BA (Hons) Product Design students during a visit to the Creative office.
In the Soundscape 2030 project, Year 2 students from the BA (Hons) Product Design programme were challenged by audio solutions company Creative to envision a future where audio technology seamlessly integrates into daily life for the year 2030.
The competition brief challenged the students to connect academic concepts from the classroom to real-world applications. By working closely with Creative, students gained a deeper appreciation of the company’s values as well as a deeper understanding of what future consumers would need.
Working under tight time constraints to think out-of-the-box and hone their problem-solving skills, the students each produced a minute-long video featuring design concepts and working models of their innovative products.
Ridhi Gupta was ultimately named the first prize winner, taking home a $1,000 cash prize. Reflecting on the competition process, she shared, “The project pushed me to improve my communication, stay on top of deadlines and approach tasks with professionalism. Beyond the work itself, I cherished the networking opportunities and opportunity to learn firsthand how the company operates.”
The Creative team was also effusive about the design concepts that arose from the competition, praising the students’ exceptional level of creativity, innovation and forward-thinking. Writing about the competition on LinkedIn, the team hailed that “[the students’] professionalism from research to pushing the boundaries of design and technology is a testament to LASALLE’s industry leading faculty and dedication to nurturing world-class talent.”
Most importantly, working so closely with industry partners has helped students feel more career-ready. Said Ridhi, “Projects involving creative design and interdisciplinary teamwork can inspire new perspectives, boost our skills, and prepare us for exciting career paths, all while tackling real-world problems that truly matter. The confidence and competitive edge I’ve developed are attributes that I’ll carry with me throughout my career.”
Winning projects
The top three winners were awarded cash prizes and an opportunity to intern with Creative.
1st prize: Soundscape 2030 by Ridhi Gupta
2nd prize: Aura Disk by Tyrus Hong Zheng Xiong
3rd prize: ULUKA by Sravya Nidugondi
Special mention: Thundermax by Yeowon Yoon
