College Students Gain Real-World Design Training

For the next generation of designers, gaining real-world experience is an invaluable step in their professional development. To address this need, Eastman Chemical Company and Sheffield Plastics recently partnered with Auburn University to provide second-year design students with the opportunity to develop their own unique store fixtures. Created with VIVAK® sheet, a transparent specialty plastic product manufactured from

Eastman’s Spectar copolyester that provides optimal design versatility, the students’ projects were unveiled at a special presentation ceremony and will be displayed to the larger design community through Eastman’s online Innovation Lab (www. eastmaninnovationlab.com).

As part of the educational program, students researched trends in retail displays, keeping up-to-date on what appears in stores and where industry leaders are headed. Each student then conceptualized a mock consumer products goods company and analyzed the in-store sales and marketing needs for their business. Using this research, students developed concepts for store fixtures that could be employed in a real-world retail environment.

During the developmental stages, Eastman worked closely with students to offer workshops and seminars on designing with plastics. These educational forums were complimented by a visit to Eastman’s production facility in Kingsport, Tennessee, where students saw first-hand how plastic sheet is produced and learned ways in which it can be fabricated to produce retail displays.

Sheffield Plastics extruded and supplied the VIVAK sheet product, which enabled the students to work hands-on and transform their store fixture concepts into reality. The program culminated in a formal presentation ceremony, in which 30 fullsize models of the students’ works were displayed. Ranging from an organically shaped CD holder to a 6 foot tall tissue display, these projects received positive feedback from the professional designers who attended the ceremony. Sheffield Plastics, a Bayer Material Science Company, is the global leader in high performance plastics. Sheffield continues its leadership in polycarbonate and VIVAK® technology with new processes, product innovations and superior optics.

For more information, contact Cindy Kahlstrom, Sheffield Plastics Inc., 119 Salisbury Road, Sheffield, MA 01257, 800-254-1707, Fax: 800-457-3553, E-mail: cindy.kahlstrom@bayerbms.com, Web: www.sheffieldplastics.com.