The Design 360A Environmental Communication Project Review & Exhibit is an exhibition sponsored by Toyota U.S.A., Inc. featured this week in the Industrial Design gallery.
The exhibit is the first of its kind to be presented by the interior design program, according to Wesley Woelfel, professor of the Design 360A class that put on the exhibit.
Design 360A is a new class in the interior design program that explores the ways that interior design can non-verbally direct foot traffic and enhance the experience of a commercial venue.
Student groups designed layouts for a recently opened Toyota museum in Torrance. The design criteria required students to create four hubs in the museum that showcased Toyota’s history of awards, history of manufacturing cars, concept cars of the future and Toyota’s innovation in green technology.
“Our goal is to get new ideas on what we can do for our museum and of helping the community,” said Tony Delelo, a museum organizer who represented Toyota along with assistant curator Debbie Hays at the reception on Wednesday.
Toyota supplied students with poster boards on which to mount and display their designs and catered Wednesday’s show reception with soda, chips, salsa and cookies.
On Friday, museum curator Susan Sanborn will give out Toyota gift cards for the three best project designs.
Student design entries used a variety of techniques to produce an effect. Graduating senior Aaron Israel’s group, for example, used color-coding to signify each hub.
They also used a modular design for each car display, which can be folded up into a box with the car inside for easy transportation or unfolded to reveal the car in its display form.
Rocio Perez, graduating senior, said her group focused on Toyota’s slogan “Moving Forward” to design effects that cascade along the walls to produce a feeling of movement, such as blinking lights or sequentially timed videos.
Perez said that materials also played an important part in conveying mood in their design. To that end, her group used dark wood to project elegance and class from the awards display.
To convey a sense of safety, the group chose an interlocking rubber floor. The concept zone utilized smooth white plastic to convey a futuristic feel.
Christy Groenenberg was a member of a group that strove to give the museum the feel of an art gallery. Her group displays each car like a work of art by placing it on a curved pedestal with built in spotlight.
In addition to displaying the museum layouts, students displayed their individual class projects as well. The individual projects are not being judged.
The Design 360A Environmental Communication Project Review & Exhibit run until Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Design Gallery.
Disclaimer: The Daily 49er is not responsible for Postings made on www.daily49er.wpengine.com. Persons commenting are solely responsible for Postings made on this website. Persons commenting agree to the Terms of Use of the website. If Postings do not abide by the Rules of Conduct or Posting Regulations as listed in the Postings Policy, the Daily 49er has all rights to delete Postings as it deems necessary. The Daily 49er strongly advises individuals to not abuse their First Amendment rights, and to avoid language suggestive of hate speech. This site also encourages users to make Postings relevant to the article or other Postings.
