Cherokee High School alumnus leads Savannah College of Art and Design students to victory

Marlton, New Jersey native wins big at competitive international design contest

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SAVANNAH, GA (07/23/2012)(readMedia)-- An industrial design team from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) has been awarded the prestigious Platinum A'Design Award. Led by recent SCAD graduate Alexander Werbickas, the students beat out professional designers to win the Digital and Electronic Device Design category for their Smart Media System, an entertainment system that transforms how consumers share and interact with media and each other.

Werbickas, a native of Marlton, New Jersey, was the project manager for the SCAD project. In May, two weeks after graduating with a B.F.A. in industrial design from SCAD, Werbickas traveled to the global design hub of Milan, Italy, to accept the award on behalf of the SCAD team.

"In my speech I thanked the team, my parents and SCAD. If I hadn't gone to SCAD, I don't think I would be in the place I am now," Werbickas said. "The education, facilities and faculty are on a different level, and all of those things add up."

Comprised of four main components, the Smart Media System integrates media technology to create a seamless interaction between users and their content. Wirelessly streaming any media to any device that is connected to the network is unique in today's market. The Hub-or the brain of the Smart Media System-acts as a central gate and also has the ability to send a split data signal to the TV and the Smart Controller. Along with the Smart Camera, which has voice and facial recognition capabilities, the Smart Controller and corresponding charger give the user multiple options for interaction. The touch screen controller can be a mouse, viewing portal, gaming device and also has a slide-out keyboard for texting.

"Say you have your game console downstairs, but your roommate is using that TV to watch a movie," Werbickas said. "The Smart Media System allows you to wirelessly stream that video game to your TV upstairs so your game play isn't interrupted."

The design for the Smart Media System was born in Winter 2011 when Freescale Semiconductor commissioned SCAD students to design a media integration system that could utilize the company's technology. Werbickas said the company's reaction to the final product inspired the idea to submit the design for recognition. "We presented the Smart Media System to Freescale, and they were very happy. We blew their socks off," remembered Werbickas. "That gave us confidence."

Before it was complete, Werbickas spent a total of eight months working on the Smart Media System, sacrificing his spring break to enter the product into six different design contests. The A'Design Awards committee receives thousands of submissions from professional designers all over the world. The competition notified Werbickas by email that he and the SCAD team had won their category.

According to Werbickas, it wasn't difficult deciding to enter the competition. "I figured it was time to buckle down and get a job in what I was studying," he said. "I love what I do, and it's not necessarily work for me."

Werbickas is currently a senior designer at the Savannah-based firm Peter Solomon Design. His primary interest is designing medical devices. Recently, Werbickas obtained a patent for one of his medical designs.

The SCAD industrial design department is one of the fastest-growing programs in the United States. In addition to providing pre-eminent facilities, the department is committed to exposing students to consistent real-world experience through unique partnerships. Additionally, SCAD supports and originates a variety of immersive learning projects through the SCAD Collaborative Learning Center.

About SCAD: The University for Creative Careers

The Savannah College of Art and Design is a private, nonprofit, accredited institution conferring bachelor's and master's degrees to prepare talented students for professional careers. As the most comprehensive art and design university in the world, SCAD offers more than 40 majors and more than 50 minors at distinctive locations in Savannah and Atlanta, Georgia; in Hong Kong; in Lacoste, France; and online through SCAD eLearning.

SCAD has more than 20,000 alumni and offers an exceptional education and unparalleled career preparation. The diverse student body, consisting of more than 10,000 students, comes from all 50 United States and nearly 100 countries worldwide. Each student is nurtured and motivated by a faculty of more than 700 professors with extraordinary academic credentials and valuable professional experience. These professors emphasize learning through individual attention in an inspiring university environment. SCAD's innovative curriculum is enhanced by advanced, professional-level technology, equipment and learning resources and has garnered acclaim from respected organizations and publications, including 3D World, American Institute of Architects, BusinessWeek, DesignIntelligence, U.S. News & World Report and the Los Angeles Times.

For more information, visit scad.edu.