Industrial design students were chosen to intern at the recent Hangout Music Festival in Gulf Shores, Alabama.
They were able to build and design cell phone charging stations.
Last fall, Hangout representatives visited an industrial design class, taught by industrial design professor Randy Bartlett, and requested that the Univeristy sponsor the studio.
The students worked with Hangout on a recycling project that would be used in the 2014 festival.
Hangout was impressed by the students' work at the end of the semester and asked them to intern.
Two weeks before the festival, eight Auburn students moved into a housing area near the festival grounds and began to prepare for the event.
The interns were asked to design and build 26 cell phone charging stations for the general admission area, VIP areas and the artists' trailers.
For two weeks, seniors in industrial design Colin Hennessey, Caroline Anderson, Lindsay Weeks, James Darden, Trevor Johnson, Matthew Cooper, Charles Watkins, Blaine McHale and Will King, worked hard designing and building the stations.
These students designed charging bars with chairs for the VIP areas and charging cubes placed in the general admission area.
"Our design process was quick since it was just a seven-day project," Weeks said. "All of us worked to keep the design simple while staying true to the vision and work going on around us before the festival."
The students operated as a team, maintained a budget and worked around the clock to meet their deadline.
"We built trust in the owners by being able to work fast and efficient within our team while also creating good design," Watkins said.
Hennessey designed the cell phone charging stations for the artists.
"We had vintage radios that we placed in all of the artists' trailers that were turned into charging stations just for them," Hennessey said. "It was a lot of work and a lot of long nights, but it's worth it when you see someone like Wiz Khalifa using your product."
According to the students, they gained valuable design experience that will be beneficial when searching for a job after graduation.
"You need experience to go into the job world through internships, and this opportunity offered me a great thing to put on my resume, along with design experience in the real world," Hennessey said.
Hennessey spoke to Hangout officials about a paid position next year.
The festival was not all work, however.
When it was time for the festival, the interns had the option to work the festival or attend and enjoy the music.
Weeks chose to attend.
"My favorite part of the festival was seeing The Avett Brothers play their song 'At the Beach' at the beach," said Weeks. "They are my all time favorite band so it was awesome."
Watkins and Hennessey took the opportunity to work the festival. They worked under Fresh and Clean Media, who was in charge of all media during the festival.
Their job was to escort photographers to and from the photo pit. Working the festival came with perks including an all-access backstage pass. Hennessey even told reporter for MTV news, Sway, to yell War Eagle on stage.
"I explained to him the whole War Eagle/ Roll Tide thing," Hennessey said. "At the beginning of the set he said, 'Some boy from Alabama back there told me to say 'War Eagle,' and everyone went nuts."
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