UAE students to introduce sustainable designs at INDEX

INDEX, the Middle East and North Africa’s largest and longest established Interiors and Design Exhibition, in association with Interior Services Group (ISG) and local design organisation tasmena, are challenging design students across the UAE with the INDEX Student Challenge 2011. Open to design students at all universities within the UAE, this year’s challenge theme is reuse – as in “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle”. Students will be tasked with creating design applications using local waste materials in the region, for example plastic, paper or wood. Traditionally targeted at interior design students, this year’s INDEX Student Challenge broadens its platform by also introducing a new Graphic Design Challenge.

“Since its launch at INDEX four years ago, the Student Challenge has been one of the exhibition’s most fun features. The INDEX Student Challenge encourages the development of creative talent beyond the classroom. With the support of ISG, tasmena and the participating institutions, the challenge helps students exercise their design and development skills in addition to their leadership and teamwork abilities. Students gain great experience and knowledge from cross-campus networking and interaction with industry professionals,” said Paula Al Chami, Event Director for INDEX.

With the theme reuse, interior design students of the INDEX Student Challenge 2011 will have to develop projects to fit one of the six product specific shows at this year’s exhibition: InRetail, Textiles, Lighting, Furnishing, Outdoor Living or Kitchen & Bathroom.  By limiting students to reuse materials they have to introduce more environmentally friendly and sustainable designs into the industry.  Finalists will be asked to execute their designs at the show and will compete for the opportunity to recreate a product into a signature piece for one of Italy’s largest furniture companies, Natuzzi.

In the new addition to this year’s challenge, the Graphic Design contest, participating students will be tasked to design and develop the new image of the INDEX Student Challenge, bearing the reuse theme. 

The winning design will be adopted as the logo of the student challenge, appearing on all communication and branding during and after the exhibition.

“The INDEX Student Challenge is an exciting opportunity that provides a link between academia and industry. The challenge is an invaluable experience as it exposes the students to the actual design process, with an emphasis on teamwork, leadership, working to budgets and deadlines. The industry benefits by gaining new talent that come with a fresh approach, an understanding of the industry and what's expected of them as professionals,” said Kristina Keutgen of tasmena.

The Student Challenge is open to all students from post-secondary academic institutions within the UAE and participation is free. Students willing to participate will create teams of two to five members and submit their ideas. All ideas for the Graphic Design contest must be submitted by October 9^th, 2011 whereas the deadline for the Interior Design challenge is October 20^th, 2011. All submissions will go across two judgement phases; the first by the students’ academic institution and the second, a jury composed by members of INDEX, ISG and tasmena. Finalists will create their designs in the Sheikh Rashid Hall at INDEX, which runs from October 22-25, 2011 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.