Next Generation Designers Offered Armchair Ride Into Industry

The next wave of designers is being offered a shot at working with one of Australia’s leading furniture and homewares brands in a unique collaboration between Freedom and LCI Education Network’s Melbourne campus LCI Melbourne (LCIM).

The Freedom x LCI Next Generation Design Competition is a chance for students to collaborate with the award-winning design team at Freedom on a concept that aligns with one of the brand’s creative categories. Successful entrants can even go all the way to be retailed and presented in Freedom stores Australia-wide.

Entries are invited across the full range of Freedom’s creative categories, including visual merchandising and point of sale; surface design, textiles (cushions, throws, floor rugs and bedding); décor; lighting; prints; Freedom Kids range; merchandising and wrapping; visual merchandise; and point of sale concepts.

The inaugural competition will kick off with a brief to selected LCIM students, submission of initial concepts, mentoring and development of proposals.

Short-listed entrants will then get to pitch their final concept to the Freedom CEO and Executive Design Team, as well as a panel of high-profile judges.

The competition may result in more than one entry going forward into product development and commercialisation, giving students an incredible experience in the world of commercial design, with the prospect that product prototypes could well be in the market for the following season’s launch.

Freedom CEO Blaine Callard said: “We are delighted to partner with LCIM to provide students with an incredible real-world experience of how ideas move through all the complex stages of design development and commercialisation.”

LCI Melbourne Dean and Principal Karen Webster said: “This is an incredibly valuable opportunity for the next generation of designers to get behind the scenes and learn first-hand from one of Australia’s leading design brands AND to get a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see their work in a retail store.”

Unlike other competitions, students selected to move forward with their concept or product will retain the Intellectual Property, or be paid a commercially viable rate for it.

Freedom’s Head of Design Kate Hopwood said: “Students will get to experience a real life merchandise design situation, with the support and mentorship of both LCI Melbourne and Freedom’s design teams. We’ll be looking for great ideation and will nurture the students through the design process, bringing

exciting new products and concepts to the Freedom customer, plus a great real life experience and

opportunity for the students”.
Media enquiries: E: stephanie@effieandco.com.au M: 0411 186 893