In June we told you about the WantedDesign's Design School Workshop results from this past year's NYCxDesign, and now we're introducing you to the members of the winning team!
The winning team at the 2019 workshop results ceremony (Photo Credit: Sandrine Charvet)
The team who took home the win created a project titled "This Is Stairs", a simple street installation on a barren street near Industry City where the workshop took place. The design is meant to visually entice pedestrians while also encourage new ways of navigating the urban space.
The "This is Stairs" installation
Duncan Bonar
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I'm an industrial designer, in my final year of study at ArtCenter College of Design with a focus on branding, soft goods, color/material, and informed innovation. Besides all that fun stuff I restore and modify vintage motorcycles, photograph plenty of things on film, and breakfast is the best meal.
Which school are you part of and what did it mean to be part of the WantedDesign Schools Workshop?
ArtCenter College of Design. The opportunity to participate in a Wanted Design Workshop is a nice honor to have your school select you to participate. It's a tremendous opportunity to uproot everything you know, throw it in an easy bake oven, and plug that bad boy into a 220v industrial socket and see what happens. That's what an accelerated design workshop environment should be and Wanted delivered just that.
What is your perception of the notion of Open Space for Well Being in your own neighborhood and your every day life?
The notion of Open Space for Well Being is easily overlooked and misunderstood. An open space is the environment around us that we pass through on a daily basis without even realizing, nor considering it as an opportunity for more. Reflecting on Well Being, we may consider that as change, a change in routine or perspective. Something we can peak in that pass through space we experience on a repetitive basis, day after day. In a general gesture we'd consider an open space as a space for reflection, solitude, and peace - but that's not at hand for many of us along our paths.
How did the Sunset Park/Industry City area inspire you for the project and why do you think it resonated so well with the Jury?
The area surrounded by our project offers a lot. It's diverse, embodying a healthy amount of old with a splendid allotment of new. It felt authentic but that may easily be questioned. Our project focused on the idea of passing through a space, thus allowing the concept to be readily implemented in many locations with simple twists in execution. It's a pop up, made on the spot, with a few simple rules.
What is for you the best outcome of the the workshop experience?
Participation, collaboration. and shifting perspective. The pleasure to work with an internationally rooted, multi-disciplinary team on a topic we all understood in our ways - yet, worked together and delivered work we are all confident to stand behind.
Where do you see yourself in the world of design and what will be your dream career?
The world of design is a big one within a much much larger world. I'm currently interning at Steelcase in Michigan as a Surface Material Designer. I have a tremendous interest in material and applying the right resources and materials to design to create unique experiences. Beyond that my goal is to open a concept consultancy with a number of focuses to be discussed at a later time.
7. Where can we learn more about your work? (website/portfolio/social media?)
@d_u_n_c_
www.duncwerks.com
Tianlan Deng
Tell us a bit about yourself
My name is Tianlan Deng (AKA: Tillian). I'm a traditional Chinese painter, installation artist, instructor and currently practice as an interior designer. I've come from Shanghai and have been studying and practicing design in the United States for several years.
Which school are you part of and what did it mean to be part of the WantedDesign Schools Workshop?
I'm a graduate student who studies interior design at Pratt Institute. For me, participating in the workshop WantedDesign means to join a bigger design community, learning and getting inspired by people with different backgrounds and culture, and establishing new connections.
What is your perception of the notion of Open Form for Well Being in your own neighborhood and your every day life?
I live in Clinton Hill in Brooklyn, NY. I believe this notion there's still so much potential for development here. Based on some of the social activities in Clinton Hill such as block parties, if their theme becomes more abstract or ambiguous, people will start to wonder and explore more, therefore these activities will become more vivid. [This concept] has also affected my daily life in some ways.
"Shadow Writing" mini diorama by Tianlan Deng
How did the Sunset Park/Industry City area inspire you for the project and why do you think it resonated so well with the Jury?
Sunset Park has a rich history and increasing diverse population. For me, an area like Industry City is full of potential and opportunities, but also has problems like the infrastructure, which [if resolved could] benefit to the communities' daily life. I believe our team found one of these problems, and developed a simple but effective way to solve it. By using tape to create simple and abstract shape, our project resonates with the "open form " idea. It brings enjoyment to the local children, so I believe our project contributes to the true happiness (well-being) of this community.
What is for you the best outcome of the workshop experience?
For me, the best experience was the five day journey of not only learning and practicing to cooperate with different people with various backgrounds, but also being able to see and understand myself better.
Where do you see yourself in the world of design and what will be your dream career?
Although I've been an artist and instructor for several years, the design world is still new to me. I see myself as a passionate young designer, who looks forward to transforming my knowledge and experience to design in order to contribute something to the society. For future, I wish to have my own studio to produce works, which can gather people together with surprise, joy and at the same time raise awareness of social or environmental issues.
Where can we learn more about your work? (website/portfolio/social media?)
My website has most of my design and art work:
tianlandeng.com
KAREN DENISSE CARCAMO ORDONEZ
1. Tell us a bit about yourself.
I'm Denisse and i'm 23 years old. I'm a design strategist and big daydreamer. My passion is to have meaningful conversations with family, friends or even strangers.
Which school are you part of and what did it mean to be part of the WantedDesign Schools Workshop?
I'm in my last year of Strategic Design at Escuela de Comunicación Mónica Herrera in El Salvador and what it means to me is that I'm representing Salvadoran designers and Latin American designers in an intercultural and international design event.
What is your perception of the notion of Open Space for Well Being in your own neighborhood and your everyday life?
[What the workshop taught me is] the Open Form for Well-Being concept can incorporate small changes for big effect, it's all about making the user feel something. It can be through a pattern in the sidewalk, just opening a window so natural light can come in or putting a cactus on a desk in an office.
How did the Sunset Park/Industry City area inspire you for the project and why do you think it resonated so well with the Jury?
The place that we got is a very boring site, it's a double wide sidewalk that was just for that: walking, getting from point A to point B. We didn't want to interrupt that interaction, but shift instead the perspective of the pedestrians while walking thru that sidewalk. Our implementation was a distilled maze in which the path is all up to the pedestrian and at no point were blocked. I think it resonated so well for the jurys because we had the opportunity to witness— and film—kids having an interaction with our installation when we had not finished the installation yet. The kids were scootering, jumping, walking along the lines or avoiding the lines.
What is for you the best outcome of the the workshop experience?
It is an honor to be the first design student from Mónica Herrera that is part of the Best Team because now students of other years are asking what to do to represent the Escuela when the time comes for them. In a certain way I'm showing that Salvadoran designers have all the skills needed to be the part of the best team in an international design workshop.
Where do you see yourself in the world of design and what will be your dream career?
In a few years I see myself in a company that focuses on young women, that inspires, entertains, and empower its audience through the design of experiences and storytelling. In a couple of years I see myself in the field of design education.
But definitely, I see myself providing complex, complete and long lasting design solutions that help others.
7. Where can we learn more about your work? (website/portfolio/social media?)
@denissecarcamo
Behance
LinkedIn
Stina Ruusuvuori
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I consider myself being an open, positive, and most importantly curious about life in general. I always tend to find myself in situations I never could've imagined being in. I do seek for adrenaline, especially on my spare time. Depending on where I am it could be underwater, on top of a mountain or on my bike riding. So, I guess you could call me very outdoorsy and I do appreciate the nature we are surrounded by, both in Finland and overseas. I believe this can be seen in my work and how I see design and how it should be thought of. I have lived in a few different countries in my adult years, searching for those experiences and nurturing my curiosity. I find it easy to adapt to new cultures, places and habits, in the end us humans we are all the same. I am a big fan of good wine, great conversations and yes, I do love the sauna. In my work, I like to focus on the balance between the user and the space, and how we act in particular spaces. I have found lighting design being a very interesting tool to work with for creating emotions and experiences, without one even noticing the tricks used.
Which school are you part of and what did it mean to be part of the WantedDesign Schools Workshop?
From Aalto University. It was a great opportunity to participate in the workshop on behalf of Aalto and our Interior Architecture department. I've always enjoyed the collaborations that Aalto has with other schools and partners overseas since they bring so much more to the regular curriculum and you can always bring something new to the table afterwards. Obviously, the chance to work with a wide range of cultures, and especially in a place like NYC, the experience was very eye-opening and I am sure I'll benefit from the new perspectives in the future, too.
Interior concept by Stina Ruusuvuori
What is your perception of the notion of Open Space for Well Being in your own neighborhood and your everyday life?
I do consider it as a valuable asset in our local community, yet I don't think it has been thoroughly executed. Helsinki has a wide variety of community based projects ranging from urban gardening to public saunas that run by volunteers, yet the full capacity of theory could be developed in our region, too. As I live in a very vibrant neighbourhood of Helsinki, close to the downtown core, the effects of the theory can be seen in smaller things such as murals, library bikes or continuous events that fill out our parks and plazas frequently. Also, the fact that Helsinki is surrounded by woods, beaches and great trails the wellbeing aspect is usually something we don't even consider as a separate "tool" hence our great accessibility to peaceful surroundings. You can always find a place where you can be all alone, and it's quiet.
How did the Sunset Park/Industry City area inspire you for the project and why do you think it resonated so well with the Jury?
As an area, the Sunset Park region brought out the vivid colours of the strong Hispanic culture to our project. The joyful way of life in the area definitely was pictured in our project through the playfulness, colour selection and the size of project. We wanted to combine the great cultural atmosphere on to the project and give something to the community whilst considering all ages and abilities.
What is for you the best outcome of the the workshop experience?
The experience as a whole offered a wide look into the working methods and design drivers of other nationalities, and cultures. I've always found it interesting how we all work in so many various ways and see things very differently depending on our educational backgrounds and cultural heritages. But somehow in the end you always get something new out of it and end up finishing a project, crazy huh?
Where do you see yourself in the world of design and what will be your dream career?
I am aiming to focus more on lighting design towards my Master Degree Thesis and gain more knowledge in sustainable interiors through research projects in the near future. My dream job would combine these two, and focus on integrating a more sustainable approach to design through lighting and providing experiences to the public. I strongly believe that design doesn't need words, it's only emotions and how we as humans reflect the spaces around us.
Where can we learn more about your work? (website/portfolio/social media?)
I don't have an online portfolio at the moment, but you can always reach out to me via LinkedIn.
Olson Van der Vorst
Tell us about yourself.
My name is Olson van der Vorst, I am from the small town of Spruce Pine, located in Western North Carolina. I grew up in the mountains and have always been in love with my surroundings. From a young age I grew a passion for working with my hands and thinking outside of the box. Naturally, Industrial Design attracted me as it combines creativity and engineering into a wide and deep subject matter.
Which schools are you a part of and what did it mean to be part of the WantedDesign Schools Workshop?
I go to Appalachian State University, where I will be starting my Senior year (fourth and final) study Industrial Design with a concentration in Furniture Design. It was a great honor to be selected ot attend the Wanted Design School Workshop as I knew it would be an outstanding opportunity to explore design with a wide range of schools and creative thinkers.
What is your perception of the notion of Open Space for Well Being in your own neighborhood and your everyday life?
Growing up in a rural area, and going to University in a relatively uncompressed town, open space was never hard to come by. However, using open space a as a form of well being was something I seldom thought of. However, having given the prompt for the workshop, it was easy to connect that open space has such a great potential to affect one's wellbeing.
How did the Sunset Park/Industry City area inspire you for the project and why do you think it resonated so well with the Jury?
The area around Industry City in Brooklyn has a social environment that is quite impactful to a passerby. It has such a rhythm, in good ways and in bad, that as a team we wanted to challenge. Our "place", a very wide sidewalk with an architecturally Brutalist sidewalk sort of exemplified our view of this area of Brooklyn. It had little character and most people wouldn't give it a second look. We wanted to change that by possibly changing one's path as they made their way down the sidewalk. I think what affected the jury the most is that we achieved this in the simplest way possible using tape and simple shapes. The beauty of our outcome is that it could be implemented in other places, maybe not exactly, but using the same design process we went through.
What is for you the best outcome of the workshop experience?
The most important thing I took home form the workshop was the opportunity to work with a large multinational group. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to work with that many people—each from a different background—and come up with something that truly affected the community.
Where do you see yourself in the world of design and what will be your dream career?
I really enjoy creating things from start to finihs, and going through the design process of failing and succeeding. My dream career is to start a design and fabrication studio, where I can design for change.
Where can we learn more about your work?
@OlsonvdVdesign
Online portfolio
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