RIT industrial design seniors were inspired by Sesame Street and challenged to design products that make kids lives better.

Last fall, when it was time for RIT’s industrial design students to begin their senior projects, one of the university’s alumna stepped in to challenge them to design contemporary products that pertain to the ‘Urgency of Play,’ otherwise known as, Metaproject 09. RIT Graphic Design alum Theresa Fitzgerald is now the Vice President Creative Services at Sesame Workshop ? the educational nonprofit tied to Sesame Street ? and she worked with Josh Owen, founder of the yearly Metaproject and professor/chair of RIT’s industrial design program, and the 15 students all year as their projects developed into modern Sesame Street products. The students had to bypass their own ideas and experiences associated with Sesame Street and instead take the brand’s guiding principles in a new, more modern direction in order to design products that make kids lives better. To mark the end of the project and the success of their designs, the students were all invited to the recent NYCxDesign to display their work.
Cloud Sweeper by Sumin-Petal Oh

The Squishy Brushy Chalk Holder by Brandon Lau

Blanket Builders by Brendan Wu

Origins Nesting Doll by Yunlin Sun

Organcritters by Celina Tassone

Make and Move Riding Toy by Daniel Shapiro

Active Reading Seat by Francesco Barletta

Uniform for Play by Hannah Giancola

Grow Green by Jor...