INDD Alum Wins International Design Competition

He likened his experience as an in-house designer at start-up company Storyteller Overland to his time as an Industrial Design (INDD) student in the School of Industrial and Graphic Design (SIGD).

“Projects stacked like coffee cups, picking the next necessary thing and moving forward, not thinking about the non-stop work and focusing on the next immediate thing,” he said, remembering a familiar environment. “New challenges you never expected, competing projects with not enough time, needing to be two places at once, learning about things you didn’t even know existed.”

That cadence, he explained, was the foundation that SIGD laid for him and led to his success in the design industry.

In July 2025, Hollingsworth was awarded the Red Dot Design Award for the design of an off-road recreational vehicle for Storyteller Overland. Based out of Germany, the international competition dates to 1954 and recognizes top industrial and product designs created annually across various categories.

One of six different RV floorplans Hollingsworth has designed and brought to market in the five years since he graduated from Auburn, the GXV Hilt is the first mass-produced RVIA-certified Class C expedition truck.

“Built on a RAM 5500, a monocoque capsule is mounted to it with a three-point articulating system so the frame flexes, and the shell doesn’t complain,” Hollingsworth said, explaining that the vehicle is financeable, insurable and serviceable like a large-dealer vehicle, but isn’t the run-of-the-mill RV.

“Your grandpa’s motorhome isn’t going where this thing is,” he quipped.  

The outside features protective coatings, beadlocks and a winch, as well as LiquidSprings self-leveling that allows users to camp anywhere, regardless of the presence of a flat concrete pad. The roof holds a solar array and water storage that supports road trips far from amenities.

The interior was Hollingsworth’s playground, employing a design language he calls “Terra Firma” that balances warmth, tactile feedback and a calm atmosphere.

“I utilized large radius cabinetry that guides your eye from one area to the next to generate a sense of flow, incorporated snag-free hardware to save your pockets from being ripped, and aluminum structure so rot isn’t a worry,” he said. “Warm LED accent lights sink into deep matte black cabinetry, bounce off the gloss white walls and disappear into maple.”

Hollingsworth feels both grateful and astonished to win the Red Dot Award so early in his design career but is hesitant to accept full credit for the award-winning work.

“The Hilt happened because a small crew pulled in the same direction, argued well, solved better and kept showing up,” he said. “Passion gets you to the door, but the team gets you through it. The award is a reminder to keep finding the people who make ideas unavoidable and to keep doing the kind of work that only happens when the right hands are on the same problem.”