Detroit Auto Show: Creative Concept Student Awards Named

DETROIT, Jan. 6, 2003; The College for Creative Studies (CCS), one of the nation's premier art and design colleges, will announce the first Creative Concept Student Awards during the 2003 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS).

In the world of automotive awards, the CCS awards are unique in that transportation design students are the exclusive judges.

Offering a globally recognized transportation design program, CCS has educated many of the top designers in the automotive industry. It is, therefore, fitting that the automotive designers of tomorrow review and interpret the concept vehicles of today.

The CCS design student judges will participate in an ongoing discussion forum on The Car Connection beginning Thursday, Jan 9. The public is invited to log onto thecarconnection.com to ask the students questions about today's automotive designs or to comment on the awards. The discussion forum will run until Jan. 27.

Students in the CCS Transportation Design Program will evaluate the concept vehicles introduced during the 2003 NAIAS. Awards will be given in the following categories:

* The Vehicle as Sculpture: Exemplifies artistic and emotional form innovation in a vehicle. Vehicles will be judged based on speed, freeform, emotion and exploration.

* The Vehicle as Machine: Exemplifies function and purpose. Vehicles will be judged based on function, power, mechanical advantage and how the appearance reflects the function.

* The Green Award: Exemplifies concern for the future and recyclability of parts, in addition to fuel and pollution minimization. Criteria will include planet friendliness, use of alternative fuels, and efficient ideas in parts, materials and processes.

* The Human Award: Exemplifies new efforts in the way people interact with the vehicle. Vehicles will be judged based upon user friendliness, interface innovations, and interaction with the driver.

* Designer's Design Award: Exemplifies the best in the show - the vehicle that must be built. Selected vehicle exemplifies innovation, emotion, refinement, and the ability to transcend the common.

"The students developed these award categories based upon their designer's perspective and what they think are important attributes to other members of Generation Y," said Richard L. Rogers, CCS president. "The awards also will provide automotive manufacturers with insight into the wants and needs of the youth market."

Also at NAIAS CCS has an exhibit in Michigan Hall that highlights the talent and creativity of its student body in the area of transportation design.

The College for Creative Studies is one of the nation's leading arts education institutions. A private, fully accredited, four-year college, CCS offers Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in animation and digital media, communication design, crafts, fine arts, illustration, industrial design, interior design, and photography. CCS is credited with having one of the world's most recognized programs in transportation design and for placing more graduates in automotive design than any other school. The college also offers non-credit courses in the visual arts through its Continuing Education programs and opportunities for youth through Community Arts Partnerships. CCS is located in Detroit's Cultural Center, where it provides a dynamic learning environment in which students explore issues of art and design, and the culture in which they exist, while preparing for careers in the professional world.