Filed under: Design, etc, News & Trends
Check out the three finalists in our exciting Design Challenge and vote for your favorite -- you could see the winner in stores next summer!ShelterPop has teamed up with the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) to host the first-ever ShelterPop SCAD Design Challenge. SCAD is one of the leading fine arts universities, known for its innovative Working Class Studio, a product development program that encourages students and alumni to bring their designs to market. This contest is a chance for students to flex their design muscles and have their work judged by an esteemed panel of design experts.
Left to right: Hanging book vase, Recycling bag, balloon vase. Photos: SCAD
For this contest, a selection of SCAD's Working Class Studio interns were asked to design products that embodied ShelterPop's motto, "Happy homes make happy people." Fifteen ideas were submitted and SCAD and ShelterPop narrowed down the contestants to five top contenders using the following criteria:
-How well does the product embody ShelterPop's motto, "Happy homes make happy people"?
-How well does the product solve a problem?
-Is it something you would buy for your own home?
-Would it make your life easier?
-Is it new? Exciting? Innovative?
Then we called in the experts. ShelterPop and SCAD gathered an expert panel of eight designers, bloggers and interior experts to review and vote on the five student creations using the same criteria for the initial round of judging. We compared the scores from all eight judges and determined the final top three contenders from the SCAD ShelterPop Design Challenge.
Pick your favorite!
May the happiest product win!
After you vote, read on to learn all about the amazing student-designed pieces, the students themselves and everything else you need to know about the ShelterPop and SCAD Design Challenge.
(And check back in next week for a video about the whole process!)
Ready for the full scoop on the top three products?
Balloon Vases by Corey Green. Photo: SCAD
Designer: Corey Green
Major: Industrial design, SCAD Savannah
Hometown: Yates Center, Kansas
Humble balloons become clever vases with the help of acrylic frames in Corey Green's design. Acrylic arms extend upward to form the barely-there shape of each vase to hold a balloon. Water and flowers are placed in a balloon, and the more water is used, the heavier and sturdier the vase becomes. Different designs allow for a variety of balloon sizes and shapes. To change the look or mood of the vase, simply change the balloon. And you'll always know when you're due to re-water...the balloon shrivels!
Expert Opinion: "We love how the designer took inexpensive, accessible balloons and transformed them into very chic household items...and we love that you can switch out the color of the balloons as you wish," say John Loecke and Jason Oliver Nixon of John Loecke Inc. Plus, the design duo adds, "These balloon vases make us happy, and that's what good design should do. "
Hanging Book Vase by Sami Fox. Photo: SCAD
Hanging Book Vase
Designer: Sami Fox
Major: Graphic design and photography double major, SCAD Savannah
Hometown: Suffern, New York
This hand-blown clear glass vase hangs from the pages of an open book, using three finger-like prongs to hold it in place. Sami Fox's design allows users to display flowers and favorite books together for unique vignettes.
Expert Opinion: "I would buy this for my own home," notes interior designer Amy Lau. "It is smart, fun, innovative and handmade -- definitely one of a kind."
Recycling Bags by Tessa Gunnell. Photo: SCAD
Designer: Tessa Gunnell
Major: Industrial design, SCAD Savannah
Hometown: Frederick, Maryland
Setting up a recycling station can be challenging, but Tessa Gunnell's design makes it easy (and fun!) to organize your cans and bottles. The machine-washable canvas bags hang on the wall from a hole in their funnel-shaped metal tops, which detach from the bags for easy washing. Each bag is color-coded with a pattern that correlates to the recyclables it holds (plastic, glass, paper and/or metal materials) for easy identification.
Expert Opinion: "These [recycling bags] offer a great solution to recycling for those who don't have a lot of floor space to have bins," says blogger and graphic designer Joy Cho.
Want to learn more about the SCAD ShelterPop Design Challenge?
- Meet the students behind the winning designs
- Meet our SCAD ShelterPop Design Challenge guest judges
And tell us why you chose your favorite product on our Facebook page!
Voting begins at 10am EST on Friday, 1/21 and ends at 5pm EST on Thursday, 1/27 (the "Voting Period"). Voting is limited to once per person. At the conclusion of the Voting Period, the submission with the most verified votes will be deemed the winner.
Any use of agencies or robotic, repetitive, automatic, programmed or similar voting methods or agents will void all votes by that person. In the event that the operation, security, or administration of the voting is impaired in any way for any reason, including, but not limited to fraud, virus, or other technical problem, the Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, suspend the voting to address the impairment and then resume the voting in a manner that best conforms to the spirit of these rules. AOL reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any individual it finds to be tampering with the voting process or the operation of the voting or to be acting in violation of these rules or in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner.
Since you're showing the voting in real-time, you'll also need to include the following disclaimer: Voting results shown should not be deemed as final. All votes are subject to verification.