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RIT 50TH COASTERS
1 WEEK, GROUP PROJECT
DESIGN STATEMENT: In the course of one-week department-wide design challenge called T-Minus, design and present to a panel of judges a souvenir commemorating the 50th anniversary of Rochester Insititute of Technology's Henrietta campus incorporating reclaimed wood from a century-old white oak tree that once stood on campus and inspired by the work and philosophies of Wendall Castle
Personal Contributions
RIT 50TH COASTERS / 1 WEEK / GROUP PROJECT
As I was a first-year in 2018 at the time of this competition I did not yet possess the more technical skills associated with design. However, I did have an innate understanding of the design process and an enthusiasm to be partnered with so many older designers in my program for this week-long design challenge. My role on our team for the week consisted of going to info sessions to relay additional information to my team, doing research on the university, ideating both individually and in a group setting, and presenting to a panel of judges at the end of the week. My most notable contribution was to have each coaster represent one decade of the RIT Henrietta Campus so as to be able to visualize how the campus has grown in 50 years.
After the Competition
RIT 50TH COASTERS / 1 WEEK / GROUP PROJECT
After our team won, our design was taken through the production process and was gifted to prominent RIT community members. A limited number was then also sold at Shop One, a contemporary design shop located on the Henrietta campus that showcases RIT made art, craft, and design.
Takeaways for T-Minus 2020
T-MINUS 2020 / 1 WEEK / GROUP PROJECT - TEAM LEAD
In my junior year when it was my turn to be the team lead for the T - Minus 2020 challenge, I found myself drawing on many of the lessons, I had learned in my first year when my team was so successful. Incorporating ideation both individually and as a whole group helped us to have a broader range of directions to choose from. Taking time to explore different ideas before settling on one and being flexible in our design as we received feedback from different mentors also helped us ultimately win second place in our competition. When reflecting on my leadership in the 2020 competition, the most important thing I did was sit our team down after the initial project launch and discuss our individual strengths and passions. This allowed us to better understand how we were going to function as a group and lean into each other throughout the week. This foundation of open communication and understanding of each other led to our success and enabled us to enjoy the week-long collaboration.