Design Competition Challenges Students: If I was Mayor…?

 

Tuesday, November 18, 2014 - 5:00am

OCAD University’s annual Design Competition, held last week, challenged students to respond to the question, “If you were the Mayor of Toronto, how would you design an intervention that renews our sense of city identity and civic purpose?”

Launched on a Friday afternoon, student teams had four days to design a concept responding to the question and present it in an exhibition in OCAD U’s Great Hall. The competition jury members were Barbara Hall, Chief Commissioner, Ontario Human Rights Commission and former Mayor of Toronto, Max Beck, President and CEO, Easter Seals Canada, Beth Alber, metalsmith and OCAD U Professor Emerita, Matt Di Paola, Managing Director, Digital Innovation, Sid Lee, OCAD U alumnus Matthew Del Degan, Founder and President, Sandbox Society Inc. and Faculty of Design Associate Dean Colleen Reid.

Team 15 won the first place price of $2,000 for their #bluechairs Project, a concept to reunite isolated Torontonians through social interaction. The campaign makes use of social media and physical installations of chairs as a means to stimulate conversations. Team 15 members are Industrial Design students Kristin Thomson, Adam Badzynski, Benjamin Laflamme and Houston Keil-Vine.

Team 14 received a second prize of $1,000 for Toronto’s People’s District, a concept for a district in the city that puts people first by permanently converting a streetscape in Toronto to a pedestrian only neighbourhood. Team 14 members are Environmental Design student Lambert St-Cyr and Industrial Design student Brandon Skarpa.

The Student Choice Award prize of $500 was a three-way tie, with Team 14, Team 15 and Team 10 sharing the honour. Team 10’s project is a concept for a theatrical production combining music and sport called #TOLO, Toronto Only Lives Once: On Ice: A Musical Experience. #TOLO tells the story of a local teen (played by Drake) whose destiny is to use song and dance to power the Toronto Maple Leafs to victory. Team 10 members are Industrial Design students Nathan Asis, Tom Debicki, Anne Kwon and Oscar Kwong and Graphic Design student Prairie Koo.

Team 18 won Honourable Mention for their concept Unfold TO, a postcard exchange project that allows Torontonians to share their experiences with other regional communities. Team 18 members are Industrial Design students Rachel Jui Yun Ma and Nadia Hy, and Environmental Design students Yoon Hee Kim and Ye Seul Kim.

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Team 15's #bluechair Project
Tuesday, November 18, 2014 - 5:00am

OCAD University’s annual Design Competition, held last week, challenged students to respond to the question, “If you were the Mayor of Toronto, how would you design an intervention that renews our sense of city identity and civic purpose?”

Launched on a Friday afternoon, student teams had four days to design a concept responding to the question and present it in an exhibition in OCAD U’s Great Hall. The competition jury members were Barbara Hall, Chief Commissioner, Ontario Human Rights Commission and former Mayor of Toronto, Max Beck, President and CEO, Easter Seals Canada, Beth Alber, metalsmith and OCAD U Professor Emerita, Matt Di Paola, Managing Director, Digital Innovation, Sid Lee, OCAD U alumnus Matthew Del Degan, Founder and President, Sandbox Society Inc. and Faculty of Design Associate Dean Colleen Reid.

Team 15 won the first place price of $2,000 for their #bluechairs Project, a concept to reunite isolated Torontonians through social interaction. The campaign makes use of social media and physical installations of chairs as a means to stimulate conversations. Team 15 members are Industrial Design students Kristin Thomson, Adam Badzynski, Benjamin Laflamme and Houston Keil-Vine.

Team 14 received a second prize of $1,000 for Toronto’s People’s District, a concept for a district in the city that puts people first by permanently converting a streetscape in Toronto to a pedestrian only neighbourhood. Team 14 members are Environmental Design student Lambert St-Cyr and Industrial Design student Brandon Skarpa.

The Student Choice Award prize of $500 was a three-way tie, with Team 14, Team 15 and Team 10 sharing the honour. Team 10’s project is a concept for a theatrical production combining music and sport called #TOLO, Toronto Only Lives Once: On Ice: A Musical Experience. #TOLO tells the story of a local teen (played by Drake) whose destiny is to use song and dance to power the Toronto Maple Leafs to victory. Team 10 members are Industrial Design students Nathan Asis, Tom Debicki, Anne Kwon and Oscar Kwong and Graphic Design student Prairie Koo.

Team 18 won Honourable Mention for their concept Unfold TO, a postcard exchange project that allows Torontonians to share their experiences with other regional communities. Team 18 members are Industrial Design students Rachel Jui Yun Ma and Nadia Hy, and Environmental Design students Yoon Hee Kim and Ye Seul Kim.