By Juwairiya Kembo
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As the semester came to a close, a palpable sense of accomplishment filled the pavilion. Students, alumni, faculty, friends, and family mingled amidst vibrant displays and discussions, celebrating the unique journey of each student from the School of Industrial Design.
On December 6, the School hosted DisPLAY 2024—a day-long event, spotlighting creativity, innovation, and achievement. A highlight of the academic calendar, the event showcased the progress of first-year students through to fourth year and Master’s (MDes) students, providing a glimpse into the program’s dynamic and inclusive design community.
“The idea is not only to engage our students in seeing each other’s work and connecting with their families,” said faculty member Rob Watters, encapsulating the inclusive spirit of the event “but also to bring in people from high schools and the industry,” stimulating broader conversations about design.
From Design Synthesis to Designing with Data
Professor Juan Jiménez García with a group of fourth-year students (Rohan Kumar, Dexter Blake, Behzad Rashidizadeh, Luca Forget, David Thompson, Farah Al-Nabtiti, Tyler Vongsouneth, Florencia Lanzon)
The day kicked off at 10:00 a.m. with a series of fourth-year seminars led by Professors WonJoon Chung and Juan Jiménez García. These presentations set the tone for the event, highlighting the creative rigor and design-thinking approaches that define the School of Industrial Design.
Professor Chung’s seminar, Design Synthesis, offered a pragmatic lens on the design process, guiding the students through the structured processes of synthesizing this information into actionable insights. The session tackled one of design’s central challenges: making sense of overwhelming amounts of information gathered through interviews, observations, and secondary research. Meanwhile, Professor Juan Jiménez García’s seminar, Designing with Data: From Big Data to Small Data and Beyond, explored the transformative role of data in design. The session invited students to think critically about data’s potential and limitations, connecting their personal experience with broader insights about data.
Rohan Kuman, one of the fourth-year students, presented a compelling analysis during the seminar, drawing parallels between the industrial revolutions of the past and today’s data-driven era. His topic, The Allure of Data, likened the unrefined state of today’s raw data to crude oil during the Industrial Revolution—abundant yet untapped in their unrefined state.
Reflecting on his own experience, Kuman shared how a series of health challenges led him to track his lifestyle. “It started as a doctor’s recommendation to keep a journal about myself,” Kuman shared. What began as a practical solution six years ago quickly evolved into a deeper exploration of how personal data could inform lifestyle changes. As Kuman continued gathering data over the years, he realized that raw data, much like crude oil, was “useless” in its unrefined form. “The process of how we refine oil, we could refine data in a similar way, to make data actually useful,” he emphasized, drawing a powerful analogy.
For Kuman, data has the potential to drive meaningful change. “We’re going to the fourth industrial revolution,” he said, linking data’s growing influence to the historical impact of oil. Just as oil reshaped the world and became difficult to replace, Kuman envisions data as the foundation of this new era, if we can learn to refine and apply it.
Demystifying Research: A Panel Discussion
Professor Paul Thibadeau, Sharon Rojas, Sage Tse, and Hala Hawa
Without missing a beat, this year’s DisPLAY event also included an engaging panel discussion, Demystifying Research: A Conversation on Getting Started and Succeeding in Academia and Fostering Social Impact. Moderated by Professor Paul Thibadeau, the panel featured insights from Sage Tse (1st Year MDes Student), Sharon Rojas (2nd Year MDes Student), and Hala Hawa (Alumna).
When asked how the research related to their everyday life, Rojas whose work focuses on data physicalization, highlighted how her research not only shaped her professional perspective but also influenced her personal growth.
“For me, research has become a way of life. Rojas explained. “It motivates me to question everything. Whenever someone says something, or I see it on the news, I’m like, how do they know? Who did they ask? Why are they saying that?” Her words resonated with the panel’s audience, illustrating how research can fuel curiosity and a constant drive for deeper understanding.
Creativity on Display
Annika Delichte, first-year student at School of Industrial Design at Carleton University
Throughout the day, creative displays adorned the pavilion, including the captivating IDES1300 Major Project 02: Let There Be Light! The course project required students to design and fabricate a light fixture, emphasizing structural integrity, light diffusion, and visual appeal using high-density polyethylene (HDPE plastic).
Annika Delichte, a first-year student, shared her enthusiasm for the project. “I feel like this course really focused on model building and coming up with lots of different ideas before really focusing on one,” she said. Annika described the process, which involved sketching extensively, creating miniature models, and iterating designs based on consistent feedback from her professors.
Reflecting on her experience, Annika expressed her excitement for creating something tangible. “I think ending it with a final product that’s a working, functional item has just been super cool,” she said. Her pride was evident as she shared that she had already set up her light fixture in her dorm. “I had it up in my dorm the other day, and I’m like, ‘oh my god, I’m going to bring it back there, like, I’ve been missing it [seeing it at the DisPLAY event].’ She continued, “this kind of shifted my mind and made me realize, ‘this is actually possible’, and it’s made me so excited for next semester.”
Portavax: A Portable Fridge for Vaccine Delivery
 Richard (Yuchen Pan). A third-year student standing next to his project, Portavax—a portable fridge designed to assist health workers in delivering vaccines door-to-door. |
 Portavax—a portable fridge designed by Richard, to assist health workers in delivering vaccines. |
While some projects on display focused on artistic expression or technical exploration, Richard, a third-year student, showcased a design with a focus on societal impact and functionality. Drawing inspiration from real-world challenges, his project, Portavax, is a portable fridge designed to assist health workers in delivering vaccines to remote, hard-to-access areas, such as rural villages or regions with rough terrain, prioritizing ease of transport and accessibility.
“The fridge carries vaccines in a design tray that is for oral vaccines, and they’re able to carry it comfortably and with enough protection for the vaccines,” says Richard.
Explaining his motivation, Richard shared, the project aimed to address the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals related to good health and reducing inequalities. The fridge’s compact design can hold around 400 vaccine doses and is carried using a fanny-pack-style strap, making it accessible for door-to-door vaccinations.
Richard envisions organizations like UNICEF or the World Health Organization using the product, particularly in resource-limited settings, but also sees its potential application in any scenario where a portable, reliable vaccine delivery solution is needed.
Reflecting on the value of such events, faculty member Rob Watters encourages prospective students to attend showcases and portfolio reviews to get a sense of the field. “I always tell students who are thinking about design: we’re technical people, we’re creative people, but above all, we’re empathetic. Our ultimate goal is to help others. That’s why we do this work—to figure out problems, who to help, and how to help. If you’re someone who enjoys being creative but also understands the importance of being pragmatic and addressing real needs, design might just be for you.”
As the event wrapped up at 5:00 pm, Watters concluded, “[DisPLAY] sets the tone perfectly for a well-deserved break before heading into the next term.”
