Tees Made in London 2017

Last week, during probably the hottest week of the year, Graduates of Product Design exhibited their work at the New Designers Exhibition.

New Designers, hailed as the most important design event in the UK, ensures the life cycle of the design industry continues and thrives. It provokes fresh thinking and kick-starts careers, providing a pipeline of young talent into one of the UK’s leading sectors.

Each year brings 3,000 graduate talents from the UK’s leading design courses to exhibit and showcase their work with the aim of networking and getting themselves noticed.

This year was arguably our most successful to date with plenty of interest for all the students and potential employment opportunities. One student, Ben Ryder, was selected as one of the top 20 show highlights from all those exhibiting by Innovate UK, the Knowledge Transfer Network.

Our students, through organised events and ‘live’ projects, and through sponsorship, raised funding for the exhibition.

We Love Berlin

Earlier this month Product Design students visited the German capital, Berlin. The main part of the study visit was a day trip to the truly wonderful VW Autostadt in Wolfsburg, probably the world’s first automobile theme park, with its beautifully designed pavilions and of course the cars.

Other visits included the Reichstag, with the large glass dome designed by British Architect Norman Foster, the Vandenberg gate, the Bode Museum and trip to the top of the magnificent 368m tall Fernsehturm Tower with its incredible views of the whole city.

Product Design alumni receives honorary doctorate

John Barratt, President and Chief Executive Officer of US-based global design consultancy TEAGUE, received an honorary doctorate in Business Administration at this year’s graduation ceremony.

Founded in 1926, TEAGUE is considered to be the most important design consultancy in the world. John joined TEAGUE in 1999, after working in leading positions at Philips Design. He has dedicated his time to building on TEAGUE’s heritage, strengthening partnerships with some of the world’s leading brands including Intel, Starbucks, The Boeing Company and Samsung and pushing TEAGUE’s longstanding mission ‘to build a new and better world’ into the 21st century.

John studied at what was then Teesside Polytechnic, graduating in 1988 with a BA (Hons) Three Dimensional Design – Industrial Design. John said of his time at the University: ‘Teesside helped shape the person I am today. It taught me the philosophy of doing over talking, thinking through making and creating a culture that prioritises the ‘we’ over ‘me’. The notion of team is something I learned at Teesside and the experience has been the foundation to my life’.

You can listen to John here.

Ben traces his journey to Dyson

Ben Russi, 25, who graduated from Teesside’s BA (Hons) Product Design and Industrial Transportation in 2012, is now working as a Design Engineer with Dyson, the company best known for it’s revolutionary vacuum cleaner design.

Originally from Saltburn, Ben, a former student at Prior Pursglove College in Guisborough, met with students currently working on design projects as part of their degree studies.

He said: ‘I studied at Teesside University largely as it was so highly recommended to me by my college lecturer. It gave me a great grounding in product design and helped me to make up my mind about what I wanted to do.

‘It’s been great meeting the students and telling them about my journey since studying at Teesside and it’s been really good to speak to them about their own projects and ideas.

‘I really enjoyed my time at Teesside, so it’s been great to return and see all the reminders of being a student here. Speaking to the students too is a great reminder that just a few years ago I was one of them myself.’

Ben, who is now based in Wiltshire, joined Dyson in 2014 as a Graduate Design Engineer before moving into the role of Design Engineer.

He said: ‘It’s a great place to work, I’m inspired every day. The degree at Teesside helped to give me the confidence to apply and push for a role with such an innovative company.’

Tees Made in London 2016

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Last July, in the sweltering heat of London, students from product design exhibited their final project work at the New Designers Exhibition in Islington.

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New Designers allows students to showcase their work alongside fellow graduates from across the UK with the aim of getting themselves noticed and that first foot on the ladder, which will help shape their future.

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New Designers takes place every year at the Business Design Centre which was once the Royal Horticultural Hall. Over 3.500 graduates exhibited from institutes all across the UK.

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Funding for the exhibition was raised by the students, through organized events and ‘live’ projects, and through sponsorship.

Fun in the sun.

Great to see the Class of 2016 enjoying their graduation in the sun today.  It was probably a shade too hot but it certainly added too the day. There was a fantastic atmosphere in campus heart and throughout the University.IMG_2012 IMG_2014 IMG_2015 IMG_2016 IMG_2017

Also what a  pleasure it was to meet up with Product Design graduate John Barrett, who was here to receive an honorary doctorate from the University. John graduated in 1988, from the then Teesside Polytechnic, and is now President and Chief Executive Officer of US-based global design consultancy TEAGUE.

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John gave a wonderfully inspiring speech, talking fondly about his time at Teesside and how the course helped to mould his hugely successful career.

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Good luck to all our graduates.

 

Well done Jess

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2nd year Product Design student Jess Chambers’ Safe Sanitation project was selected to be showcased at the Design Museum’s Design Factory Symposium.

The museum, which is devoted to contemporary design, annually sets a challenge to degree design students to help promote the museum as an essential resource for research and practice.

Jess’ idea and design for the Prive Cube, a toilet for use in Third World Countries, was among entries selected to take part in the symposium at the London museum, chosen by design industry experts. Her design was inspired by a past trip to Gambia with the Affecting Real Change charity.

Jess said: ‘I am interested in designs which can help to make lives easier for people, after being inspired by a company’s designs to take tablet computers into African schools to help children learn. This inspired me to design something which would help to make life at school easier for children living in Africa.

‘My initial research revealed that sanitation was one of the main issues why children in the Gambia missed school. I also discovered that one in three people in Africa are unable to use a public toilet safely as they are at risk either from sexual assault or attacks by an animal, due to the design of some toilets with many not having a lock. It is a shocking statistic.

‘Toilets in use are often nothing more than a metal hut, which is not very secure. There is also additional issue that there is not often a lock, or the lock is often the outside.’

As part of her research, Jess spoke to the Affecting Real Change charity, which is involved in projects in Africa and India with schools and communities to help improve everyday life. This led Jess to focus on security as a key issue, along with ensuring the toilets would be suitable for use by both genders.

Jess said: ‘The main issues I found with the current toilet design were sanitation and security, which I used as the basis of my design and to provide users with safe sanitation.’

She received a certificate in recognition of her design idea.