The School of Art + Design is celebrating two Product Design faculty honored by the Core77 Design Awards 2023. Professor John Arndt and Product Design Department Head Wonhee Arndt were one of two Home & Living category runner-ups. Their project, titled STOP, is a collaboration between their studio, Finnish brand Pidät, and a shoe sole maker to create a novel doorstop that is durable, grippy, and flexible. 

The shape of the doorstop allows it to be used from any of its sides, unlike a traditional wedge shape and has a recycled rope installed at the top that allows the item to be picked up or hanged when not in use. STOP uses recycled shoe soles in its production, adding an additional green component to the product that reflects both the public's desire for more environmentally conscience products and the university's commitment to its environmental promises. 

The Arndt's founded their design business, Studio Gorm, in 2007. Specializing in sustainable and minimalist household furniture and objects informed by speculative research into culture, history, and technology, Studio Gorm has garnered accolades for its thoughtful approach from Architectural Digest, Design Bloom, and Dezeen. The studio partnered with the Hancock Shaker Village and the Mt. Lebanon Shaker Museum for the Shaker Design Project to produce 32 Shaker-inspired objects influenced by the Protestant sect known for their distinctively simple furniture design.

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