Feb 27, 2014

Can creativity be taught? The New York Times recently examined this question through a slideshow of student projects—featuring three pieces from Pratt Institute—that highlight creative problem-solving skills

Students from institutions across the country were invited to submit projects to the Times for consideration, and works by Andrew An (B.I.D. Class of ’14), Cheyenne Lau (B.Arch Class of ’14), and Isis Shiffer (M.I.D., Class of ’16) were selected.

An’s piece, connected sunglasses that spread accordion style over the wearer’s head, is dubbed the “Tarantula Eyewear.” An calls it his answer to the  21st-century helmet.

Cheyenne Lau’s featured piece is a rendering of a park for Coney Island, Brooklyn. “My project attempts to address Coney Island’s predicament of being a low-income area highly susceptible to flooding. Given the recent hurricane, Coney Island possesses the ability to reinvent itself. I created a canal city that would attract tourism and economically revitalize the community,” Lau says.

Finally, Isis Schiffer created “3D modular garments” as a solution for the narrow range of clothing sizes and the broad variation of body types. “My dresses are size 6 to 8, but by adjusting the modules they could fit absolutely any body. Theoretically, a customer could plug in measurements and 3D print a perfectly fitting garment,” Schiffer told the Times.

The New York Times has a circulation of 1,897,890, and its website receives 16,236,925 unique visitors per month.

Image: Student Cheyenne Lau's Canal City project imagines a comprehensive urban design scheme with canals and water plazas that act as catalysts for economic development and social change. Image Credit: Cheyenne Lau.