Ran from Jul 28, 2006 to Nov 4, 2006
Brooks Stevens Gallery

Reception, August 4, 2006, 6 - 8 p.m.

MIAD alumni exhibition pays tribute to renowned industrial design program

In addition to breaking new ground in industrial design (ID), the participating graduates also break the gender stereotypes regarding ID – the professional service of creating and developing concepts and specifications that optimize the function, value and appearance of products and systems for the mutual benefit of both user and manufacturer, according to the IDSA, the Industrial Designers Society of America.

From product design to point of purchase displays, Making It For Real exemplifies the myriad genres in which industrial designers apply their skills. Seen through actual products, prototypes or images are sports helmets; tennis rackets; the Hummer; LEGO theme sets (Dino Attack 2010, Harry Potter, Batman); Neverlate 7 Day Alarm Clock; award-winning Radio Flyer’s Twist Trike; combination padlocks; commercial furniture; children’s games; and healthcare, home, gardening and outdoor leisure products.

design by Brian Ellis ’02, for LEGO

The exhibition includes the work of:

Jason Crowe ’02 (Allsteel, Inc.)
Brian Ellis ’02 (The LEGO Company)
Laura Hackbarth ’03 (DCI Marketing)
Chris Heckman ’01 (Kaleidoscope)
Casey Ketterhagen ’98 (Johnson Outdoors, Inc.)
Daniel J. Lipscomb ’98 (Fiskars Garden and Outdoor Living)
Eleodoro Pacheco Jr. ’99 (General Motors Corporation)
Michael and Brian Potempa ’03 (Twin Images, Inc.)
Ryan J. Ramos ’02 (GE Healthcare)
Oved Valadez ’05 (ZIBA Design)
Mark Van Handel ’02 (Johnson Health Tech. North America)
Ami Verhalen ’97 (Design Concepts, Inc.)

Since its inception in 1984, MIAD’s industrial design program has contributed many talented practitioners regionally, nationally and internationally to this multi-faceted profession. Between 1982 and 1995 they were taught and mentored by internationally renowned industrial design pioneer Brooks Stevens, who helped to establish MIAD’s ID program and for whom the gallery is named. During his long career, Stevens designed products and logos for more than 500 companies. His product designs included the Hiawatha Train, first windowed and lighted clothes dryer, first towable mobile home, the Jeepster and Jeep Wagoneeer, Oscar Mayer Weinermobile and the Excalibur automobile.

The exhibition was curated by veteran Director of Galleries Mark Lawson with the assistance of ID Professor Pascal Malassigné, FIDSA, named this year as one of America’s top 43 “Most Admired Industrial Design Educators for 2006” by Design Intelligence Magazine’s Seventh Annual Survey; Steve Lacey, IDSA, 3D Lab Director and ID Instructor; and recently retired ID Professor Tom David (FIDSA).

Making It For Real/Industrial Design Alumni Exhibition, Part I runs through Nov. 4, 2005. Part II, showing the works of pre-1997 alumni, runs from Nov. 28, 2006 – March 10, 2007.