Finalists Unveiled In Ward's Auto Interiors Student Design Competition

DETROIT, April 15 /PRNewswire/ -- If you think the interiors of tomorrow's family cars will be boring, think again.  Future car and truck interiors will look and be used much differently than they are now if today's young designers have their way.  

During the SAE World Congress on April 14 in Detroit, Ward's Automotive Group unveiled the winning designs of four finalists in its Auto Interiors Student Design Competition.

The honored students imagined that family-friendly vehicles won't just have entertainment centers, they will become entertainment centers. Standard seats will morph into mini-playgrounds for young children, or turn into swings or hammocks for travel-weary parents.

To get this fascinating glimpse of the future, Ward's AutoWorld magazine partnered with the prestigious College for Creative Studies in Detroit to create a competition sponsored by International Automotive Components Group (IAC) and Lear Corporation, with support from SAE International.  A class of 15 automotive design students was challenged to create an interior for a young, active family that enjoys the outdoors and is environmentally conscious.

The judging panel consisted of Tom Peters, executive director-performance cars and fullsize trucks, General Motors Co.; Dan Vivian, director-engineering design, Hyundai-Kia Motors North America; and Jane Harrington-Durst, manager-color styling, PPG Automotive Coatings.

The grand award winner, as well as the winners of two special awards from IAC and Lear, will be announced May 19 at the Ward's Auto Interiors conference at the Ritz-Carlton in Dearborn, MI.

The finalists are:

Jason Ho – His design features dramatic, angular shapes modeled after various types of kites. Interior components are made from raw materials incorporating almond shells and other recycled materials.

Jaymer Starbody – His futuristic vision of the ultimate in environmental friendliness combines elements of today's architectural, plant-covered "living walls" with a body design modeled after the structure of a lettuce leaf.

Matthew Dunford – The architecture of the Dubai Opera House, which mimics the fluid lines of natural sand dunes, inspired his flowing interior lines. The baby seat is a unique egg shape that cocoons the infant securely and monitors vital signs.

Dean Bakker – In a design drawn directly from nature, his seats imitate the shape and color of leafs and headrests "grow" out of the B pillar.

Each of the finalists received a $500 scholarship. The Grand prize winner will get an additional $1,000.

A special Innovation Award sponsored by Lear Corporation will be bestowed upon the student whose work includes a specific design or technological innovation the judges deem particularly creative and forward-thinking.  A special IAC EcoBlend award sponsored by IAC will be awarded to the student whose design or concept best embraces green mobility, utilizes lightweight renewable/recyclable materials and other Earth-friendly innovations. 

About Ward's Automotive Group

Ward's Automotive Group is a world-leading provider of auto industry news, data and analysis, having served the industry's information needs for nearly 80 years. Ward's AutoWorld is a monthly magazine serving more than 68,000 automotive professionals.  The twice-monthly newsletter Ward's Engine & Vehicle Technology Update provides analysis of engineering advancements and technical issues. WardsAuto.com is an online subscription service delivering virtually all the industry news, data and analysis compiled by Ward's Automotive Group, the world's leader in automotive industry information. A Southfield, MI - based division of Penton Media, Inc., Ward's Automotive Group also publishes the weekly industry newsletter Ward's Automotive Reports, the monthly magazine Ward's Dealer Business, and offers a wealth of other automotive information services including reference annuals, online databases, and customized data reports.

About the College for Creative Studies

Located in Detroit, the College for Creative Studies is a world leader in art and design education and prepares students to enter the new, global economy where creativity shapes better communities and societies. A private, fully accredited college, CCS enrolls 1,400 students pursuing Master of Fine Arts degrees in Design and Transportation Design and Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in Advertising Design, Art Education, Crafts, Entertainment Arts, Fine Arts, Graphic Design, Illustration, Interior Design, Photography, Product Design and Transportation Design. The College also offers non-credit courses in the visual arts through its Continuing Education programs and opportunities for over 4,000 Detroit youth annually through its Community Arts Partnerships programs. For more information visit www.collegeforcreativestudies.edu.

About SAE International

SAE International is a global association of 128,000 engineers and related technical experts in the aerospace, automotive and commercial-vehicle industries. SAE International's core competencies are life-long learning and voluntary consensus standards development. SAE International's charitable arm is the SAE Foundation, which supports many programs, including A World in Motion® and the Collegiate Design Series. For more information, visit www.sae.org .

SOURCE Ward’s Automotive Group