Student winner from SCAD received over 200,000 votes for design entry

New York, New York -- May 22, 2014 -- Interiors & Sources, in partnership with Manhattan-based experiential design firm ICRAVE, ispleased to announce that Shanmuga Selvaraj is the winner of the third annual I Like Design Competition. The competition tasked students with reimagining the future retail experience of a single brand within the context of New York City focusing on how physical spaces, that once served as the center of all commercial transactions, are evolving and affecting the fabric of city life. Selvaraj, an Interior Design Masters student at Savannah College of Art and Design, received over 200,000 votes for his futuristic retail concept and has been awarded a paid summer internship at ICRAVE, a furnished apartment for the duration of his internship, and an all-expense-paid trip to NeoCon 2014 where he will receive official recognition for his design achievement.

“We thoroughly enjoyed combing through over 80 entries from students all across the country to select our top seven contestants before voting opened up to the public,” said Lionel Ohayon, founder of ICRAVE. “Our studio’s work uses design as a tool to merge the virtual and physical worlds as a result of the effect new technology has on our everyday lives. We were pleased to see creative concepts that exemplified our vision, and look forward to having Shanmuga join our team this summer.”

Selvaraj’s winning hypothetical concept, Nike Connect, is a next generation retail experience focused on future technology that fosters a more intimate end-user connection through an environment that fuses space, technology, people and products. His concept explored the ability for shoppers to order merchandise using interactive touch tables, which can also be used for streaming matches and multi-player touch games to drive consumers to continue visiting the brick-and-mortar store location. An entertainment aspect was incorporated for customers through classic arcade games and multi-use laser turf—space that can be used to launch new products with 3D holograms.

The call for entries began in November 2013, and was open to all full-time students in the United States currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program with a strong interest in experiential design. Contestants were asked to submit a concept statement and a visual presentation in the forms of sketches, paintings, illustrations, 3D renderings or photography. The deadline for entries closed on March 10, 2014. Voting was then opened to the public, and a contestant was eliminated each week until the final winner was announced. Selvaraj will be profiled in the June 2014 issue of Interiors & Sources.

About Interiors & Sources

Interiors & Sources® is dedicated to the advancement of the commercial interior design profession. It connects design professionals with the projects, products, firms, and associations that shape the built environment and promotes the value of design services in the creation of functional, sustainable, and aesthetically-pleasing environments. Each issue delivers relevant and timely information that equips design practitioners with the knowledge and tools necessary to reach design excellence in their own practices. Editorial ideas and contributions are welcome from all members of the design industry. Contact senior editor AnnMarie Martin for more details at Email Contact or visit the website at www.interiorsandsources.com.

About ICRAVE

ICRAVE is an experiential design studio based in New York City that reimagines built and digital environments for brands, choreographing memorable experiences that foster curiosity, imagination and lasting emotional connections. Helmed by Lionel Ohayon since 2002, ICRAVE has worked with Fortune 500 companies and innovative startups on award-winning projects across the globe.

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