Michelin design contest inspires young minds

The College for Creative Studies in Detroit held its 24th Michelin Design challenge, in which Michelin sponsors a design and development project for one of CCS' transportation design classes.

The competition works like this: CCS and Michelin get together to develop a theme, then CCS picks which transportation design class will work on the project. The idea, Michelin says, is to celebrate and promote the kind of vehicle design that highlights original thinking and innovation.

Students have one semester (13 weeks) to develop their designs.

Themes are usually chosen with an eye toward solving some type of transportation and societal challenge. This year's, named "Half! Lightweight with Passion," asked students to come up with lightweight vehicles that would instill passion and would be fun and safe to drive if built.

Over the semester the students, divided into teams, are required to explore that challenge in depth. In fact, not only does each team create a lightweight vehicle platform, but then each member of the team develops another vehicle and tire/wheel assembly for that platform. What structure the platform takes and the types of vehicles created is up to the students.

Automaker designers from the Detroit area judge the students' work. The jury this year consisted of Bob Boniface, Cadillac design director; Brandon Faurote, head of Chrysler design; Lon Zaback, Ford's design manager; Joel Piaskowski, Ford's director of exterior design for the Americas; and Scott Roller, designer at CALTY.

A point system determines first, second and third place in overall vehicle and tire/wheel design. Michelin also has a team award. Prizes are scholarships and trophies, and the winning works are displayed at the Michelin Challenge Design exhibit at the North American International Auto Show in January.

Students Colin Pan and HyunWoo Lim won the team award. Yoongkyung Hwang, Arthur Coudert and Merrill Matthew finished 1-2-3 in the individual awards.

By Wes Raynal