As part of their Presentation & Identity class, Visual Studies students from LIM College were recently recruited by LUMA Hotel Times Square to develop a destination map for hotel guests.

In the collaborative competition, teams of 2-4 students pitched creative ideas for an innovative map that reflects the hotel's sleek, colorful, modern esthetic. Another key criterion for the map was highlighting LUMA's midtown location by noting its proximity to famous New York City landmarks and cultural sites.

"Real-world experiences are the best way to challenge students' critical thinking skills, while allowing them to see what its really like to work 'hands on' with a client in the industry," said Professor Grailing King, instructor for the class and Associate Chair of the Visual Studies department.

"That’s something that cannot be taught from a textbook. Experiences like this one force students to think outside the box and apply skills and knowledge they attained in the classroom."

Students were brought onsite to LUMA to observe the hotel's visual characteristics and incorporate those into their creative ideas. They also toured the neighborhood to gather ideas for special locations to feature in the map, which will have both digital and print components.

Competing students presented their ideas and prototypes to representatives from the hotel, as well as its PR agency, in class.

According to Professor King, the visiting clients responded enthusiastically and are eager to implement the winning project.