April 25, 2017
APDesign professor wins 2017 Design Intelligence Award
Sebnem Demirkan, professor of practice in the College of Architecture, Planning & Design's department of interior architecture & product design, was awarded the 2017 Design Intelligence Award in the Design Frontiers category.
Sebnem's research, "ChiaPack, A HydroGel Material Made out of Chia Seeds," stood out from 2,720 entries in the two stages of the competition.
The Design Intelligence Award is the first international industrial design award hosted by a Chinese academic institution. It is a contemporary innovative design platform established in 2015 for the evaluation, promotion and collaboration of design, as a worldwide interdisciplinary competition encompassing art, technology and commerce. The award program serves as a catalyst for the transformation of original ideas into materialized profit and the actualization of future innovation.
Sebnem's paper, "Designing for the Second Life Cycle of Objects; A Hydrogel Material made out of Chia Seeds to Decrease Usage of Polystyrene Foam in Package Industry," also is accepted for publishing in the International Journal of Designed Objects for issue 2017 volume 3.
"It is fitting that Sebnem's recognition of thinking critically how the packaging industry can reduce its impact on the environment coincided with Earth Day. Interior architecture & product design is proud of her work and the example she imbues on how design can positively impact our world," said Nathan Howe, incoming department head.