Columbus is a hub for retail, and as such we at Chute Gerdeman know the importance to support and foster the education of the next generation of designers, especially those studying in our own community. In an effort to give back, we’ve partnered with Rebekah Matheny, assistant professor of interior design at The Ohio State University, and the retail design studio to create a unique mentorship program.
Working in teams of three, twelve students made up of interior design, product design, and graphic communication students, they will work to address environmental and social sustainability issues, talking about generous brands and purpose driven products.
The main objective of the studio is to rethink the purpose of the retail store to address their generation’s ethics, beliefs, and behaviors. Selecting a brand that aligns with their values, and does not currently have a retail store, they are challenged to create a store experience that “cultivates a community” around their brand’s purpose.
Last week, we invited the studio to our space for a tour and collaborative work session around “From Strategy to Store.” We spoke with them about the early stages of developing a brand’s positioning and translating those elements into conceptual designs. The session also included a brainstorming activity with brand filters where we deciphered core brand values with the student teams.
Sponsoring the studio’s initiatives, VMSD magazine, a leading industry publication in the visual merchandising and store design industry, will pay for the winning team to attend and present at IRDC in October in Seattle, Washington. Stay tuned and follow along as week document the design process leading up to it!