Students' Dazzling Day Out at Design Show
An abundance of cutting-edge design awaited Sixth Form Product Design students at the 100% Design Shown in London. And then there were the selfies!
On Thursday, the Product Design team along with the Sixth Form Product Design students attended the much anticipated Design Show in The Olympia, London. Students were wowed by displays from world renowned design houses such as LG, Red Dot Design, Knoll, Vitra, and Zaha Hadid Design. The show was a feast for the senses.
Mr James Castrique, Design and Technology teacher who organised the trip, wanted this experience to “broaden the students’ design horizons and introduce them to the most modern technologies and cutting-edge design that London and the world has to offer”. As well as exposing students to fantastic design, the trip also inspired students for their Materials and Iconic Design Units of their A Level course.
The highlight of the show was meeting world-famous product designer and architect Ron Arad. He was a guest speaker at the event and this presented a unique opportunity for students and staff to meet their idol (especially Head of Design and Technology, Ms O’Flynn!).
The talk centred on Mr Arad’s collaboration with companies OLED and LG Design and was a humorous reflection on his latest design installations at the Design Show and the Royal Academy. While there, Ms O’Flynn asked for advice from Mr Arad for our Sixth Form designers. She asked, "As our students take on their coursework challenge this year, have you any advice for the aspiring designers at this creative phase?" Mr Arad’s response, filled with his typical humour, was to encourage students to ignore what designers should do and play around with ideas, bringing out their creativity and fun.
As a bonus, many of the students posed for selfies with Mr Arad and had their show passes autographed by him. Students were also given a piece of cutting-edge technology as a memento, taking home a programmable OLED display light as a reminder of their first introduction to the wider design world.
Both students and staff had an outstanding day, meeting designers active in the industry. The day was full of inspiration and encouraged students to consider product design as a realistic employment opportunity. As Mr Castrique said, "this should be a defining moment in the students’ education that proves to them that Product Design in Britain is very much alive and provides a highly sought after set of skills that can open doors to a wide variety of industries".
23 September 2016