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On Wednesday, June 11, two Art Institute of California – Orange County industrial design students were each awarded a $500 scholarship for their winning entries in the Fox Head, Inc. design contest. This competition was established specifically for Art Institute industrial design students and entrants were required to design a new racing helmet or eyewear that accurately reflected the Fox brand.
“This competition was a chance for Fox to get involved with the local design community,” said David Durham, senior designer at Fox. “It’s important to get to know the people that will be joining the workforce.”
The Art Institute always strives to bring real world experience into the classroom by partnering with companies in the industry that students are studying.
“Bringing real world experience into the classroom is as important for the companies we work with as it is for the students,” said industrial design instructor Rob Westerkamp. “Companies can always use a fresh perspective, and they need to know what college students see as the future.”
The Fox scholarship competition was incorporated into the students’ industrial design class curriculum. Fox designers worked with the students throughout the quarter to explain the brand, the market and the Fox audience. Students were able to receive feedback from the experts before presenting their final projects for consideration in the competition.
“It was interesting to see the ideas that came from people who were unfamiliar with our industry,” Durham said. “The students were challenged to work out of their comfort zones but that was an important part of the learning experience.”
James Demetra was the first place winner for the helmet design competition and Michael Popp was the first place winner in the eyewear design competition. Second place winners in each category, Carolina Castaneda (helmet design) and Thom Nguyen (eyewear design), were also recognized with $200 gift cards for Fox merchandise.
“The two first place winners were the ones that came up with innovative solutions that our customers would want,” Durham said. “We are always looking for ways to advance our products and both students had excellent ideas on how we could continue to meet our customers’ expectations.”
The entries were judged on the following four criteria: uniqueness of the design (innovation), the outward appearance (aesthetics), research and level of brand awareness that went into the design (process) and how the design would benefit the user.
“We really enjoyed working with the students and feeling like we could give something back to the community,” Durham said. “We were all students once and we remember how important these types of experiences were to us.”
The Art Institute of California – Orange County is a design, media, fashion and culinary arts school providing bachelor’s and associate’s degree programs in Advertising, Baking & Pastry, Culinary Arts, Culinary Management, Digital Photography, Fashion Design, Fashion Marketing & Management, Game Art & Design, Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Interior Design, Media Arts & Animation, Visual Effects & Motion Graphics, Visual & Game Programming and Web Design & Interactive Media. Located in the heart of Orange County’s South Coast Metro region, The Art Institute is ideally situated in close proximity to Orange County’s thriving business community, cultural attractions, shopping, entertainment and its famous beaches. The school is one of The Art Institutes (artinstitutes.edu), a system of over 40 education institutions located throughout North America, providing an important source of design, media arts, fashion and culinary arts professionals.
Fox Head, Inc.
For three decades, Fox Head, Inc. (foxhead.com) has been a global leader in the Action Sports industry producing dynamic designs. The Fox Head logo is recognized as a brand synonymous with quality and innovation. While remaining true to motocross roots, Fox is committed to original and innovative styles in performance apparel, men’s and women’s sportswear, footwear, eyewear and accessories. Fox is a Design House that values irreverence, invention, quality and sets high standards that show through in every product we make.
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