LTU product design students participate in prestigious Milan Design Week

SOUTHFIELD-For the first time, a group of Lawrence Technological University studentsexhibitedtheir designs last week at one of the world's premier design shows in Milan, Italy.

"Milan Design Week is the world's prestigious design event," said Nur Saltik, assistant professor of design in the LTU Department of Architecture and Design and director of its product design program. "Salone Internazionale Del Mobile," which is the official name for the design fair, is historically the most significant event for product designers. Founded in 1961 as a vehicle for promoting Italian furniture and furnishings exports, it soon became the most keenly awaited event in the world of furniture.

"This wasfirst year LTU attended," Saltik said. "We exhibitedin the Isola Design Gallery from April 15th through the 21st, along with more than 80 other exhibitors."

Showing off their designs were product design juniors Alyssa Evanson, Lauren Fife, Jacob Heyer, Megan Miller, and Katelyn Wolowiec, as well as senior Hannah Meyer, who will graduate May 4 with her Bachelor of Science in Product Design. They "were invited to Milan Week after event curators selected their project titled 'Curious Collection,'" Saltik said.

Saltik accompaniedthe students and exhibit her own work titled "Entangled Rugs" in the Isola Design Gallery. 

"This is a new elective class we offered this year, and it is magnificent that the students got accepted to exhibit," she said. "I plan to run this program again. As a designer, I have been participating in and exhibiting at Milan Design Week since 2014."

The Curious Object & Connectionselective,within LTU CoAD's Product Design program,focuses on practical learning objectives, including enabling constraints, adaptability, structural studies, material-specific production intent, rapid product development, and professional display curation.

Curious Collection focuses on whimsical, playful objects that work individually and stacked. This collection of the students' individual work manifests as a playful yet functional series exploring innovative additive manufacturing technologies such as 3D printing and robot sculpting. Presented in curated stacked towers, the collection allows for dynamic reconfigurations, inviting usersto explore the endless possibilities of design.

The Curious Collection will be included at ShowLTU CoAD 2024 May2, CoAD's annual exhibition of primarily graduating student work that culminates each academic year. In the fall semester, the pieces will also be exhibited as part of Detroit Month of Design. To view the winning designs, visit https://isola.design/Designer-Projects-curious-objects--collections-.

One of the students who attended, Alyssa Evanson,said, "Product design is a super unique major. From my very first semester, I get a lot of opportunities to be hands-on. Going to Milan is an opportunity most people can only dream about! This challenges my design and gets me to meet new designers. It's just something you have to experience if you have the opportunity. Going to Milan for the first time puts us as a class and LTU as a school on a worldwide scale."

And CoAD Dean Karl Daubmann said, "I'm so proud of our six students whose creativity and ingenuity have brought LTU its first-ever Milan Design Week placement. This has also brought them and our university great prestige among schools with a product design curriculum. Congratulations and thanks, Katelyn, Hannah, Lauren, Megan, Jacob, and Alyssa!" 

Lawrence Technological Universityis one of only 13 private, technological, comprehensive doctoral universities in the United States. Located in Southfield, Mich., LTU was founded in 1932 and offers more than 100 programs through its Colleges of Architecture and Design, Arts and Sciences, Business and Information Technology, Engineering, and Health Sciences, as well as Specs@LTU as part of its growing Center for Professional Development. PayScale lists Lawrence Tech among the nation's top 11 percent of universities for alumni salaries. Forbes and The Wall Street Journal rank LTU among the nation's top 10 percent. U.S. News and World Report list it in the top tier of the best Midwest colleges. Students benefit from small class sizes and a real-world, hands-on, "theory and practice" education with an emphasis on leadership. Activities on Lawrence Tech's 107-acre campus include more than 60 student organizations and NAIA varsity sports.

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