K-State students take honors in international student design competition

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Sources: Steve Davidson, 785-532-5992, sdavidso@k-state.edu;
and Allan Hastings, 785-532-2485, hasting@k-state.edu
Artwork available. For an image of Heather Wise's entry, contact media@k-state.edu or 785-532-6415.
News release prepared by: Diane Potts, 785-532-1090, potts@k-state.edu

Wednesday, May 9, 2007

K-STATE STUDENTS TAKE HONORS IN INTERNATIONAL STUDENT DESIGN COMPETITION

MANHATTAN -- Two interior architecture and product design students from Kansas State University were among the top five winners at the 2007 Exhibit Designers and Producers Association International Student Design Competition.

Judges chose the entry by Heather Wise, a third-year student from Bucyrus, as the second-place winner. She received a $2,500 tuition scholarship. Kathryn Steib, a third-year student from St. Louis, Mo., placed fourth in the competition. Both students received a complete design software package from Autodesk and opportunities for paid internships with sponsoring companies.

This year's competition challenged the student competitors to design a 60-foot-by-80-foot booth launching a fictional company and five of its video games at the 2007 Gaming and Electronic Expo. Judging was based on effectiveness of the design on the trade show floor, audience experience and engagement, and creative ingenuity. The panel of three jurors said that the entries were impressive, creative and had great overall architectural feel.

Allan Hastings, professor of interior architecture and product design, and Steve Davidson, assistant professor of interior architecture and product design, were studio instructors for the projects. According to Hastings, there were several exciting solutions in the combined class of around 28 students.

"Heather's entry was most unique, employing the use of a visual connection to the proposed new games that gave the user a feeling of immersion within the game elements," Hastings said. "The exhibit had a professional quality using very well designed graphics."

Hastings also said Steib's entry had a very architectural quality. "It used a modular building system that allowed the exhibit to be fabricated completely in an exhibit facility, then shipped ready for set up on site by joining the modules," he said. "The judges were impressed with this solution, as it addressed the high cost of on-site labor."

The Exhibit Designers and Producers Association is an international organization providing a unified voice for member companies that design, build, install, service and transport portable, modular and custom exhibits for the trade show industry.