3.4.11 | New York, NY | On the heels of the third successful Annual Speed Mentoring Event, the IIDA New York Chapter is launching its First Annual Design This! event. Previously matched NY design students and leading Architecture and Interior Design professionals based in New York City will be brought together again to design a “secret product.” This follow up event is scheduled for Thursday, March 31, 2011 at the Izzy+ Showroom in New York City. Registration will open on March 7, 2011 and is exclusively open to those who participated in the 2010 Annual Speed Mentoring Event. For more information please visit the IIDA NY website calendar at http://www.iidany.org/calendar.html.

This invitation-only product design event is inspired by the TV show, "Iron Chef America", in which the unveiling of a “secret ingredient” starts the competition. Student teams will have the opportunity to design a product and present their concepts to a panel of professional guest judges from the industrial and interior design communities. The winning design will be prototyped by the sponsor, Watermark Designs, a local manufacturer based in Brooklyn, NY, who may have potential interest in further development into a viable product!

“Students play a pivotal role in furthering the design industry and we’re excited to be a sponsor at this year’s IIDA NY Design This! competition and create the prototypes of the winning designs,” said Jack Abel, Vice President of Watermark Designs. “As a forward-thinking company, architects and designers come to us to help them bring their product ideas to fruition; it’s rewarding to work with these young individuals in the same capacity.”

The Design This! event affords students the following opportunities:

• Work with other design students in a team capacity.
• Receive in-the-moment professional design advice.
• Have product design ideas evaluated by high profile guest judges.
• A prototype of their (winning) design by a local manufacturer.
• Potential press (of winning team and their design) in trade publications.

Mentors have the opportunity to advise young professionals in product design development and assist them in their career growth.

About our Competition Sponsor:

For more than three decades, Watermark Designs has been a leading manufacturer of decorative plumbing fixtures, bathroom accessories, lighting and elegant hardware for the luxury commercial and residential markets. Based in the independent design hub of Brooklyn and made in the USA, Watermark’s designs are a reflection of the creative melting-pot from which they hail. As a true-manufacturer, their distinctive product quality is achieved using a combination of hands-on design and development combined with state-of-the-industry equipment. Combining sustainable product design with an eye towards architectural detail, Watermark has worked with some of the world’s finest architects and designers, including the renowned Clodagh Design Studio. The ability to customize and create original product collections to meet client’s exact specifications has made the Watermark ID program one of the industry’s most successful. Watermark Designs” elite collections have been incorporated into some of the world’s most exclusive residences, hotels and high-rises including the Ritz-Carlton, Shanghai; Trump Park Avenue, New York, NY; and The Eden Roc Hotel, Miami Beach, FL. With their strong commitment to the environment, Watermark Designs aggressively invests in and develops new products with water-saving features while implementing environmentally-safe manufacturing practices. Visit Watermark Designs at www.watermark-designs.com.

The IIDA New York Chapter (IIDA NY) is a professional networking and educational association of more than 550 Members in ten specialty Forums. IIDA NY provides our Members with the resources to reach expertise, knowledge and contacts. Networking events allow professionals and industry members to connect on more personal terms that encourage trust, collaboration, and innovation.

We are proud to have been twice recognized as the IIDA LARGE CHAPTER OF THE YEAR.

Visit our web site http://www.iidany.org/ for more information.