Purdue News
Purdue News
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April 2, 2004 Industrial design students test skills in battle against timeWEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue University industrial design students will be "locked in" the Visual and Performing Arts Building for 48 hours as part of an art competition to simulate a real work deadline experience. In "48 To Design," Steve Visser, professor of industrial design, is challenging his students to create and produce a professional-quality product in 48 hours. Two teams of students have from 6 p.m. today (Friday, 4/2) to 6 p.m. Sunday (4/4) to design, sketch and produce a model product. Two other teams competed March 26- 28. Students are not told in advance the type of design they will have to create. No matter the design – from a shopping cart to cell phone –students will be challenged to improve all of the item's features, including its usefulness and aesthetics. By the end of the 48 hours, each team should have an 8-by-10 inch model produced by a rapid prototype machine, commonly used in industry. "This is a great opportunity for our graduating seniors because it's not uncommon for designers to be handed a project with 48 hours to turn it around," Visser says. "It's the cruel reality of deadlines that we can't always mirror in the classroom. Students have weeks to work on class projects, and that is not always the case in the real world. This is a true test of their leadership and skills." The lock-in also gives students a realistic experience with working in teams. Students often don't have that opportunity during their regular coursework because they need to produce pieces for individual portfolios. Eight students from a senior-level design class is leading four teams of volunteer industrial design students as part of this competition, and the team leaders will be graded. Representatives from Whirlpool will judge the competition on Wednesday (4/7). Select items from the competition will be displayed later this year. Purdue's industrial design curriculum focuses on the study of material and processes, original design projects and methodology. Specific courses look at rapid sketching, rendering and model-making techniques. Computer courses in portfolio preparation and presentation techniques also are available. More than 100 students are majoring in industrial design. Purdue industrial design graduates have found jobs in corporations and consulting firms focusing on the design and development of products for manufacturing. Also, industrial design students have worked in transportation, commercial and residential equipment, recreation, medical equipment, electronics and exhibits. Writer: Amy Patterson-Neubert, (765) 494-9723, appatterson@purdue.edu Source: Steve Visser, (765) 494-2295, SVisser@sla.purdue.edu Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu Note to Journalists: Journalists are invited to cover the final day of the "48 To Design" competition on April 4 at the Visual and Performing Arts Building, at Marsteller and Wood streets, in rooms 3115 and 3108.
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