2007 Overall Store Design Winner
Betty Yiu, the winner of PAVE’s 2007 overall store design category in the Student Design Competition, attended the DDI Forum as a guest of PAVE and DDI magazine Oct. 11-12, 2008, in Las Vegas. The DDI Leadership Forum addresses current issues in the retail industry and is attended by a variety of retail leaders.

Betty says that the forum was a wonderful opportunity for someone new to the industry. She was surprised at how much she learned—the conference program provided great insight into what is going on in the retail industry today. She learned that price points and retail health don’t necessarily go hand in hand. Discussion at the Forum cited Whole Foods, for example, which is struggling because of its emphasis on organic products that tend to cost more than products at Walmart and Costco. On the other hand, Apple is doing well even though it is pricier. One of her favorite experiences at the Forum was a tour of Las Vegas that examined plans for retail in Vegas in the future.
As the winner in the Overall Store Design Category, Betty was offered an internship by Denny Gerdeman at Columbus, Ohio-based Chute Gerdeman Retail for the summer of 2008.

During her internships with Chute Gerdeman Retail, Betty learned that design is very creative, but that it is also important to be practical and flexible and to adjust your design work to meet your client’s needs. She kept a journal of her experiences — click here to read it.

Betty, now finishing her last semester at San Jose State University, is also working at the San Jose offices of Gensler in the Interior/Workplace area.

We touched base with other 2007 Student Design Competitions Winners to see where they are at now.

Jesse Moyer is a senior at California State University in Long Beach, in her final year of a seven-year bachelor degree earning a BFA in interior architecture. She works locally, and has for the past four years, at Marmol Radziner and Associates, a 20th century modern residential and commercial design build firm, where she is a designer. The company is located in West Los Angeles.

Vania Kristiani is currently pursuing her final year in BA (Honors) Exhibition & Retail Design course, a franchise degree program with the University of Huddersfield, UK, at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in Singapore. She is due to complete her course in May 2009.

Lindsey Winchell is in her senior year at California State University in Long Beach in the Interior Design Program. She is on track to graduate in May 2009, with a B.A. in Arts with an option in Interior Design. She currently interns with KHI Interiors, Inc., a small hospitality design firm in Redondo Beach.

Theresa Winchell graduated from Radford University in Virginia and is now working at LMI Design Studio in Gaithersburg, Md. She is a junior designer and also doing all the 3D modeling for the company, and is now working on some of their marketing. LMI Design Studio works mostly in hospitality and healthcare design.

Jasmine Yoon graduated from FIT’s Display and Exhibit program in May 2008 and is working as a Visual Merchandiser at Custo Barcelona in New York City.

Kira Hwang graduated from the Display & Exhibit Design program at FIT in May 2008. She is working for New York Historical Society as a freelance designer, focusing on graphic design for museum.

Lauren Griers is working part-time in the visual department at Tiffany’s on Fifth Avenue in New York while she pursues her BFA degree from FIT in Visual Arts Administration.

Gerard Rabara graduated in May 2008 from the Visual Presentation and Exhibition Design program at FIT. He is currently in pursuit of employment while doing freelance visual work for exhibition designers and retailers.

Azahlle Wade graduated Summa Cum Laude from the Visual Presentation and Exhibition Design program at FIT and is currently studying to receive a two-year BFA degree in Toy Design from FIT.