Groovystuff Sponsors Industrial Design Students

Dallas-based Groovystuff continues to expand on its education-to-industry cross cooperative by partnering with the Industrial Design Department at Purdue University for the Groovystuff Design Challenge this spring and by co-sponsoring the program at the upcoming April High Point Market at the Suites at Market Square, April 21-26.

Under the leadership of professor and design professional Laura Drake, 18 students from the Industrial Design department received a pallet of reclaimed material and started the Groovystuff Design Challenge right after spring break.  As a class decision, the students chose Lighting as their category of contribution and will be charged with designing a modern and elegantly rustic lighting design for inclusion in the celebrity Dick Idol Brand.

Since joining the faculty in 1990, Professor Laura Drake has been actively involved in design initiatives and cross- promotional opportunities for graduates.  As a design professional, Drake has been featured in publications in the U.S. and internationally. She currently holds memberships in The American Furniture Society, The Industrial Design Society of America, and The Chicago Furniture Designers Association, and has spearheaded the involvement of Purdue’s outreach into the residential home furnishing market by bringing her program to the High Point Market for the first time.

Groovystuff, along with co-sponsor IMC properties, help to broaden the educational outreach of university programs across the country by giving them real world market experience and a platform to build on their association with the industry prior to graduation.

Purdue is the latest to join in The Groovystuff University Hall of Innovation and Job Creation, a sponsored space at market providing students and faculty with an invaluable opportunity to network with retailers, designers, manufacturers, suppliers, journalists, and industry professionals.   The Industrial Design department from Purdue will display their contributions to the residential home furnishings market at The Suites at Market Square, Showroom # 1-836 along with faculty and students from the Industrial Design department at Appalachian State University, the Interior Architecture & Design department at the University of North Carolina Greensboro, and the Interior Design department at High Point University.

“Our goal with the University Hall is to provide students with a platform for creativity and encourage them to embrace the home furnishings industry,” explains Groovystuff President Chris Bruning, the visionary behind the Groovystuff Hall of Innovation and Job Creation.  Purdue is the next program to come forward eager to bridge the gap between education and industry.  To demonstrate their value to the industry, students taking on the Groovystuff Design Challenge will be tasked with solving the functional and technical requirements of lighting design and incorporate those engineering specifications into a product that satisfies the aesthetic and psychological need/wants of the intended Dick Idol audience.

“We will display the original drawings along with the finished product so buyers can see the transformation of the concept into a fully executed consumer product. We’ll ask them again for their comments and votes, but also for their order! The final winning design will be the one with the top sales,” says Bruning. “That student designer will not only win a $500 cash prize and inclusion in the celebrity-endorsed Dick Idol Brand, but also a permanent 1% royalty on all future sales of the product.”

Committed to sustainable manufacturing and environmental accountability, Groovystuff’s vision is to assist its retail customers in growing their businesses sustainably.