Cornerstone Design I Final Competition

Fall 2024

WELCOME TO THE Product Redesign CHALLENGE

Welcome to the Fall 2024 Product Redesign Challenge! The top Cornerstone Design I teams (as picked in preliminary in-class competitions across 30 sections) showcased their final solutions and competed for prizes in an in-person digital poster pitch competition. The semester’s problem was “Personal, User Group, Community Product Redesign” where we were seeking opportunities to to make existing stuff more useful to more people and less wasteful. Consider opportunities to identify problems with currently available, in need, defunct, or in use products in any community or user group, be it in personal, local, regional, or global settings. With emphases on social dimensions of the problem and the socio-technical intersection, the brunt of solutions are technical in nature, but may touch on any technical field: electrical, mechanical, civil, environmental, computer science, chemical, geological, materials, mining, industrial, etc. (read the full Call For Proposals here).

Teams compete for cash prizes, including a special Subject Matter Expert Pick. Below you can see the grand prize winning teams as well as all of our finalists. Check out their poster presentations next to the team information below. For more information on Design I, click here.

THE WINNING TEAMS

Read The Press Release

1ST PLACE: Guardians of the Garage Rear View Security Mirror

Problem Statement: How might we reduce theft of at risk vehicles in the Denver Metro Area to mitigate losses suffered by Denver residents?

Team Members: Angel Segovia, Brody Collander, Bryan Williams, Evrett Lewis, and Jamal Kasim

Instructor: Jack Bringardner, Section M2

2ND PLACE: Scrub Innovations

Problem Statement: Restaurants need to decrease the time it takes to complete menial tasks, such as washing dishes.

Team Members: Maika Webster, Landon Fowler, Felix Graves, Sam Monk, Anthony Chen

Instructor: Mike Davis, Section I2

3RD PLACE: Team Taekwondo

Problem Statement: How can we automatically score taekwondo spinning kicks?

Team Members: Axel Adams, Josh Ary, Jathan Busby, Zack Johnson

Instructor: Michael Sheppard, Section D1

SME AWARD: Card Cloak

Problem Statement: According to the FBI, over one billion USD is stolen by credit card skimming thieves annually. How might we reduce data theft caused by card skimming?

Team Members: Samuel Beers, Gustav Bloom, Roman Burnside, James Meezan, and Jaden Schaffer

Instructor: Michelle Fisher, Section J1

THE FINALISTS

Section A1

Team: Dirty Climbers

Problem Statement: How might the dispersion of chalk in climbing gyms be minimized to improve gym cleanliness?

Members: Laura Davey-Philippus, Arabella Chen, Tyler Easter, and Nathaniel Brazen

Professor: Cindy Athansiou

Section A2

Team: BikeSafe Solutions

Problem Statement: How might we improve road bikers’ safety regarding passing vehicles on low-visibility mountain roadways?

Members: Gary Carter, Jones Kill, Xander Pallis, Teagan Daughters, and Kiyana Tsuei

Professor: Patricia Littman

Section B2

Team: Blue Fellows

Problem Statement: To reduce the cost of safe drinking water in homes on indigenous reservations, we propose the Faucet Filter, a compact, affordable, and long-lasting solution to Uranium contamination in drinking water.

Members: Caden Von Elling, Lincoln Zeeck, Luke Wilson, Olaf Woodall, and Ben Brownfield

Professor: Cindy Athansiou

Section B2

Team: Bike Solutions Inc.

Problem Statement: How might we improve the user experience and security of bikes for college students and metropolitan areas, creating an absolute deterrent for bike thieves and a functional tool that is easy to use and cost effective for an average user?

Members: Declean McPhillips, Danny Peavy, Kyle Spiteri, Carson Buechler, and Brodie Kimbell-Jack

Professor: Patricia Littman

Section C1

Team: Crafted Concepts

Problem Statement: How can we make headphones more comfortable for the common user particularly when used in combination with glasses?

Members: Lily Machado Rios, Avery Dodson, Trevor Nordstrom, Dylan Kaiser, and Angelina Bondarenko

Professor: Cindy Athansiou

Section C2

Team: Smart Jack

Problem Statement: How can the safety, efficiency, and usability of car jacks be improved for consumers?

Members: Isaac Kim, Anahi Villanueva, Jade Leon, Brendan Giles, and Caden Mahonchak

Professor: Garrett Erickson

Section D1

Team: Team Taekwondo

Problem Statement: How can we automatically score taekwondo spinning kicks?

Members: Axel Adams, Josh Ary, Jathan Busby, and Zack Johnson

Professor: Michael Sheppard

Section D2

Team: MaxTemp

Problem Statement: How Can We Offer a Longer-lasting Hot & Cold Therapy Experience Without Compromising Ease of Use?

Members: Jaxon Sayers, Jace Welsch, Kael Weatherby, and Alex Ashmalla

Professor: Garrett Erickson

Section E1

Team: Ice Flop Stoppers

Problem Statement: Create adjustable cleats for shoes on ice to prevent falls.

Members: Carter Barhorst, Jacob Beddome, Lucy Noble, Cam Roush, and Bennet Sacks

Professor: Mark Florida

Section E2

Team: Dine-n-Dash

Problem Statement: How can we make personal meal preparation more time and energy efficient for young adults?

Members: Jackson Bonneau, Federico Chavez, Tyler Lapp, Dennis Porter, and Cody Steele

Professor: Cara Juergensen

Section F1

Team: Lifesavers

Problem Statement: How can we redesign lifeguard rescue tubes to eliminate the risk of entanglement and improve long-term durability?

Members: JT Lawrence, Taylor Arledge, Ava Garrison, Mason Ngo, and Logan Moore

Professor: Tony Vandenberge

Section F2

Team: Saving Canes

Problem Statement: How can we alleviate pain caused by improper use of canes?

Members: Ethan Brazil, Ryan Curran, Angelina Etterman, Ellory Konrad, and Stefan Moe

Professor: Cara Juergensen

Section G1

Team: Sleep Mask Light Alarm

Problem Statement: Rise and Shine: The Ultimate Wake-up Mask. Gone are the days of waking up to your roommate’s alarm!

Members: Duha Aldarsony, Eva Rupp, Robbie Settle, Isaac Nelson, and Camden Foreman

Professor: Tony Vandenberge

Section G2

Team: Four-Ward

Problem Statement: How might we connect communal living communities in order to allow for efficiently shared laundry machines and shower facilities (to improve resource allocation)?

Members: Ben Armendariz, Jimmy Baldwin, Nicholas Bay, Ty Flemming, and Leo Luna

Professor: Mirna Mattjik

Section H1

Team: Jacket Jet Solutions

Problem Statement: Advanced Evaporarion for Ready-to-Wear Outfits – Rapid Drying

Members: Jack Canada, Jack Hittle, Zachary Prussia, and Andrei Sarbu

Professor: Mark Florida

Section H2

Team: Greywater Solutions

Problem Statement: How can water usage be reduced in commercial settings while reducing polluted water output?

Members: Noah Bierne, Cheyenne Flierl, Jenna McLaughlin, Dylan Meadows, and Jolie Venus

Professor: Chris Dodson

Section I1

Team: Smart Rise Alarm System

Problem Statement: How might we change the design of basic alarm systems to be more effective and less intrusive to others?

Members: Wynn Drewes, Davis Logan, Julian Ryter, Zeke McGee, and Tyson Timms

Professor: Michelle Fisher

Section I2

Team: Scrub Innovations

Problem Statement: Restaurants need to decrease the time it takes to complete menial tasks, such as washing dishes.

Members: Maika Webster, Landon Fowler, Felix Graves, Sam Monk, and Anthony Chen

Professor: Mike Davis

Section J1

Team: Card Cloak

Problem Statement: According to the FBI, over one billion USD is stolen by credit card skimming thieves annually. How might we reduce data theft caused by card skimming?

Members: Samuel Beers, Gustav Bloom, Roman Burnside, James Meezan, and Jaden Schaffer

Professor: Michelle Fisher

Section J2

Team: Better Bike Rack (BBR)

Problem Statement: How might we develop elementary students’ grip strength and motor control, in order to improve early motor skill development lost by excessive screen time?

Members: Owen Eicher, Sean Cappleman, Carly Wink, Penn Dobosz, and Gio Migliaccio

Professor: Mike Davis

Section K1

Team: Team Straps

Problem Statement: How might we make backpacks more comfortable — reconfigured weight distribution and padding

Members: Sultan Al Baroomi, Basil Al-kalbani, Albret Chen, Alex Edsall, and Tyler Ware

Professor: Donna Bodeau

Section K2

Team: Mines MotorWorks

Problem Statement: How might we improve upon an existing system meant to increase the power output of engines?

Members: Henry Oehlrich, Austin Schmidt, TJ Berry, David Mackall, and Connor McGrath

Professor: Garrett Erickson

Section L1

Team: Team 5Blue

Problem Statement: Make liquid medication administration more reliably accurate, and easy to use for general users in a way that healthcare companies will implement, produce, and provide.

Members: Grant Reising, Rhiana Todd, Nathan Blanchard, and Jack Cowden

Professor: Yosef Allam

Section L2

Team: BEVULT Inc. Active Desk

Problem Statement: How can we refine a modern desk to help students stay engaged in class?

Members: Baylie Watikins, Elizabeth Powers, Vandin Kraus, Udev Vijay, Leah Mynderse, and Tristan Lackey

Professor: Jack Bringardner

Section M1

Team: Five Guys

Problem Statement: How might we reduce the amount of produce damaged in the post harvest transportation process?

Team Members: Connor Harrigan, Duncan Pomerantz, Diego Mendoza, Emerson Coker, and Seth Chavez

Instructor: Alina Handorean

Section M2

Team: Guardians of the Garage Rear View Security Mirror

Problem Statement: How might we reduce theft of at risk vehicles in the Denver Metro Area to mitigate losses suffered by Denver residents?

Members: Angel Segovia, Brody Collander, Bryan Williams, Evrett Lewis, and Jamal Kasim

Professor: Jack Bringardner

Section N1

Team: Lighting the Way

Problem Statement: How might we block out LED headlight glare from oncoming traffic and reduce the accidents it causes?

Members: Yernar Mamay, Caleb Lewis, Samantha Flores, Emilio Nieves, and William Singletary

Professor: Tony Vandenberge

Section N2

Team: Helping Hands

Problem Statement: How might we make it easier for people with disabilities limiting hand mobility to put on their jewelry without struggling or asking for help? 

Members: Owen Rolo, Wren Krause, Isaac Kreutzer, and Lars Saam

Professor: Cara Juergensen

Section O1

Team: Space Savers

Problem Statement: How can industrial clothing storage be redesigned to optimize space efficiency?

Team Members: Fabian Chavez Portillo, Aldeem Hossain, Brendan Herman, and Charley Jones

Instructor: Carlos Concalves

Section O2

Team: Mountain Rescue

Problem Statement: How can we increase the effectiveness of emergency response or rescue personnel, especially in the mountains around Golden?

Members: Sebastian George, Alex Hill, Jack Loftin, Everett Peatrowsky, and Miles Raciti

Professor: Aubrey Wigner

Section P1

Team: W.A.S.T.E.L.E.S.S. Household Automated Composter

Problem Statement: What can we do to reduce food waste?

Members: Ian Roberts, Atlas Gieg, Landon Abegg, John Cloward, and Cruz Pozo

Professor: Carlos Concalves

Section P2

Team: The Hinging Crutch

Problem Statement: How can we redesign the existing underarm crutch to improve user comfort, safety, and reliability, particularly for long-term use? 

Members: Blake Hoffer, Isaac Lane, Ryan Netuschil, Dora Raitsev, and Lanie Smith

Professor: Andrew Piotrowski