Students Unleash Their Creativity in Product Design Contest

The One Academy’s Certificate in Communication Design (CCD) students participated and won the top four prizes in the OSIM uDiva 3 Plus Cushion Design Contest. These students were given the opportunity to create a signature piece cushion for the new OSIM uDiva 3 Smart Sofa with built-in smart functions designed for work, play and rest. This competition challenged participants to distill their design approach into its core components and represent their unique style through a single piece of furniture.

By being exposed to an industry-level project like the OSIM uDiva 3 Plus Cushion Design Contest, the students had the opportunity to learn how to handle clients and work with briefs. The OSIM uDiva 3 Smart Sofa mainly revolved around comfort and style, so students had to take the aesthetics of this product into consideration. In order to achieve the brief that emphasised on minimalistic design, they had to find ways that would not only enhance but complement the Smart Sofa’s existing appearance. Students had to be able to overcome the challenge of having to come up an additional product instead of starting from scratch.

“I was occupied with classes, assignments and work when I entered the competition through the college. While doing my assignments, I would explore many ideas,” said Kong Yong Siang as he reflected on his hectic schedule throughout the competition.  Interestingly, his busy lifestyle served as the inspiration for his unique concept, ‘Time & Clock’. Utilizing the skills he learned at The One Academy, his design process started off with rough sketches, then the addition of more intricate details and finally, converting them into black and white or colored artwork. His effort and creativity resulted in a winning product design that earned him the grand prize of RM1000 and a uThrone S Marvel Gaming Chair.

As for Wong Shu Hou, he was initially hesitant about joining the competition. “My family told me not to be afraid if I didn’t win any prize and to just do it. This pushed me to take part in the competition,” said the first-place prize winner as he decided to take the plunge. From that point on, everything went by smoothly since he made sure to work hard on this project while handling ongoing assignments. After being inspired by organic shapes in one of his classes, Wong decided to work closely with his lecturer by getting his work reviewed, asking for references and receiving advice. This led to his final artwork which captured the beauty and simplicity of organic shapes that won RM 800 and a uThrone S Marvel Gaming Chair.

Kew Jia Wen, the second-place winner of the competition, incorporated elements from nature that harmoniously combined leaves and organic shapes. She took it a step further by ensuring the cushion's colour scheme matched the existing OSIM uDiva 3 Smart Sofa series. “My learning experience at The One Academy has helped me get the fundamental skills of art and design I needed”. Her play on striking the perfect balance between symmetry and contemporary design won her RM500 and a uThrone S Marvel Gaming Chair. Meanwhile, Joan Choo Yin Shuang, the consolation prize winner, received RM250 and shared valuable advice for aspiring creative artists to continuously learn and observe from experienced masters.

These students’ amazing creations stand a chance of being turned into a live investment product by OSIM. Through this project, students from The One Academy gained a valuable experience in dealing with real-world design challenges, collaborating with clients, and working within specific briefs. The exposure to such a project provided them with practical skills that would prove beneficial in their future careers as designers. Besides having a strong portfolio before even graduating, these students also managed to win amazing prizes which serves as a form of encouragement and reassurance. The One Academy has always provided their students with lessons that can only be learned beyond the four walls of a classroom. 

The One Academy is committed to providing the best art education programmes and continues to nurture its students passionately through its “Masters Train Masters” coaching philosophy, which has been practised for over 30 years, by providing diploma and degree courses in Advertising & Graphic Design, Digital Animation, Digital Media Design, Film Visual Effects, Interior Architecture & Design, Illustration, Fine Arts, Paris Fashion Design & Pattern Making, Computer Science & Game Design. For more information, visit www.toa.edu.my or call 03-7875 5510 or e-mail your enquiries to [email protected].