Recap of the Student Competition

The Southern California Chapter of the Retail Design Institute held it’s signature Student Challenge Event on May 31st in the heart of NicoNat Manufacturing’s facility in Commerce, CA.

In recognition of the Institute’s recently judged International Student Store Design Competition, the brief was centered on the creation of High End Accessory Store Designs, featuring students from California State Long Beach & the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising.

The event provided local students the opportunity to demonstrate their creative talent and showcase their innovative competition entries to local retail design firms. Each student was partnered with a mentor from the Industry and given one of five brands to work with: Oliver Peoples, Tiffany & Co, Cartier, Christian Louboutin and Tous.

“What I love about this event most, is how energized everyone is!” commented James Farnell, President of the Institute’s Southern California Chapter. “Through this event, the students are given an amazing stage on which to perform, with an audience of leading industry experts and exposure to many other members of the local retail design community. Our professional members equally enjoy the opportunity - to get out of their studios and work alongside emerging Southern Californian design talent in a competitive, raw environment. It’s a win-win formula!”

During the course of the afternoon each team created store concepts and a presentation board against the backdrop of the raw manufacturing facility that hosted the event. As guests arrived for the evening event and took the opportunity to network on the red carpet, each student presented their work to a panel of industry experts.

Guests included professionals and faculty from H&M, Westfield, Disney, Forever 21, Little, Quicksilver, Callison, Pacific Fixture Co, Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, California State University Long Beach, Hekman Company and several others.

The successful finalists were then asked to develop their designs into models for a final presentation as members and friends of the Institute were invited to join an educational tour of the facilities’ new technologies and energy efficient systems.

Congratulations to winning team Rocio Vasquez (CSULB) and Philip Otto (Callison) whose award was designed, fabricated and later fabricated during the course of the very same evening!

Check out the event photos here.

Students

Rocio Vasquez – CSULB

Nicole Robinson – CSULB

Deanna Pech – CSULB

Britt Lang – FIDM

Megan Moussamih – FIDM

Mentors

Josh Breeden, Designers/Project Architect, Gensler

Philip Otto, Director, Callison

Amanda Thevenot, Sr. Designer Store Concepts, BCBG

Hethe Breuer, Design Director, Kellwood

Michelle Tomlinson, Tomlinson Consulting

Judges

Jude Elledge, Creative Director, Trend Habitat

Christine Nakaoka, Director of Creative Services, Forever 21

Susanne Andrey, Owner- Founder, Infuse Ideas

Sponsors

NicoNat Manufacturing

Infuse Ideas

Signage by Victory Display

Credits

Photography - Kelly Nguyen

Special thanks also to board members Susanne Andrey, Mimi Yacobucci and Jenny Diaz for co-ordinating the event with Kelly Nguyen, Michelle Curry and Hedi Carrigan of the RDI nextGEN Team; and for the additional support from the staff at NicoNat Manufacturing. You made the evening a huge success!

Students who wish to join the institute or enter next year should register their interest with Jenny Diaz

For more details on our previous events visit us here or for general inquiries please contact caswpres@retaildesigninstitute.org

Second Annual Student Competition is Coming Up

Save the Date

Calling all students!

Are you interested in showcasing your work to industry professionals? nextGEN is proud to be hosting its second annual student competition. The competition will be May 31, 2012.  So mark your calendars! The competition is open to ALL interior design students currently attending an accredited design program. If you didn't have a chance to compete last year May 31st is your chance!

Last year's competition was a great success! If you would like to read about last year's competition, you can check out our publication on Issuu. There are also some posts about last year's competition here, here, here and here.

We will be posting more information about the competition, so please keep checking back.

New Year, New Connections

Happy New Year everyone! It's a new year and it's time to make the best of it!

Students are you interested in becoming apart of nextGEN? Join the Retail Design Institute today!

The Young Guns Contest

Hot off the Twitter feed, Dwell is having a design competition for students. What student would not want to be recognized in a world-renowned magazine such as Dwell.

Reprising last year's solicitation of student-made graphic, industrial, font, interactive, and architectural design work, Dwell is proud to invite students to submit their work for a chance to be featured in an upcoming issue of the magazine. (Accompanied by an online feature, naturally.)

If you were enrolled in some kind of schooling when you engineered your groundbreaking design, and it can be visually represented in a photograph or rendering, then we want to share your work with our community. Once we gather up some favorites, the editors will pick a selection for a page in the May 2012 issue. The community-led voting session will determine which twenty submissions will be featured in an online roundup. Cue accolades, congratulations, toasting, laurels, and so on.

All it takes is one static image to represent your hard-won academic achievements. When you email it to us, don't forget to include a short statement about your project's theme, what materials you used, when you created it, and what school you attend. And it goes without saying that we only want to see your own work. Source Dwell Magazine

Read more: http://www.dwell.com/articles/the-youngest-guns.html#ixzz1h71dLBNg

Pop Up Student Challenge (cont'd)

(left to right) Angela Saladino (RDI Treasurer), VJ Rodriguez (Judge),  Angela Lindsay (WATG), Mimi Yacobucci (RDI Event Coordinator)

Model building

Model building

Judges VJ Rodriguez (left) and Stephen B. Heckman (far right)

CSLB students supporting their fellow students competing

Finalist Kandy Chang showing off her finished model

Ashlee Harper, IDI, giving her final presentation of the evening

Kandy Chang, CSLB, giving her final presentation of the evening

Ann Taylor concept model (Ashlee Harper IDI)

Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker concept model (Kandy Chang CSLB)

Ashlee Harper and Kandy Chang

(left to right) Judges Stephen B. Heckman, Nichole A. Fowler, and VJ Rodriguez

Competition winner Kandy Chang (CSLB)

Ashlee Harper and Jenny Diaz (nextGEN President)

James Farnell (RDI President) congratulating competition winner Kandy Chang for a job well done

(left to right) James Farnell (RDI President), Ashlee Harper (IDI), Jenny Diaz (nextGEN President), & Kandy Chang (CSLB)

(left to right) Jenny Diaz, Ashlee Harper, James Farnell, James Schauer, Nichole A. Fowler, Kandy Chang, Paul Dove, Stephen B. Heckman, & VJ Rodriguez

Thank you for coming to support the first annual student competition!

Pop Up Student Challenge (cont'd)

Lunch time for the mentors!

(left to right) Paul Dove, Tracy Woods, Angela Lindsay, Matt Welsh, James Schnauer, Chris Love, & Susanne Andrey (RDI Event Coordinator)

nextGEN Student Member Stephanie Loose

Judge VJ Rodriguez & RDI President James Farnell

Waiting patiently for the taco man 

Student and their mentors pose of a picture after the presentations

(left to right) nextGEN Events Coordinator Kelly Nguyen, RDI President James Farnell, & nextGEN President Jenny Diaz

(left to right) Stephanie Loose, John Geyer, Jenny Diaz (nextGEN President), James Farnell (RDI President). Kelly Nguyen (nextGEN Events Coordinator), & Michelle Curry (nextGEN Communications Chair)

Ashlee Harper (left) further discussing her design concept with Judge Stephen B. Heckman (left)

Time for the second round! The two finalists built a model to show off their design concept. Their mentors James Schnauer and  Paul Dove could not stand on the sidelines cheering. They jumped in to help the students build their models.

James Schnauer (left) helping finalist Ashlee Harper (right: white shirt) build model 

James Schnauer (left) helping finalist Ashlee Harper (right: white shirt) build model 

Paul Dove (right) helping finalist Kandy Chang (right) build model

Pop Up Student Challenge

The long awaited pictures from the Pop Up Student Challenge are here!

nextGEN President, Jenny Diaz  explaining the guidelines of the competition

After the students were given their supplies, they were off and running! Each student was assigned to a student.

 Tracy Woods (left), Callison, discussing the brand Bed Bath and Beyond with Amy Houtenville, IDI

Chris Love (left), BCBG, discussing the brand Gymboree with CSLB student

James Schnauer (left), Glow, discussing the brand Ann Taylor with Ashlee Harper, IDI

Paul Dove (right), Pixesky, discussing the brand Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker with Kandy Chnag, CSLB

 Angela Lindsey (right), WATG, discussing Ben Sherman brand with CSLB student

Matt Walsh (left), IDA, discussing Dooney & Burke brand with CSLB student

Time's up!

The students gathered their sketches, floor plans, and renderings preparing to present their design... 

Recap of the First Annual nextGEN Student Competition

nextGEN hosted the first annual local student competition Thursday, October 29th. The competition was a great success. Students from the Interior Designers Institute, in Newport Beach, and Cal State Long Beach came to support their fellow students. There were 6 students that competed, 2 were from the Interior Designers Institute and the remaining 4 were from Cal State Long Beach. They chose the brand they were to design for, met with their mentor, and off they went!

It was exciting to watch the students develop their design! The students worked for two and a half hours sketching, space planning, rendering, and developing their design concept. Then it was time for the students to present their designs to the judges. Two finalists were then selected to build a model of their design. Instead of  the finalists designing their models solo, the other competitors agreed to help the finalist with the construction of their models. The finalists were given building materials and a box filled with unusual objects. And off they went!

When the model building began, everyone gravitated toward the finalists. You could feel the excitement in the air. Everyone was cheering the students on. Their mentors couldn't just stay on the sidelines cheering, they jumped in to help the finalists build! Even some of the nextGEN members were eager to help.

Then two finalist then presented their models to the judges and a winner was chosen. All the students were winners. They were able to showcase their ability to space plan, sketch, and develop a concept in a few short hours. The industry professionals that were at the event were impressed by the students. The competition gave the students a great opportunity to network as well.

If you did not compete in this year there will be more opportunities to compete. nextGEN will be planing more local student competitions, so keep checking back!

Pictures soon to follow!

First Annual nextGEN Student Competition Presented by the Retail Design Institute

 

This one day, day of competition will be too exciting to miss out on. When you show up @ 2:30PM, you will be assigned a mentor from the industry and a department! You then have 3 hours too complete the first deliverable of 2 loose renderings a floor plan and a reflected ceiling plan. But while creating your design concept, keep in mind to design the best pop-up store feature so that if you are amongst the top 3, then you get to build this feature out of materials provided!!! So much excitement and it is such a great opportunity to meet professionals in the retail design industry.

Please contact us if you need anymore information! Spots are still available so join in!!!!

Upcoming Student Competition Hosted by nextGEN

Calling all students!

Are you interested in showcasing your work to industry professionals? nextGEN is proud to be hosting an upcoming student competition. The competition will be October 2011.  The competition is open to ALL interior design students currently attending an accredited design program.

We will be posting more information about the competition, so please keep checking back.

Back to School

It's the being of September and most students have already started back to school. It's time to buckle down and get back into the groove of researching, building models, sketching, giving presentations, and much more. As interior design students we try to make to most of our time in and out of the classroom. Sometimes it can feel like a balancing act when it comes to school work and extracurricular activities. Here are some suggestions to make the most out of your time studying interior design in school.

Join RDI and become apart of nextGEN or join other professional organizations at the student level. It can never be said enough how important it is to join a professional organization. Being a student member of a professional does not only expand your knowledge of the design field but it also allows you meet and network with professionals in the industry. There are many avenues within the interior design field, it is helpful you navigate towards your future!

Calling all interior design students, enter design competitions. Entering a design competition can seem a little intimidating. However, when you participate there is an opportunity for your work to be seen by professionals in the industry. Plus it is something you can add to you resume and it a great addition to your portfolio! Many interior design professional organizations, manufacturers, and design magazines sponsor many of the design competitions out there. Therefore, get your work out there and show the design industry how talented you are! 

Start to build your design vocabulary. The interior design field has been given many occupational stereotypes. Be an intelligent and articulate when it comes to speaking about the design industry.

Find yourself a mentor. Don't be afraid to ask a design professional or even your teacher to be your mentor. Many professionals are happy to look at your portfolio. They can give you valuable feedback to better your portfolio or resume. This will be helpful because you can find out what professionals are looking for when it comes to potential employees.

Intern, intern, intern. Internships are such an important aspect for developing what design service or market you would like to enter. Paid or not, you will gain valuable experience. Some internships can lead to job opportunities. Finding a internship in today's economy can be a little discouraging, however, that is why developing a portfolio is so important.

Start building your portfolio, resume, and/ website. The interior design industry is gravitating towards the "digital-age." Therefore, carrying full size drawings and cumbersome portfolios is becoming more uncommon. It is becoming easier to create your own website or digital portfolio. There are many different resources you can use to start building your digital footprint like Blogger, Wix, WordPress, Tumblr, and Posterous.

Learn how to market yourself. As student and emerging professional it is important to market yourself. The job market is becoming more competitive. You want to be the one that employers remember. In a sense you are your own brand, make it a go one! Read more about marketing yourself here.

We how that these suggestions will help you have the more reward experience as an interior design student. Remember once you have graduated and are a young professional don't stop educating yourself! The interior design industry is ever changing, therefore, there is always something new to learn. 

We'll Meet You in the Sandbox

Dwell magazine is having a design competition. Come join James Hardie and get your hands dirty in the sandbox. What is the concept you ask? The concept is to wow them with renderings of fantastical funhouses. They are looking for structures that will slow down passersby, and the envy of "fun-loving" kids and parents alike. Channel your inner child and create something amazing!!

You can enter through September 30. To learn more about the competition check out Dwell's website.

Want to Design for a Scholarship?

National Kitchen and Bath Association is holding a student design competition sponsored by Sub-Zero/Wolf and Waypoint Living Spaces. Students are asked to renovate a 19th century Federal Style Row House to the needs and wants of its client Michael and Jolene Matthews. The Matthews desire a traditional style allowing accessories and colors that reflect and add to the charm of the row house.

The winning entries in both kitchen and bath design will be recognized during the 2012 Kitchen and Bath Industry Show in Chicago. The winning design will also be featured NKBA Design Competition Winners Publication and awarded the following prizes:

First Place Kitchen $2500 Scholarship

First Place Bath $2500 Scholarship

Second Place Kitchen $1500 Scholarship

Second Place Bath $1500 Scholarship

Third Place Kitchen $1000 Scholarship

Third Place Bath $1000 Scholarship

The winners will also receive a complimentary registration to KBIS 2012.

You can learn more about the competition here.

Michael and Jolene Matthews

19th Century Row House from NKBA Student Design Competition Brochure

Here are some of the 2009/2010 winners.