Competition Winner Zara visits headline sponsor

Zara’s summer just got better and better after being invited to visit the UK headquarters of DIP headline industry sponsor, Covestro.

To find out more about the visit click here.

DIP winner 2022

2nd Year Product Design student Zara King has claimed top prize in the 2022 Design Innovation in Plastics (DIP) competition, with a re-usable bedpan.

DIP, supported by The Worshipful Company of Horners, the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3) and headline sponsored by Covestro, is the longest running plastics design competition of its kind for university undergraduates in the UK and Ireland.

Students were asked to design a product made primarily of plastics, for the healthcare sector, which can be used in demanding applications, but which also exploits the longevity of plastics.

Zara  designed EasyMode, a re-usable bedpan for a pulp liner to fit inside, providing a safe and comfortable base for people to use in any healthcare setting. The bedpan is moulded with a wide base so that it sits comfortably into the bed and presses down into the mattress, and when the patient is rolled off, it doesn’t tip.

 

Zara designed the product after hearing first hand from a nurse about the awkwardness of using existing bedpans, and the distress it often causes.

“She impressed the judges with her methodical approach to solving a major problem in the NHS,” he said.  “Her holistic approach incorporated both user and patient issues, to come up with a solution which met both needs.  She gave due consideration to sustainability, manufacturing and the materials used and has registered this product as her intellectual property, so that it is market ready, should she want to take it forward.”

Zara said: “Since entering this competition, I have enjoyed every moment, especially the  thought of helping people with a product I’ve designed. Healthcare is definitely a field I’d like to stay involved in.  This is one of the proudest moments of my life.”

Zara received a £1,000 cash prize, a placement with a DIP sponsor  an invitation to the Lord Mayor’s Banquet as a guest of the Worshipful Company of Horners.  Zara will also be given a year’s membership to the Institute of Materials, Minerals, and Mining (IOM3).

David Fox returns to Teesside

Thank you to David Fox for a fascinating insight into the world of furniture design. Our 2nd year Product students are looking forward to working on a brief set by David along with his support and knowledge.

Worldwide Recognition – update

3rd year Product Design student David Donaghue received his World Packaging Organisation World Star Student Award at the end of May at the awards ceremony and gala dinner at the Empire Hall , Prague.

 

The WorldStar Student Awards competition is owned and produced by the World Packaging Organisation. It is an international packaging design competition for students – undergraduate or graduate – from countries around the world who are involved in projects in the field of packaging, including structural design and/or graphic design.

The competition is open to students who have won a legitimate local award in their region or country. David won a gold Award last year for his anti-glugging petrol can design in the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining Student Starpack Awards.

David is one of 3 overall winners from all over the world. The winners brochure can be found here:

http://www.goldpack.org.za/worldstarstudent/files/page/43/wpo_worldstar_student_winners_brochure_2018.pdf

A great achievement. David is 3rd from the right.

Five years in a row…

Final year Product Design students Billy McFaull and Ben Muir have been selected for an award in the Student Starpack 2019 competition ran by the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining.

They are now invited to the awards ceremony in London at the IOM3 Headquarters on the 26th June.

Great achievement and good luck to both.

Worldwide recognition

3rd year Product Design student David Donaghue has won a World Packaging Organisation World Star Student Award.

The WorldStar Student Awards competition is owned and produced by the World Packaging Organisation. It is an international packaging design competition for students – undergraduate or graduate – from countries around the world who are involved in projects in the field of packaging, including structural design and/or graphic design.

The competition is open to students who have won a legitimate local award in their region or country. David won a gold Award last year for his anti-glugging petrol can design in the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining Student Starpack Awards.

The WorldStar Student Awards are designed to encourage and show the talents of students as well as new and innovative ideas and thinking in the field of packaging. Through the publicity of WPO’s global publications and website, student winners are provided the opportunity to gain professional acknowledgement and entrance into a career as a packaging professional.

David is one of 3 overall winners from all over the world. The winners brochure can be found here:

http://www.goldpack.org.za/worldstarstudent/files/page/43/wpo_worldstar_student_winners_brochure_2018.pdf

David has been invited to receive his award at the Awards Ceremony and gala Diner on the 15th May at the Empire Hall, Prague.

Awards Night

A rather belated post but we had a great night at the Student Starpack Awards back in July last year. To celebrate winners of the Schools and Students Starpack 2017 Awards, a presentation was held on 28 June at the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining headquarters at 297 Euston Road, London. Product Students Ralph Deloso, Beth Sanderson and David Donaghue picked up there GOLD awards.

Lewis highly commended at plastics design competition

3rd year student Lewis Brown has achieved a highly commended award in the annual Design Innovation in Plastics (DIP) competition.

Left to right: Steve Blanks (HellermannTyton), Gordon Haines (Master of Horners), Lewis Brown, Mark Freary (Teesside University), Bernie Rickinson (Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining)

Lewis Brown, who studied BSc (Hons) Product Design, gained the award for his product ‘Dynamic Grip’ – a new ergonomic garden multi-tool designed to make gardening comfortable and accessible for everyone.

The product caters for people who suffer with wrist arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions with an ergonomic handle and array of tools that eases the stress and strain from many common garden tasks.

DIP is organised by the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining and the Worshipful Company of Horners, and is one of the longest running student plastics design competitions in Europe. The brief this year for students was ‘Branching Out – Design for Garden Innovation.’

Students were asked to design an innovative product to be used in the garden, made primarily from plastics, that would better connect people with nature, enhance the pleasure of gardening or leisure activities within the garden, or help soothe mind and body after a long and stressful day.

Lewis attended a ceremony in London earlier this month where he was presented with the highly commended award. As part of the competition, Lewis has now been offered a placement with HellermannTyton, a leading supplier of products for fastening, fixing, identifying and protecting cables and their connecting components.

Lewis said: ‘To have got this far in the competition brings a great sense of pride and honour. Competitions like DIP are a great way of showing future employers that you have the right skills, and it helps to steer people down the best career path.

‘It has certainly made me think of my design from a new angle. It is easy to get carried away making a product look nice when realistically it could be impossible to manufacture. DIP makes you take a step back and consider a whole new range of factors.’

Mark Freary, Principal Lecturer in the School of Science, Engineering and Design, said: ‘This is a great achievement and recognises the three years of hard work by Lewis in developing his product design skills and technical knowledge.

‘This competition includes entries from postgraduate as well as undergraduate students, so Lewis has done exceptionally well in reaching the final six of such a prestigious competition. He has a great future ahead of him.’

Tees Made in London 2018

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

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.

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.

Funding for the exhibition was raised by the students, through organized events and ‘live’ projects, and through sponsorship. Alongside the exhibition students produced postcards, mini portfolios , business cards and t-shirts to help promote themselves and their work.

This year was arguably our most successful to date with plenty of interest for all the students and potential employment opportunities. Good luck class of 2018.