campus_life/20090324_ocad_on_queen.htm
OCAD's downtown location and close proximity to a plethora of art galleries is a source of inspiration for students; it also offers them the opportunity to become deeply involved in the local arts community. OCAD on Queen — a series of seven exhibitions featuring the multimedia works of this year's fourth-year Sculpture/Installation thesis students — takes full advantage of the vibrant scene surrounding the university. InterAccess Electronic Media Arts Centre, the galleries Lennox Contemporary and Board of Directors, as well as Gallery 1313, will be displaying the students' works from March 5 to April 26.
Over the two-month period, four of the exhibits will take place at Board of Directors with one each at InterAcess, Lennox Contemporary and Gallery 1313. While the exhibits at Board of Directors are shorter, running for ten days each, they are also solo or duo shows. The exhibits at the other three galleries are group shows featuring the work of several students.
OCAD on Queen is a product of the collaborative efforts of faculty, students and galleries, and it presents Sculpture/Installation thesis students with the opportunity to gain experience installing their works in a professional space. Because the exhibits take place off campus, students must seriously consider location and site-specificity in relation to their work. This is particularly pertinent to sculpture and installation, which tends to be informed by the context of presentation. One of the biggest challenges is to make work that is complicit with a pre-existing gallery space.
Although all Sculpture/Installation thesis students are required to participate in OCAD on Queen, many students had to submit an application and approach the gallery with a visual portfolio and statement. This is not unlike the process they’ll undertake as professional artists. “We wanted it to be as close to a professional exhibition experience as possible,” says Faculty of Art Associate Professor Ginette Legaré, who oversees the event. “Important players in the community are interested in collaborating with us because of the quality Sculpture & Installation students achieve in their fourth-year thesis. This event allows the transition between being a student and a professional artist happen in a more supportive manner.”
Denise Morazé, a thesis student whose work will be displayed at Lennox Contemporary, had a positive experience participating in the event. “It was a very democratic, consultative process,” says Morazé. “Students were able to contribute ideas based on their own experiences and backgrounds. I’m a mature student and I’ve worked in public relations, so I was in charge of the promotion of the event. Nicholas Carlino took care of the liquor licences, Christina Kostoff put up posters, Marie-Josée Pirri picked up supplies at Gallery 1313. There were designated coordinators for different tasks and students were able to make some sound suggestions.”
One thing that makes OCAD on Queen different from the thesis presentations of other, similar programs is the fact that the students’ final critiques take place in a gallery space rather than at the university. A panel composed of two faculty members and one external panel member comes to the gallery and participates in an hour-long discussion about the students’ work. As thesis student Sophia Zheshui Lin explains, “Our thesis papers are due one week before the critique, and the panel comes and asks questions on the basis of our papers and exhibits.” It’s clear that having the event off campus is the right thing to do. “The whole experience is an important opportunity to show our work in a proper space.”
Displaying the Sculpture/Installation students' work on Queen Street is sure to generate publicity for the program as well as the university. "It’s a very special crowd on Queen Street," says Lin. “I find that at school we’re often protected by the academic environment, but on Queen there are people who are educated about art as well as those who stroll in [to the gallery] accidentally, without necessarily knowing what we do at OCAD."
The students’ works will displayed until April 26th. Please see the Events Calendar for a detailed schedule or visit www.ocad.ca/ocadonqueen. This series of seven exhibitions is made possible through the generous support of the Nora Vaughn Bequest to the Sculpture/Installation program at OCAD.
By Veronika Lukacs, third-year Criticism & Curatorial Practice student at OCAD.
http://www.ocad.ca/students/articles_campus_life/20090324_ocad_on_queen.htm
Fourth-Year Week: On your mark...get set...finish!
http://www.ocad.ca/students/articles_campus_life/20090302_fourth_year_week.htm
From February 23 to 27, 2009, OCAD celebrated its second annual Fourth-Year Week. The event, which commenced with a kick-off breakfast on Monday, is designed to celebrate the accomplishments of fourth-year students and acknowledge the end of their undergraduate careers. Many of the planned activities had a communal, celebratory vibe; among them, a fourth-year party, a potluck dinner and a skating party. The week also included career and post-graduate information sessions presented by the following professional organizations: Ontario Crafts Council, Association of Registered Interior Designers of Ontario (ARIDO), Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council, and XPACE. Among other events and offerings was a free seated massage, a drop-in résumé clinic, and an information session on repaying Ontario Student Assistance Program loans.
Now in its second year, Fourth-Year Week is the product of the collaborative efforts of administration, faculty and students. While the event was first initiated by Campus Life & Career Services, its various components are now organized by the Alumni Association, the Health & Wellness Centre and OCADSU. This year, many faculty members also provided lectures and gave career information.
Fourth-Year week is the brainchild of Brent Everett James, Student Life Coordinator with Campus Life & Career Services at OCAD. The idea came to James once he learned of a similar event hosted by American secondary schools. “The television was on and there happened to be a news story on an American channel about [high school] Seniors’ Week activities. I had my back to the TV, but I drifted into the program, and I thought it would be a great idea to try out at the university level.” James approached the Student Life & Support Services Committee, where the suggestion received positive response. Together, they agreed it would be implemented in 2008.
While other university campuses offer students events-based career support, OCAD’s Fourth-Year Week has a unique, celebratory focus. “There’s some fluffy fun with the pancake breakfast and the skating party, but there’s also the solidity of relevant professional presentations, which are designed to assist and inform students in the art and design fields,” says James. In so doing, the event recognizes the community ties that students have made during their time at OCAD; it also helps launch them into the career world.
Contentedly eating pancakes on Monday morning was Evan Bender, a fourth-year student completing his BDes in Industrial Design. He talked about how much he was looking forward to the week and how he planned to take advantage of all the events. In particular, he was interested in meeting with alumni at the Fourth-Year Party. “I’m looking for insight on how to start and maintain a business, and since our alumni have been out there, they probably have a grasp on what works, which ideas have failed, and which have succeeded.”
On Wednesday, February 25, students had the opportunity to participate in Speed Mentoring sessions sponsored by the OCAD Alumni Association. Not unlike “speed dating”— where potential partners meet, greet and move on in a matter of minutes — the Speed Mentoring sessions pair students with mentors from a wide range of fields for a series of short, 10-minute chats. The lineup of alumni mentors included: Daniel Borins, Jennifer Marman, Gary Clement, Pat Fairhead, Katherine Mulherin, Charles Officer, Geoffrey Pugen, Amanda J. Reeves, Dana Samuel, Robert Southcott, Maia-Mari Sutnik, Andrée Wejsmann, and Akira Yoshikawa. Other accomplished individuals who generously volunteered their time as mentors were: Marta Braun, Toni Hafkenscheid, Thrush Holmes, Tim Shore and Monica Tap.
Immediately following the Speed Mentoring sessions was the Alumni Association Honours Reception, designed to recognize those who have lent their support to OCAD with an Honourary Alumni designation or with an Emeritus designation. Recipients of the Honourary designation were: Peter Caldwell, Vice-President, Finance & Administration; J. Anthony Caldwell, Chair, OCAD Board of Governors; and John Vivash, Chair, OCAD Foundation. The recipients of an Emeritus designation were: Diane Royce, Chair, Studio Program, Alumni Association; Jill Hendry, Past Chair, Merchandise Committee, Alumni Association; David Berg, Past President, Alumni Association; Dawn Dougall, Council Member, Alumni Association; Keith Rushton, Chair, Graphic Design and Chair, Academic Council, OCAD; Jacqueline Loch, Past Treasurer, Alumni Association; Rodney Galbraith, Council Member, Alumni Association; Steven Boake, Past President, Alumni Association and Member, Board of Governors; and Edie Bergl, Past Secretary & Past Chair, Studio Program, Alumni Association.
A Fourth-Year Party led by OCAD alumnus DJ Pat C. with live visuals by the Black Light Association of Canada followed the Honours Reception. Food and drinks were provided and students had the opportunity to further mingle with alumni.
OCAD would like to extend a special thanks to the event sponsors: annan & sons, the OCAD Alumni Association, Hillebrand Estate Winery, Steam Whistle Brewing, Golden Griddle Family Restaurants, OCADSU, and Campus Life & Career Services.
By Veronika Lukacs, third-year Criticism & Curatorial Practice student at OCAD
http://www.ocad.ca/students/articles_campus_life/20090302_fourth_year_week.htm
From February 23 to 27, 2009, OCAD celebrated its second annual Fourth-Year Week. The event, which commenced with a kick-off breakfast on Monday, is designed to celebrate the accomplishments of fourth-year students and acknowledge the end of their undergraduate careers. Many of the planned activities had a communal, celebratory vibe; among them, a fourth-year party, a potluck dinner and a skating party. The week also included career and post-graduate information sessions presented by the following professional organizations: Ontario Crafts Council, Association of Registered Interior Designers of Ontario (ARIDO), Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council, and XPACE. Among other events and offerings was a free seated massage, a drop-in résumé clinic, and an information session on repaying Ontario Student Assistance Program loans.
Now in its second year, Fourth-Year Week is the product of the collaborative efforts of administration, faculty and students. While the event was first initiated by Campus Life & Career Services, its various components are now organized by the Alumni Association, the Health & Wellness Centre and OCADSU. This year, many faculty members also provided lectures and gave career information.
Fourth-Year week is the brainchild of Brent Everett James, Student Life Coordinator with Campus Life & Career Services at OCAD. The idea came to James once he learned of a similar event hosted by American secondary schools. “The television was on and there happened to be a news story on an American channel about [high school] Seniors’ Week activities. I had my back to the TV, but I drifted into the program, and I thought it would be a great idea to try out at the university level.” James approached the Student Life & Support Services Committee, where the suggestion received positive response. Together, they agreed it would be implemented in 2008.
While other university campuses offer students events-based career support, OCAD’s Fourth-Year Week has a unique, celebratory focus. “There’s some fluffy fun with the pancake breakfast and the skating party, but there’s also the solidity of relevant professional presentations, which are designed to assist and inform students in the art and design fields,” says James. In so doing, the event recognizes the community ties that students have made during their time at OCAD; it also helps launch them into the career world.
Contentedly eating pancakes on Monday morning was Evan Bender, a fourth-year student completing his BDes in Industrial Design. He talked about how much he was looking forward to the week and how he planned to take advantage of all the events. In particular, he was interested in meeting with alumni at the Fourth-Year Party. “I’m looking for insight on how to start and maintain a business, and since our alumni have been out there, they probably have a grasp on what works, which ideas have failed, and which have succeeded.”
On Wednesday, February 25, students had the opportunity to participate in Speed Mentoring sessions sponsored by the OCAD Alumni Association. Not unlike “speed dating”— where potential partners meet, greet and move on in a matter of minutes — the Speed Mentoring sessions pair students with mentors from a wide range of fields for a series of short, 10-minute chats. The lineup of alumni mentors included: Daniel Borins, Jennifer Marman, Gary Clement, Pat Fairhead, Katherine Mulherin, Charles Officer, Geoffrey Pugen, Amanda J. Reeves, Dana Samuel, Robert Southcott, Maia-Mari Sutnik, Andrée Wejsmann, and Akira Yoshikawa. Other accomplished individuals who generously volunteered their time as mentors were: Marta Braun, Toni Hafkenscheid, Thrush Holmes, Tim Shore and Monica Tap.
Immediately following the Speed Mentoring sessions was the Alumni Association Honours Reception, designed to recognize those who have lent their support to OCAD with an Honourary Alumni designation or with an Emeritus designation. Recipients of the Honourary designation were: Peter Caldwell, Vice-President, Finance & Administration; J. Anthony Caldwell, Chair, OCAD Board of Governors; and John Vivash, Chair, OCAD Foundation. The recipients of an Emeritus designation were: Diane Royce, Chair, Studio Program, Alumni Association; Jill Hendry, Past Chair, Merchandise Committee, Alumni Association; David Berg, Past President, Alumni Association; Dawn Dougall, Council Member, Alumni Association; Keith Rushton, Chair, Graphic Design and Chair, Academic Council, OCAD; Jacqueline Loch, Past Treasurer, Alumni Association; Rodney Galbraith, Council Member, Alumni Association; Steven Boake, Past President, Alumni Association and Member, Board of Governors; and Edie Bergl, Past Secretary & Past Chair, Studio Program, Alumni Association.
A Fourth-Year Party led by OCAD alumnus DJ Pat C. with live visuals by the Black Light Association of Canada followed the Honours Reception. Food and drinks were provided and students had the opportunity to further mingle with alumni.
OCAD would like to extend a special thanks to the event sponsors: annan & sons, the OCAD Alumni Association, Hillebrand Estate Winery, Steam Whistle Brewing, Golden Griddle Family Restaurants, OCADSU, and Campus Life & Career Services.
By Veronika Lukacs, third-year Criticism & Curatorial Practice student at OCAD
http://www.ocad.ca/students/articles_campus_life/20090302_fourth_year_week.htm
Winners Announced in 2009 OCAD Design Competition
http://www.ocad.ca/students/articles_campus_life/20090206_design_competition_winners.htm
Each year, OCAD offers students from all design disciplines a unique opportunity to form teams and work together — over the course of four short days — to find solutions to world problems. The competition, which adopts a new theme annually and which also encourages the participation of Faculty of Art students and outside jurors, took place between January 22 and 26, 2009. Winning entries were announced on January 29th.
Winners of the 2009 Design Competition at OCAD.The top prize for this year’s challenge went to a team of third- and fourth-year students in the Industrial Design and Environmental Design programs. Cindy Cheng Han Jung, Jacky Wu, Kathy Tien, Shawn Hsiao Ju Chien, and Arash Sadr were each awarded $400 for their proposal “Green Mile.”
Titled Re-Think, Re-Imagine, Re-Design: Rethinking Models of Consumption, the competition asked students to focus on food and household products, as these essential consumables are arguably one of our most pressing environmental concerns. We purchase 70 percent or more of our garbage output at the supermarket. Given this fact, the mandate of the competition was to come up with innovative strategies to address this problem in a way that remained appealing to consumers. To this end, aesthetics and ethics both needed to be considered by analyzing products’ life cycles and by creating branding and marketing strategies. As stated in the brief for the competition, “This theme (the aesthetic of sustainable consumption) must be considered very seriously, to dispel the widespread belief that sustainability is secondary to consumption and consumable goods.”
Competition winners were chosen by a jury panel composed of Susan King Roth, Dean, Faculty of Design; Greg Van Alstyne, Associate Professor and Director of Research at the Strategic Innovation Lab; Food and Beverage Cluster Specialist Michael Wolfson from the City of Toronto; and Zahra Ebrahim, Founder and Chief Executive Officer at archiTEXT.
Adding to the challenge, the teams had only four days to complete their projects. Literature accompanying the displayed proposals called the event a design charette, a term describing “a period of intense design activity, often immediately preceding a deadline.”
In spite of these rigorous conditions, the students came up with varied and thoughtful displays. Among the innovative solutions was a proposal advocating the use of hydroponic farming in the city, an agriculture method where produce is grown in a solution rather than in soil. Since half the global population lives in cities, this would help limit transportation and carbon dioxide emissions.
Some groups used marketing strategies to get consumers to focus on the health benefits of freshly picked groceries, which have a higher nutritional value than their imported counterparts; others emphasized the communal aspects of local agriculture. Additional strategies included proposed packaging made from starch, colour-coded receipts to help consumers see where they overspend, and savings cards for buying local products.
“Green Mile,” the winning proposal, discussed the implementation of a point reward system not unlike Air Miles or the Shopper’s Drug Mart Optimum Card. The group’s aim was to help consumers to identify which products are the most environmentally friendly. To this end, products that have travelled less miles and have been manufactured and distributed using sustainable methods earn higher reward points. The team’s concept focused on educating the public and making better choices. They write, “Unfortunately, many of us are not aware of sustainability because of lack of education. Therefore, we would like to introduce GreenMile, which creates an opportunity for all of us to [get] actively involved in living a sustainable lifestyle in a more convenient and productive way.”
The team also developed a system that would allow products to be scanned to obtain detailed information on where they came from and how they were manufactured. The points on the reward cards would be redeemable for green hydro and electricity and discounts on other eco-friendly products and produce.
Taking home the second place prize of $200 were second year students Theresa Duong, Material Art & Design;
EV Kelli Hui, Industrial Design; Karen Hsieh, Environmental Design; and Daniel Kim, Graphic Design. “Genesis,” the name of the condominium tower they proposed, featured a hydroponic farm and communal cooking and dining areas.
Honourable mention went to a group of first- and second-year students for “Down2Earth,” a proposed store that would separate the sustainable foods from the non-sustainable. In this store, the “good” products would be placed in a setting designed to soothe shoppers, while the “bad” products would be presented amid the cacophonous sounds of machinery.
Congratulations to those who participated in the event. It will be interesting for all involved to see how sustainability-focused design continues to shape the consumer experience.
By Veronika Lukacs, third-year Criticism & Curatorial Practice student at OCAD.
http://www.ocad.ca/students/articles_campus_life/20090206_design_competition_winners.htm
Each year, OCAD offers students from all design disciplines a unique opportunity to form teams and work together — over the course of four short days — to find solutions to world problems. The competition, which adopts a new theme annually and which also encourages the participation of Faculty of Art students and outside jurors, took place between January 22 and 26, 2009. Winning entries were announced on January 29th.
Winners of the 2009 Design Competition at OCAD.The top prize for this year’s challenge went to a team of third- and fourth-year students in the Industrial Design and Environmental Design programs. Cindy Cheng Han Jung, Jacky Wu, Kathy Tien, Shawn Hsiao Ju Chien, and Arash Sadr were each awarded $400 for their proposal “Green Mile.”
Titled Re-Think, Re-Imagine, Re-Design: Rethinking Models of Consumption, the competition asked students to focus on food and household products, as these essential consumables are arguably one of our most pressing environmental concerns. We purchase 70 percent or more of our garbage output at the supermarket. Given this fact, the mandate of the competition was to come up with innovative strategies to address this problem in a way that remained appealing to consumers. To this end, aesthetics and ethics both needed to be considered by analyzing products’ life cycles and by creating branding and marketing strategies. As stated in the brief for the competition, “This theme (the aesthetic of sustainable consumption) must be considered very seriously, to dispel the widespread belief that sustainability is secondary to consumption and consumable goods.”
Competition winners were chosen by a jury panel composed of Susan King Roth, Dean, Faculty of Design; Greg Van Alstyne, Associate Professor and Director of Research at the Strategic Innovation Lab; Food and Beverage Cluster Specialist Michael Wolfson from the City of Toronto; and Zahra Ebrahim, Founder and Chief Executive Officer at archiTEXT.
Adding to the challenge, the teams had only four days to complete their projects. Literature accompanying the displayed proposals called the event a design charette, a term describing “a period of intense design activity, often immediately preceding a deadline.”
In spite of these rigorous conditions, the students came up with varied and thoughtful displays. Among the innovative solutions was a proposal advocating the use of hydroponic farming in the city, an agriculture method where produce is grown in a solution rather than in soil. Since half the global population lives in cities, this would help limit transportation and carbon dioxide emissions.
Some groups used marketing strategies to get consumers to focus on the health benefits of freshly picked groceries, which have a higher nutritional value than their imported counterparts; others emphasized the communal aspects of local agriculture. Additional strategies included proposed packaging made from starch, colour-coded receipts to help consumers see where they overspend, and savings cards for buying local products.
“Green Mile,” the winning proposal, discussed the implementation of a point reward system not unlike Air Miles or the Shopper’s Drug Mart Optimum Card. The group’s aim was to help consumers to identify which products are the most environmentally friendly. To this end, products that have travelled less miles and have been manufactured and distributed using sustainable methods earn higher reward points. The team’s concept focused on educating the public and making better choices. They write, “Unfortunately, many of us are not aware of sustainability because of lack of education. Therefore, we would like to introduce GreenMile, which creates an opportunity for all of us to [get] actively involved in living a sustainable lifestyle in a more convenient and productive way.”
The team also developed a system that would allow products to be scanned to obtain detailed information on where they came from and how they were manufactured. The points on the reward cards would be redeemable for green hydro and electricity and discounts on other eco-friendly products and produce.
Taking home the second place prize of $200 were second year students Theresa Duong, Material Art & Design;
EV Kelli Hui, Industrial Design; Karen Hsieh, Environmental Design; and Daniel Kim, Graphic Design. “Genesis,” the name of the condominium tower they proposed, featured a hydroponic farm and communal cooking and dining areas.
Honourable mention went to a group of first- and second-year students for “Down2Earth,” a proposed store that would separate the sustainable foods from the non-sustainable. In this store, the “good” products would be placed in a setting designed to soothe shoppers, while the “bad” products would be presented amid the cacophonous sounds of machinery.
Congratulations to those who participated in the event. It will be interesting for all involved to see how sustainability-focused design continues to shape the consumer experience.
By Veronika Lukacs, third-year Criticism & Curatorial Practice student at OCAD.
http://www.ocad.ca/students/articles_campus_life/20090206_design_competition_winners.htm
Published Work
For the past few months, I've been writing articles for the Campus Life section of the Ontario College of Art & Design's website. I've decided to upload them to this blog because I don't really have them in one spot, and I'm not sure if the links are going to expire at some point. It's also the only writing that I've had published, so it's probably smart to keep track of it. Keep in mind that I don't have much say over what topics I cover, and I don't have much creative legroom because the university has to be represented professionally and academic integrity has to be preserved and whatnot.
I've uploaded all the text from the articles, but I've also posted the URLs for their official counterparts at the bottom. I recommend reading the articles there rather than on my blog. The OCAD website includes images and captions, and the articles just look much nicer there.
I've uploaded all the text from the articles, but I've also posted the URLs for their official counterparts at the bottom. I recommend reading the articles there rather than on my blog. The OCAD website includes images and captions, and the articles just look much nicer there.
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