Making their mark on a designer chair

Students don't often get to apply their theoretical knowledge while at university. For Manipal University, Dubai students a rare opportunity to work with a luxury Italian furniture brand came up when they clinched first prize at this year's Index exhibition student competition. They got the opportunity to redesign the exterior of the Natuzzi Sound Chair, which is a high-tech piece of furniture that has speakers, mp3 players and other features. Using bolts found in a hardware store and Swarovski crystals, the students challenged their creativity and practical knowledge to create a unique design. The chair is available for sale at the Natuzzi store on Shaikh Zayed Road. The proceeds of the piece will go toward the International Education for Children campaign, which is supported by Dubai Cares. "We came up with quite a lot of options for the chair but it depended on the Natuzzi store manager who knows what customers want," said team member and design student Tooba Sarfaraz. Article continues below The students initially proposed a chair covered in medical gel packs; the second idea was to cover the chair in denim; the third was to use Swarovski crystals and the fourth was to draw an optical illusion on the piece. However, the students finally went ahead with the crystal design.