WWU Industrial Design students to present projects at Bellingham store June 4

Juniors in Western Washington University’s Industrial Design program have completed their annual ReMade projects, with this year’s designs featuring products for the kitchen.

ReMade is an annual design challenge combining sustainability and entrepreneurship. The goal is to transform items of industrial waste into viable commercial products that are then sold; each participant must first come up with a design prototype followed by a small production run of at least 15 products which are then sold in a retail venue. By going through this process, students get a fresh understanding of the designer’s impact on the environment and the economy.

This year’s collection includes soap dispensers made from spray cans, bowls made from propane tanks, napkin rings made from skateboard decks, and towel racks made from rebar. All the products will be debuted at IDEAL, 1227 Cornwall Ave. in Bellingham, on Friday, June 4 as part of the city’s Downtown Art Walk. The products will be available at IDEAL through the beginning of August.

Past ReMade projects include wallets made from Kevlar sail cloth, baby booties made from silk castoffs at garment factories, room-light switchplates made from old traffic signs, biodegradable planting pots and postcards made from magazine covers.

For more information on the ReMade project, contact Arunas Oslapas, WWU professor of Engineering Technology, (360) 650-3425, or arunas.oslapas@wwu.edu.