This fall, interior design juniors in Professor Abimbola Asojo’s IDES 3612 Lighting Design class were given the chance to shine in the Groovystuff Ambient Lighting Challenge.
Based in Texas, Groovystuff is a wholesale manufacturer and supplier of traditional rustic home décor that focuses on utilizing reclaimed materials in all aspects of production and design. Through their design challenge, Groovystuff partners with university programs to give students access to industry events, mentoring, and more. In this year’s competition, Groovystuff challenged College of Design students to design a light fixture that both appealed to consumers and used reclaimed or recycled materials.
In early October, students presented their designs to Groovystuff co-founder, Chris Bruning. The students’ final designs were then sent to High Point Market in North Carolina where they were showcased to industry professionals who voted for their favorite piece. This year’s vote resulted in a three-way tie for first place between Erin Kloth’s Bare to the Bone, Stephanie Nardi’s Twisted Wire, and Lauren Stromquist’s Rustic Finds – a first for the competition.
A collaboration between Professor Abimbola Asojo (Interior Design) and Professors Dolapo Amole and Babatunde Jaiyeoba of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in lle-lfe, Osun, Nigeria has culminated in the development of the first interior design program at a Nigerian university.
When designing for today’s workplace, interior designers are increasingly called upon to think beyond the traditional cubicle and create a more contemporary space. Interior design students in Abimbola Asojo and Justine Pliska’s IDES 2604 experienced this first-hand when they were asked to design a “third place work cafe” as part of a competition from Haworth.
Universal design is the practice of designing an environment in such a way that it is accessible and usable by the greatest number of people possible, no matter their age, cultural background, or ability.
