International Internet Vote Is In: Senior on Track With Auto Design

University of Cincinnati industrial design student Nick Womeldorff is jump starting his senior year with a big win in the Fifth Annual Mitsubishi Motors Design Competition.

Students and professionals from 59 countries entered the competition in which they completed theoretical designs of a vehicle for a couple in their 50s whose children have left home or a vehicle for a family with children that needed a vehicle that could hold about six people.

Womeldorff, 24, of Evendale designed a vehicle for the latter group, beginning the project in the fall 2002 Transportation Design Studio led by Brigid O’Kane, associate professor of design.  He finished his design in early 2003, and in April, it was selected by Mitsubishi designers as one of 37 final projects to be featured on the Web.  More than  3,000 designers and consumers worldwide voted for their favored design, and Womeldorff’s family vehicle won the popular vote.  As the winner of the Internet vote, Womeldorff, who is currently working in Boston as part of his summer cooperative education quarter, won $1,600.

In his design statement, Womeldorff explained that he sought to put more energy and style into his van design, since vans must compete with SUVs as the preferred means for  family transportation.  He evidently succeeded.  Said one judge of the design, “This looks like a lunar-exploring vehicle.  It provides similar pleasure to that which off-road cars give us.”

UC students have a tradition of excellence in auto design thanks to a long-standing

program

allowing students in the

College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning

to work directly with and learn from professional auto

designers

thanks to distance-learning facilities at the university.

Results from the Mitsubishi competition were announced on July 11.