A child’s chair wins IKEA design innovation competition
The winner of an IKEA competition to design a piece of furniture that ‘grows with the child’ has been unveiled by Southampton Solent University.
IKEA judges struggled to pick an overall winner from the excellent range of furniture designed by the second-year BA (Hons) Product Design students but finally selected as first place was Olivia Gibbs, who impressed them with a chair that doubles up as a working table.
The brief was to design adaptable furniture for a child’s room that could be reconfigured to meet to their needs as they get older.
Olivia’s design used IKEA fabrics and simple fluid shapes to reflect a child’s imagination with the back rest of the chair pivoting and rotating into a working surface area.
Olivia said: “I am actually one of seven children and I have always been interested in children’s furniture. This award means so much and this recognition has encouraged and motivated me to pursue a career in this area.”
“A desk and chair are key features for young children and combining the two helps with space and provides what they need for their development. As my mum has just had a baby it will be easy to spend my prize - an Ikea gift-card.”
All the designs had to demonstrate quality, style, function and price in-line with IKEA’s democratic design ethos.
Alex Scoggins, Acting Local Marketing Manager, IKEA said: “This design Olivia has created is just the sort of wonderful everyday product that fits perfectly with what IKEA represents. Olivia also considered safety in the design process while keeping the style clean, simple and slick.”
The assessment criteria included concept and development, aesthetic sensitivity, research, quality of CAD model, communication, creativity, professionalism and studentship.
Programme group leader for Product Design, Mark Jones said: “The students have all demonstrated creative thinking with innovative solutions to the brief. The course continues to benefit from the support from industry helping students prepare for employment in industry.”
Notes for Editors:
The prize was £100 to spend in-store.
Their designs were targeted at one or more of the three age groups IKEA identified:
Aged 0 to 3
Aged 4 to 7
Aged 8 to 12
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT THE MEDIA OFFICE ON 023 8031 9642 or email press.office@solent.ac.uk
About Southampton Solent University
Southampton Solent University offers more than 23,000 students over 200 qualifications ranging from HND to PhD, in subjects such as maritime education and training, fashion and design, media and television, music, health, sport and leisure, business, IT and technology. The university was awarded the 2013 Quality Assurance kitemark for quality and standards of teaching and learning. Solent was voted one of the most creative universities in the UK in a Which? University 2013 poll of students. It has been awarded ‘Gold approval’ by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).
Tags:
