BoConcept Partners with DESIGNSTOK to Help Students Get a Global Pulse on Design
BAYONNE, N.J. (PRWEB) June 21, 2018 -- BoConcept, the Danish-founded global retail furniture franchise with nearly 300 locations across 60 countries, recently announced its partnership with DESIGNSTOK, a cultural exchange program organized by Aalborg University in Denmark as part of a collaboration between Parsons New School, the Danish Design Centre, the Danish Consulate General and numerous Danish design universities. The collaboration is a multi-year partnership on the topic ‘The Future Design Can Make,’ that helps young designers of the future develop their craft through events, workshops and collaboration.
Beginning on June 21st, 25 design students from Parsons School of Design in New York and 25 students from the Industrial Design School at Aalborg University will be taking to the streets of New York City to find inspiration and scraps to use for modeling product mock ups. Each of the projects represent different human senses and are meant to create, discover, improve or accentuate the way an audience interprets New York City.
“Many designers recognize their interest in the field starting at a young age but really aren’t given the tools to develop those skills until they’re much older. DESIGNSTOK aims to change that by providing students with real world experience alongside their studies,” said Kaare Erikson, Associate Professor of the Department of Architecture, Design and Media Technology at Aalborg University. “I can think of few better places in the world than New York City to expose students to the power of design. We’re excited to see what they come up with.”
The students’ designs will be displayed at BoConcept’s global flagship store located at 160 Madison Avenue in New York City between June 25th and June 27th. To kick off the exhibition, students will be presenting their projects in front of design professionals from around the world, with a chance to win top marks, at 7 p.m. on June 25th. Following the presentation, Erikson will moderate a debate on contemporary design issues featuring prominent design practitioners and communicators including Mikkel Holm (PreHype), Mikael Hallstrup (DesignIT), Michael Verbo (Parsons/New School), Amy Schneider (Aspire Metro & Design) and Kalina Todorova (BoConcept).
“For years, designers have tried to separate American and Scandinavian designs, believing that the two clash with their polarizing characteristics. But now, we’re seeing the two used together more frequently,” said Todorova, Global Visual Merchandising Manager at BoConcept. “Our goal is to teach these students how they can use elements from different cultures to elevate a space and also to demonstrate design trends vary from designer to designer.”
While this is the first event of its kind at BoConcept’s global flagship store, the company supports student designers across the globe at other locations throughout the year. Most recently, BoConcept partnered with Emily Carr University in Vancouver, Canada for a design competition where over the course of a semester, students developed new prototypes of furniture and presented the results to the BoConcept team in Demark. From there, the team had the option of selecting one or more of the designs for production, a true testament to the confidence BoConcept has in student designers.
“Through our global initiatives, we have a better grasp on what the future of design might look like by learning from our apprentices. They bring fresh eyes to our designs and have a finger on the pulse of current trends,” said BoConcept’s Marketing Director Steen Knigge. “Partnerships like those with DESIGNSTOK and Emily Carr University demonstrate how powerful cross-cultural collaboration can be and is something we look to make a bigger part of BoConcept’s story moving forward.”
ABOUT BOCONCEPT
Launched in 1952 and franchised in 2002, BoConcept has become a global leader in the design of bold, stylish furniture and now boasts nearly 300 locations in 65 countries around the world. Founded in Denmark, BoConcept differentiates itself by offering premium quality, modern designs that elevate interior spaces to achieve their full potential. The company remains focused on creating functional furniture for the urban consumer through partnerships with the world’s leading interior designers. Backed by a proven global concept and strong franchise support system, BoConcept’s 13 U.S. locations include a flagship store, recently opened in December 2017 on New York City’s famed Madison Avenue. For more information please visit http://www.boconcept.com. To inquire about franchise opportunities, please visit https://www.boconcept.com/en-us/boconcept/franchise.
Alison, Hoesli, http://www.nolimitagency.com, +1 3125263996, [email protected]
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