This marketing project takes a new approach to create community through the New School Student Store. The majority of the student body agrees that the student store and merchandise are too simple, especially since Parsons is a design school. The merchandise consists of basic colors like black, red, and white and is not creative or representative of the students.
The approach is to create a scholarship program where students send applications for designs for tote bags. To begin with, students have the opportunity to design their own tote bags as they are best-selling at the student store. These applications are reviewed and a set number of students are selected to produce an item, and get to be in the spotlight for their designs. This increases sales for the student store and a set portion of the profits go to the students who helped design the totes in the form of a scholarship so that they feel motivated. This showcases student art and also helps students how to market themselves. In addition, it engages prospective students even though the store is only for current students. The future goal is to create new products that aren’t currently existing such as winter accessories and school supplies. This idea would be campaigned through social media, specifically The New School Instagram, larger posters around the school, sending out emails, and a lecture introduction.