Royal College of Art and SABIC collaborate on new ‘VISIcON’ program and design competition

The Royal of Art and chemicals manufacturer SABIC has announced the launch of a three-month research program and competition called 'VISIcON'.

Over 30 post-graduate students from the college's Vehicle Design program are studying and analyzing how SABIC's thermoplastic lighting materials and LEXAN polycarbonate (PC) glazing technologies can be used practically and creatively to improve the lighting and illumination of future vehicles.

VISIcON asks students from the RCA's automotive students split into three groups: the Automark group's emphasis on developing and enhancing brand identity through lighting; Urban Flow's focus directed towards discovering innovative exterior lighting; and Inside Out studio is working on improving and extending the use of light in the vehicle interior through lighting components and PC glazing.

The students will then work in cross-studio teams of three towards holistic vehicle design visions joined by 10 students from RCA's Textiles program, two of whom will win awards. Once the teams have completed their research and developed concepts, each team member will develop their own individual proposal, with a jury of SABIC, RCA and external experts then choosing three of those designs for development into larger scale models.

A second round of judging will determine the overall winner, with each of the top three students earning themselves a bursary award from SABIC. The overall winner will be revealed, alongside the presentation of the championship models, in May at an awards ceremony at the RCA's headquarters in Kensington, London.

By Rufus Thompson