Product Design @ teesside
Last week saw the opening of the Product Design Degree show which is part of 16 Degrees, a celebration of the hard work, dedication and creativity of students from our School of Arts & Media. It was a busy night with friends, family and colleagues from Industry all celebrating the hard work that went into the projects on display.
| Projects with Industry
Year two are undertaking two live projects this year. The first project is with our KTP partner, Godfrey Syrett Ltd, investigating a number of briefs for the Higher Education market and with “active learning” at its heart. |
| The second project is with Scandinavian kitchen manufacturing giant, Nobia. Supporting the project with Nobia is one of our graduates, Emma Braham. Emma has been with the company for 2 years as a designer, frequently travelling throughout Europe and working with suppliers. |
| Work on these projects is well underway and our students have benefited from some brilliant presentations at the companies’ respective premises, together with excellent factory tours. We are all looking forward to seeing the fruition of these projects in the coming weeks. Both companies have generously agreed to donate to our 3rd yrs New Designers Exhibition Fund. |
Following on from last year’s epic trip to Italy, the delights of Milan and visits to Ferrari and Lamborghini, Product Design students recently returned from this year’s International Study Trip to Amsterdam!
I thought it would be difficult to top Italy, but what a fantastic city to visit.
The highlight for me was our visit to the Philips Museum in Eindhoven where we had a private escorted tour and learned about the history of this, most iconic of companies, from its early beginnings as a manufacturer of light bulbs to today’s global force in design innovation.
Our hotel was in the heart of the Museums Quarter and we, of course, visited the world-class Van Gogh, Stedelijk and Ryjks museums. Well… it would have been rude not to! Nothing quite compares to seeing the great works of Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Kandinsky, Monet, I could go on “up close and personal”. You get a real sense of “feeling” and how the artists worked in a way you can never quite appreciate from a screen or book.
The Stedelijk Museum has a stunning permanent exhibition of 20th Century Design Classics that is a must see!
There was also plenty of free time for the students to take in some culture, including cutting gem stones in the diamond quarter, “designer” shopping, the flower markets and Amsterdam’s vibrant night life to name a few.
And…, we are already thinking about next year’s trip. High on the list is a return visit to Berlin in 2017, the VW Autostadt and Bauhaus. We’ll have more information at the start of term in October.
It’s all go in the design workshops with only 4 weeks before the final hand-in.
For the 2nd year running a team of staff and 3rd students from Product Design took on similar teams from around the University in the Festival of Learning Challenge.
Like last year each team had to complete a number of physical and mental tasks against the clock. Despite coming 2nd again it was immense fun and winning the silver meant a healthy prize of £250. The award will help bolster the money already raised by the students to exhibit their work at the New Designers 2016 Exhibition which is taking place at the Business Design Centre, London in July
Third time lucky next year.
We recently held the 2nd of three mentoring sessions with year 12 and 13 students from The King’s Academy. 3rd year product design students gave help and advice with the development of their college projects. As part of the visit they also had a digital illustration workshop where they learnt how to use PhotoShop as a rendering tool and produced some great work. The next session in early April will see the Kings Academy students bring in their final designs solutions in model form for a final critique.
Last week we were delighted to welcome Tina Gray, Head of Innovation and Design at Mayborn Group , to the University. Tina gave a special guest lecture entitled “Working in Design, Perspectives from a leading design and manufacturing company”
Mayborn are best known for their Tommee Tippee brand which can be found in the major highstreet retailers. Their feeding, weaning and monitoring products are used by parents and children around the world. Tina gave some insights into the Mayborn design and development process from briefing to production, and some of the issues that operate in this highly competitive market.Tina also discussed the skills and qualities that she looks for when recruiting designers.
After the lecture Tina spent the afternoon in the Product Design studio talking informally with students “one-to-one” and in small groups.
Tina and Mayborn are great friends of the course and it always pleasure to welcome our friends to give specialist lectures.
Since graduating with a first class degree in Product Design from Teesside University in 2012, Ben Russi has gone from strength to strength. After completing a Master’s degree in Multidisciplinary Design Innovation and a 6-month internship, Ben snapped up an opportunity to work as part of the design engineering team at Dyson. He returned to Teesside on Friday 15th January to inspire our product design students, offering an insight into the world of work for a graduate product designer.
‘Working at Dyson offers a lot of creative freedom. Within the first few weeks, I learnt a lot and the expectations of me where high. Very little time was wasted and quite rapidly, I was contributing to projects’
Each year Dyson gives them an Engineering challenge. You can see last year’s challenge by clicking the image below and read more about it on twitter @ #ChallengeDyson:
Click the image above to see the Dyson Challenge
Communication and cooperation form the basis of any business, but at Dyson, it is brought to the forefront.
Ben had some wise words for students about what he learned while studying his Bachelors and Masters degrees:
‘The Best way to learn about problems and possible solutions is to get out of the studio speak to people and research the problem. Always test your concepts and learn from each one. Inspiration is rarely found sitting at a drawing board.’
With the beginning of the third year’s major project, Ben had one final piece of advice for our final year students.
“Organise your time from day one, and put in as much time as early as you can. Any time you miss now will have to be made up further down the line.”
Whether delving into a design career or continuing with further study, determination and perseverance are key.
You can read more about Bens’ early experiences at Dyson here.
By Connor Marsden Year 3 student:
Each year, the third year product design students at Teesside inherit the New Designers society. This group of students is primarily a means to organise fundraising activity for the New Designers stands at the end of the academic year. Three students this year have taken on key roles within the Society.
Tim Hargreaves, Lawrie Ward and Ffion Crowhurst have each taken the positions of Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary, respectively. Their task this year is to organise events and manage the society as we being to raise funds for our stand at New Designers 2016, next summer. With the new construction and developments around the University – Not least of all the Curve – Campus Heart is a hive of activity. This gives us an excellent position to organise fundraising activities for the New Designer’s fund.
So far, the society has held a number of small events – bake stalls, cake stands and the like. On the evening of Halloween, a group of us also partook in a sponsored hike. Many attended in fitting Halloween attire, to the bafflement of every other hiker we passed along the way. The trip began at the foot of Highcliff Nab, one of the cliffs overlooking Teesside and the surrounding area. The trek then began through the moorlands, and on to to Captain Cook Monument above Great Ayton. The weather was unseasonably pleasant, and by the fourth hour we reached the base of Roseberry topping. The hill itself is one of the tallest in Northern Yorkshire, with a magnificent view for miles around.
Though the trip was almost non-stop, we managed the reach the topping – and in doing so, raised a considerable sum towards our New Designers stand. As Christmas is approaching, we’ve taken some time to brainstorm new ideas for more events up to and after the New Year. Some of our members have taken the time to begin crafting Christmas gifts, and touch up their model making skills while doing so!
The New Designers exhibition is one of the most important annual events for Design students, and a chance for students from across the nation to meet with industry figures and employers. Held in the diverse London district of Islington at the Business Design Centre, the show offers students a chance to showcase their work and canvas ideas to a variety of Designers, buyers, trend predictors and members of the public. The atmosphere and venue encourage curiosity and invite viewers to a whole range of different Design and Crafts related displays.
As of 2016, New Designers will have been going for 31 years – an established, and well recognized show to be sure. The exhibition is supported by many Event and Media partners. These renowned establishments, such as The Design Trust, The Design Museum, Design Nation and Icon, are among many expected to be attending the coming show.
Held each year, usually in late June and early July, the exhibition is a regular spot for third year design students at Teesside University. For some, this is a springboard opportunity to help launch their new careers, or begin to develop a contact network – invaluable in the field of Design. Employers also look to find fresh talent among graduates, and many former Teesside students have been offered work placements and internships while displaying their work at the exhibition. The exhibition also caters for younger students, with regular campaigns aimed at high school, A-level and college academics. For younger students considering university level study, this is an excellent opportunity to meet tutors and graduates in person.
Click the image above to see more Class of 2015 work at New Designers.
Here, we can see the previous third year’s finished stand at New Designers. The location is prime, and although the show is supported by sponsors and partners, the price of our stand requires some fundraising and more than a little creative thinking.
You can read more at NewDesigners.
