An important advantage for design students at Lawrence Technological University’s College of Architecture and Design (CoAD) is the opportunity to learn from and work with faculty who have real-world experience and help solve real-world problems.
Design students in the Design Declassified-sponsored studio last semester worked with Erika Cross, CoAD adjunct professor of design and owner of Ann Arbor-based Erika Cross Studio, a multidisciplinary design practice, to create everyday products with a unique twist.
Jared Siefert, founder and CEO of Designed Declassified, said, “It was an honor to provide materials and witness the students at LTU push new boundaries. As an industrial designer, I’m grateful for the chance to support the next generation of artists and designers. I was genuinely impressed by the creativity, dedication, and craft each student brought to their work, and I hope they carry this learning experience into their professional careers.”
CoAD Interim Dean Lilian Crum said industry-sponsored studios like this one with Design Declassified, a sustainable building materials company, are invaluable to CoAD students.
“They provide real-world constraints, professional expectations, and collaborative opportunities that prepare students for the complexities of contemporary design practice,” she said. “This partnership challenged our students to design products while addressing adaptability, resilience, and environmental impact. Working with 100 percent recycled and recyclable HDPE sheets, students were able to research, sketch, prototype, and test innovative solutions that transformed Design Declassified materials into meaningful, sustainable design outcomes. We’re grateful to Design Declassified for sponsoring this important studio. We also appreciate the support the Centrepolis Accelerator gave this class.”
The product design student works were showcased at the May 2026 International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) in New York City and helped to bring home the coveted ICFF WANTED ‘Best of Schools’ Award for LTU.
Additionally, Crum said, “This award is a testament to what’s possible when students are challenged with real-world constraints, meaningful industry partnerships, and the opportunity to design with purpose. Erika Cross and these six designers demonstrated that sustainability and sophistication are powerful in combination. Winning ICFF WANTED’s Best of Schools distinction among 24 internationally recognized programs is an extraordinary achievement and a reflection of the ambitious, forward-thinking design education that defines LTU CoAD.”
ICFF is an annual design show that showcases trending furniture and industrial design. Founded in 1989, the ICFF has hosted hundreds of international exhibitors, both established brands and emerging designers.
“Winning ICFF WANTED’s Best of Schools distinction among 24 internationally recognized programs is an extraordinary achievement and a reflection of the ambitious, forward-thinking design education that defines LTU CoAD.”
– Interim Dean Lilian Crum
Cross said, “The students didn’t just meet the challenge of this new material; they fully embraced its creative possibilities. By leaning into the experimental and exploratory nature of the course, they produced sophisticated work that reflects both their unique perspectives and the material’s incredible versatility.
“We’re proud that these six CoAD ‘emerging designers’ had the chance to represent the exciting work of all our design students:”
This table represents the melding of the natural with the inorganic. The discovery of new materials reminds us that innovation is ever-expanding, vast; even entangled with itself, growing with humanity. This growth is built on learned failures and accidental successes. In producing this table, I embrace humanity’s innovation whilst staying rooted in the failures that help us all grow.
This piece is also a testament to Erika Cross, my teacher, who constantly works with me to foster my growth as a student in this innovative modern age. I hope this piece speaks to you. To have no fear in failing, but anticipation for the growth that comes with it. Thank you!
I was interested in how the material allowed for light transmission with minimal scattering when a light was shined at it. One of the materials adds a warming hue to the design. This gave me the idea to use LEDs to increase the surface area and create a gradient toward the center of the lamp.
My objective was to use the materials’ inherent properties to make something useful. I wanted to take material destined for the landfill and give it an entirely new life.
Repurposing the light-transmitting qualities of HDPE, this piece draws inspiration from Japanese shoji — translucent rice-paper screens. Testing the limits of the material’s rigidity, it is cut into thin flexible strips and woven into large panels. These woven panels are incorporated into self-supporting screens that gently conceal the mysteries that lie behind them. This project blends my passions for fine craftsmanship and imagination, transforming a humble material into an object that invites curiosity, softness, and light.
This ornate coffee table highlights the natural contrast within recycled HDPE, pairing bold color variations with rich textural patterns. Its sculptural form transforms everyday plastic into an elegant, functional centerpiece.
Marbl began as an exploration of HDPE and its unique characteristics: translucency, with the ability to be milled and fabricated like wood. Turned on the lathe, Marbl’s simple form lets the material speak for itself, softly diffusing light to create a warm, calming, and inviting atmosphere that transforms both the material and the space it inhabits.
Cloud Puzzles are interactive sculptures created from recycled HDPE materials, designed to transform passive observers into active participants through the joy of solving, touching, and connecting, showcasing how the material can naturally fit together.
The pieces exhibited at ICFF are exciting outgrowths of the mentorship Erika Cross provided to her students in this product design studio.
By
21000 West Ten Mile Road
Southfield, MI, 48075-1058
©2026 Lawrence Technological University. All Rights Reserved.
