Today, educators, professional designers and families alike were united in celebrating the future Industrial Designers of Michigan. This took place at the Michigan Design Prize Awards Ceremony held by the Michigan Design Council (MDC), and was the culmination of their third annual competition held for students in grades k-12.
The Michigan Design Prize is part of an effort to attract and retain more ID talent in the state. This effort started over four years ago when Nigel Francis and Kevin Kerrigan first saw this need. At the time, they both worked in the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), a government organization devoted to supporting and growing business across the state. (Kerrigan is currently a senior VP with the MEDC.)
Michigan boasts over 4,000 Industrial Designers – the largest state index in the nation. What Francis and Kerrigan realized is that with the rebound of the manufacturing economy, those Industrial Designers are being absorbed into positions as quickly as they become available. Michigan’s economy is hungry for more talent. To continue the snowball effect of our manufacturing-supply chain, Francis and Kerrigan knew there needed to be a proactive effort to supply Industrial Designers to the economy.
Michigan has been at the forefront of Industrial Design, and especially Automotive Industrial Design, for over a century. It is birthplace to companies that have changed the face of transportation for all time such as Ford, GM, Chrysler, and a long list of others. The inception of such ubiquitous products as the refrigerator, electric toothbrush, barbeque grill, hospital bed and golf cart also took place right here. Industrial Design is woven throughout Michigan’s history. The state has such a rich cultural tapestry of Industrial Design that Francis and Kerrigan understood the importance of safeguarding its future.
To realize their vision, they commissioned Sundberg-Ferar, an 84-year-old, Detroit-born Industrial Design studio to innovate a strategy for the future of Industrial Design in Michigan. From this collaborative vision-casting came the idea to form the MDC, a council specifically for developing and celebrating the state’s exceptional Industrial Design talent.
The MDC was founded in 2015 and in turn realized the Michigan Design Prize, an annual competition giving students the opportunity to tackle a design challenge as an Industrial Designer. The challenge topic is linked to the state and to greater societal issues. Winners are awarded time with a mentor who is a professional Industrial Designer in order to further realize their concepts. They are finally awarded for their outstanding work at the awards ceremony. This year’s event was made possible thanks to the work of MDC Chairman, Jeff DeBoer, a VP of Sundberg-Ferar, MDC directors, Katrin Robertson and Diane Tamblyn of Wholemindesign, as well as MDC Communications Manager, Michelle Zurowick of Sundberg-Ferar, and Jessie Craig, also of Sundberg-Ferar.
The ceremony began with Jeff DeBoer speaking on changing the world with design. He was followed by Dan Genord of Sundberg-Ferar speaking on the process behind his sculpture “Aspiration”, which was used as the trophy for the evening’s awards. Before explaining his sculpture, Dan shared his joy that these young prizewinners are being exposed to the spirit of Industrial Design from a young age. Their amazing ideas are being affirmed and brought to life through this competition – an opportunity Dan wishes he could have experienced and is overjoyed to help create for the next generation.
Dan Genord sculpted, “Aspiration”, a piece made especially for the evening’s trophy awards.
Students wowed the audience with their outstanding designs for this year’s challenge of enhancing our experience of Michigan’s parks. Set against the backdrop of the beautiful art and architecture of the University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA), it was the perfect embodiment of the creative spirit that filled the room. The lack of seats available during the presentation of awards, which was held in the spacious grand hall, was a testimony to the enthusiasm and community surrounding the competition.
The rapt audience watched the ceremony in the grand hall of the University of Michigan Museum of Art.
Since Industrial Design is so integral to the heart of Michigan and to the entire nation, let’s make it our business to support events like the Michigan Design Prize. Let’s join the families, education, and design communities in celebrating and supporting our young creative talent. Let’s help attract and retain Industrial Designers in our state. By doing so, we are not only celebrating what is setting us apart across the nation right now, but we are upholding our state as the global epicenter of Industrial Design for years to come.
P.S. Next year’s design challenge is out! Young minds, get ready to design a physical product that improves and beautifies the lives of Michigan’s citizens. Competition details and applications will be posted here.