gia Excellence in Student Design

SONA provides a faster, safer and more controlled method to thaw your frozen meats, poultry or fish with the use of ultrasound assisted technology. SONA works by sending out high-frequency sound waves above the human hearing spectrum known as ultrasound. These sound waves create tiny vibrations in the frozen food item. As the vibrations travel through the frozen item, they generate heat; this heat gradually thaws and melts the ice crystals. What makes ultrasonic thawing better than the more traditional methods is its ability to thaw uniformly and quickly while being very energy efficient. Ultrasound has been used and known since the 1960s but only recently has been tested for its thawing capabilities.

Judges’ Comments:

• High design
• Technology could work, well-researched
  
• Very pleasing and understandable design presentation
  

Ease is a dual-purpose lamp intended to bring the simplistic and medical-inspired light therapy market into a whole new view. The lamp consists of a charging base and therapy light that can easily be brought into any space. The shade uses existing technology currently applied in the market. A high-lumen LED strip is placed on the edge of the inside of the light with a reflective plastic sheet underneath. A thicker piece of plastic with small white dots is placed on top of that to help disburse the light evenly across the opaque/frosted plastic shade. The base of the lamp uses a USB-C connection to a wall outlet to power itself. The lamp is controlled by a single knob to turn on/off as well as adjust the light intensity. The wireless lamp allows users to bring their therapy anywhere. Ease brings a new, more comfortable flow to a user's SAD treatment. One that is designed to reflect them.

Judges’ Comments:

• Solves an important topic
  
• The research is valid and appeals to a large population
  
• Excellent visual communication and very thoughtful design language
  

Swishy provides a simple and entertaining way for children to visualize their mouths as they brush their teeth. Children watch Swishy’s lights change color to signify where they should brush next, ensuring they reach every side of every tooth. Children aged 3 through 6 have not yet honed in on their ability to remain on task, weigh cause and effect or think abstractly. Thus, Swishy not only helps children improve their dental hygiene, but it allows parents to take a step back and, like their child, build self-sufficiency.

Judges’ comments:

• Great process, lovely layout, compelling solution
  
• Good ideation
  
• Wonderful observational research
  

Rain Recyle is a rain funnel that captures rainfall and diverts it directly into a storage tank below. Homeowners, especially urban dwellers, do not have a way to capture or store rainwater.

Judges’ Comments:

• Clean clear and direct
  
• Brilliant take on a hidden user need
  
• Simplicity of design shows tremendous sensitivity to manufacturing requirements and needs of the user
  

Stack creates a simple solution for cleaning and storing breast pump pieces while in a public workspace. It involves a simple utilization of three key components to create both a basin and drying rack for the breast pump pieces. Stack solves the issue of washing in a dirty, public sink and creates an easy, discreet way to wash and store the pieces. While fixing the issue of washing, it also provides a solution for the drying process after.

Judges’ Comments:

• Takes something complex and makes it an all-integrated product
• An elegant solution to the complications and chaos that often come with breast milk pumping products
• Visually beautiful, calming, inviting and a great example of human-centered innovation

SPIN is a home piece yarn dispenser and storage solution. The product utilizes an angled trajectory to make the dispensing process as seamless as possible and works with a variety of differently spun yarns. Additionally, when done knitting, the user can place needles and unfinished projects into the spool of yarn as a simultaneous storage and display piece.

Judges’ Comments:

• Works on its own, is easy for anyone of any age to use and has a tasteful design.
• Passive and effective product for keeping yarn in one place and unraveling smoothly
• Presentation is graphically clean and makes it easy to follow through the design process

This product aids in the watering process for house plants, helping inexperienced or time-crunched plant owners keep plants healthy while keeping their desired aesthetic. The water gets to the soil by penetrating through a hole at the bottom of the pot. This allows the plant to drink as much as it needs without overwatering the plant.

Judges’ comments:

• Unique solution
• Comprehensive presentation tells the story of how product addresses a user need and developed a solution
• In-depth research and testing, paired with excellent design and form studies leads to an attractive, functional solution

Chi is a tactile safety system for visual assistance providing invisible hazard awareness. It’s a system of wearable sensory devices for the visually impaired, consisting of a visual sensor, vibrating feedback units, a digital data hub and charging home. Chi solves the problem of overhead hazards not easily detected by someone's poor vision or traditional white cane. Ultimately, this cutting-edge technology is super useful in the advancement of assistive technology. Chi can create independence for users while remaining cost friendly.

Judges’ Comments:

• Smart technology, assists and helps rather than takes away
• Conceptual haptic and LiDAR-based design enables users to be made aware of even more of their surroundings without calling attention to them or requiring additional use of a cumbersome apparatus
• A solution that is meant to add to the tools they already use