DALLAS – More than 60 students from Florida State University, The University of Minnesota, Auburn University and Appalachian State University will participate in the Groovystuff by Design: Connecting Education with Industry Challenge for the fall 2015 academic semester. Students participating in the eco-friendly furniture challenge will debut their final design projects at the fall High Point Market, Oct. 17-22, in the University Hall of Innovation and Job Creation.

Groovystuff, a Dallas-based company that creates reclaimed teak wood furniture, is sponsoring the program that has been endorsed and repeated by all four participating university programs. The educational platform established in 2010 by Chris Bruning of Groovystuff has also been endorsed by Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, Columbia College-Chicago, The University of North Carolina-Greensboro, North Carolina State University, Purdue University, The Art Institute of Las Vegas, The University of Georgia, KMITL in Bangkok, Thailand, Marywood University, The University of Idaho and The University of Oregon.

In the design challenge, students are required to design an accessory, accent or occasional home furnishings product that utilizes or reconfigures the reclaimed material that exemplifies the Groovystuff product line and is competitive enough via written orders at market to be included in the company’s catalog.

Auburn University has conducted the Groovystuff by Design Challenge six times in the past five consecutive years since the industry to education platform was established in 2010. This fall, professor Tin-Man Lau has included 17 industrial and graphic design students, and 10 senior level product design students from the programs’ sister school in Taiwan, China, Shu-Te University. Students from Taiwan, China will have an extra bonus to their education with the added exposure of understanding how to successfully launch a home furnishings product here in the United States.

“Participating in the Groovystuff Challenge during the first year opened up real world experiences in furniture design for students with reclaimed materials, costs considerations, and fabrication processes,” said Marlo Ransdell, Florida State University director of graduate studies. “These valuable lessons proved to be beneficial to the students not only throughout the rest of the furniture course, but in other courses within the curriculum. Adopting this challenge for another year will give additional students real world experiences and continue Florida State University's partnership with the furniture industry and market.”

The University Hall of Innovation and Job Creation is an industry co-operative founded by Chris Bruning that bridges the gap between education and the residential home furnishings industry. The University Hall of Innovation and Job Creation provides an opportunity for students and professors to network with retailers, designers, manufacturers, suppliers, journalists and industry professionals at the High Point Market. Students from each school will submit 20” x 30” product board, ¼” scale model and 42” tall pedestal for their models for a chance to compete in the “Popular Vote at Market” for the High Point Market. The winning design from each school will receive a $250 cash prize.

editor:Jessie

(casual living)