A q&a with two merchandising design sophmores

Lauren Browning and Gigi Ganzer are sophomores in the Department of Design, majoring in merchandising design. Not only are they best friends, but each of them was also awarded the William C. & Betty J. Lusk Design Merchandising Scholarship March 2014. In her spare time Browning enjoys working out, reading, spending time on her boat with friends, and gardening. Ganzer is a professional makeup artist for Lancôme Cosmetics, and in her spare, time she enjoys dancing.

1. What were your reactions when you found out that the two of you were awarded the scholarship?

Lauren: My initial reaction to winning the award was shock. I was unaware of the fact that we had won a scholarship until Gigi told me in class. I felt incredibly honored and thankful my professors saw so much potential in me.

Gigi: I was completely surprised yet confused since I did not receive anything about the reward, but when I was walking in McGuffey to my design studio class the next day, my merchandising professor Dr. Robinson, who rewarded both Lauren and I along with Dr. Doss, stopped me and asked if I heard about the great news. My first thought was if Lauren knew yet, and I was so excited to tell her! The fact that we were both rewarded was so special – it was a little extra kick letting me know that I was on the right track, and to keep working hard.

2. How would you both describe your individual design styles?

Lauren: I would describe my design style as classic with an edge. I keep everything simple, but I always add a factor that makes it stand out from the rest of my classmates.

Gigi: My design style would be contemporary yet urban with an edgy twist. Super expressive and detailed–oriented. I definitely think my extroverted personality speaks through my style.

3. Who would you say has helped each of you grow as merchandising design students?

Lauren: I would say Gigi has helped me grow as a design student. We are polar opposites when it comes to our projects. She is more of an abstract thinker while I am a concrete thinker. When we work together and critique each other’s projects we create the perfect 50/50 of simplicity and complexity. She has helped bring more of the abstract thinker out in me. Professors Doss and Robinson have also influenced my design thinking as I have a close relationship with them. They have taught me to think outside the box and be more meticulous with my work.

Gigi: Most definitely Dr. Robinson and Dr. Doss. We have such a connection with both of them. I feel as though they definitely saw a passion for fashion in each of us from the start. Lauren and I were the dynamic duo from the beginning. I have never met someone with such drive, discipline, and such a tremendous work ethic like I do.

4. What were some of the merchandising design projects each of you worked on during the Spring semester?

Lauren: During spring semester, we worked on projects for Professor Doss. We created displays for merchandise, learned about proportions/scale, and also designed a cash wrap [an industry/retail term that refers to the register or check-out area].

Gigi: We worked on different 3D projects having to do with different scale and proportions; a lot of measuring, cutting, painting, and hot-gluing. We had to make a merchandise display that reflected either a transformation or gradation of a shape using color. For our final, we were assigned a specific time era and style, for instance mine was European Lux, and we had to create a “cash-wrap” and store interior which resembled the time but with a contemporary twist. When it came to measuring out and building the back wall, floor, and cash-wrap, we had to use the real-life dimensions by using a smaller scale translated through an architect scale.

5. Which project was your favorite to work on and why?

Lauren: My favorite project was the merchandise display because I loved the way it turned out. I cut out circles of foam board and placed them on top of each other in a spiral shape. I painted the circles black, but on the sides I painted a thin red line around it creating a classic combination of colors.

Gigi: The project that had to be my favorite to work on was the merchandise display because it truly illustrated the role of process in design work. There were many tedious steps like cutting out a million shapes perfectly with an exacto knife and ruler then painting them and gluing, but in the end the finished result was super neat and I loved it!

6. Which project would you say was the most challenging?

Lauren: The most challenging project for me was the cash wrap. I had a lot of ideas for it, but I couldn’t figure out how to mesh them together to make it work. It turned out fine, but I wish I could go back and rethink it to make it better. This project taught me to sit down and plan out all my ideas to see which ones would work the best and which ones should be dismissed.

Gigi: I would say the final cash-wrap project was the most challenging. It involved a lot of research, thought, and each task was super tedious, but I was still very pleased with the finished project.

7. Why did each of you choose Radford University to pursue a career in merchandising design?

Lauren: My choices for college were VCU, Marymount, and Radford. All three schools have outstanding fashion merchandising programs, but I knew at Radford I would be able to have one on one time with my professors and get feedback from them to help make me a better fashion student.

Gigi: I chose Radford to pursue a career in merchandising design because I knew I would get the one-on-one interaction, and the close-knit relationships with professors and fellow students due to its smaller size. It is truly amazing how I can get such a fabulous design program in state without having to study in New York.

8. What influenced you to choose merchandising design as your majors?

Lauren: Fashion has always been a love of mine and I love being creative with it. I chose merchandising because I like that it involves business and fashion. I enjoy working with people and fashion. I knew this major would give me the opportunity to do that.

Gigi: A career goal of mine in the fashion industry is to be a personal stylist. For that specifically I was not sure if fashion design or merchandising design would be the best fit. I was actually first signed up to be a fashion designer, but after thinking about it, I knew that merchandising design was a better fit. I knew I had a different kind of hands-on patience, but that did not necessarily consider making clothes.

9. What aspect of your major are you looking forward to learning more about this semester?

Lauren: I am looking forward to growing as a creative thinker and learning from my classmates and professors. I am also excited to learn about Photoshop because I have never used it before and I know it will be a useful skill in the future.

Gigi: I am very excited to learn more about the promotion and advertising aspect, and also learning how to use the online programs such as Photoshop, Illustrator and In-design.

10. Where would each of you like your degrees to take you after you graduate?

Lauren: After college, my goal is to move to New York or Boston to eventually get a job as a buyer, but having any job in the fashion industry would suffice for me because I know it is my calling.

Gigi: After I graduate, I see my degree taking me to NYC, and experiencing and meeting all the fashion fanatics. I want to show New York my creativity and skill, and learn and grow even more as a fashionista!