Philip Siwek, a Wilson School of Design at Kwantlen Polytechnic University technical apparel graduate, has won bronze at the 2019 IDEA International Design Conference in Chicago.
Siwek recently graduated from KPU and submitted his capstone project for the award. The innovative cycling jacket lets self-driving cars detect cyclists on the road.
“Along with the joy of winning the award, I feel honoured to have established design professionals from all over recognize my work,” says Siwek.
His project helps solve an emerging problem as autonomous vehicles hit the road. There are barcodes placed on the jacket that are scanned by the vehicles. This lessens the risk of accidents involving cars and cyclists.
“Philip dove deep into the research aspect for his capstone project. He thought of every possible detail and worked tirelessly to solve each problem that arose,” says Emily Heaps, coordinator for the technical apparel design program.
“Philip also conducted an immense amount of testing and field research throughout his development process, which clearly paid off in the end product.”
Siwek was also awarded the Strategy and Research award in the student category by Core77.
“To be recognized for his innovative design solution speaks to the calibre of our programs and the skills of our faculty to teach and inspire the next generations of grads. The Wilson School of Design continues to forge a path for driven, passionate students like Philip who have a big vision for the future. We are honoured to be part of that journey,” says Andhra Goundrey, interim dean of the Wilson School of Design.
Siwek is currently working with lululemon’s Whitespace team as a junior innovation designer.
“I never knew where my work would take me. I just had an idea and made sure to explore it the best I could,” he says.
Learn more about the technical apparel design program.