Bangor University’s innovative course to develop business focused creativity
Be inspired, creative, sustainable, solvent and convincing:
Left-right: Kathryn Cooke, School of Creative Studies & Media; Robin Boyd, School of Electronic Engineering; Richard Kemble, Business School; Matthew Kennedy, studying Product Design at the School of Education & Hayley Carpenter, Marketing Director, Bangor University has cut through traditional academic boundaries to bring students from different subjects together to compete in multi-disciplinary teams for an 'Enterprise by Design' challenge with a winning prize of £2,500.
Students studying Psychology, Electronic Engineering & Computer Science, Design, Business and Creative Studies & Media were challenged to design a new product for locally based international company, Gelert. Followed a 9 week series of intensive workshops focussing on inspiration, creativity, sustainability and commercial awareness the multidisciplinary teams of students 'pitched' their new products to an expert panel recently.
Judges comprised Nick Langdon and Hayley Carpenter from Gelert, Steve Britton, former Chief executive of Siemens, Cynan Jones Director of The Mushroom Garden, Phil Nelson from Surf-Lines, Robert O’Dowd and Guillaume Thierry from Pontio and Dafydd Hardy of Dafydd Hardy Estates
Agents.
The winning team, Team Sunflower, designed an advertising perch: an advertising platform for festivals based on a simple and elegant design
of a folding chair, and took home a cheque for £2,500. Team Sunflower comprised Matthew Kennedy 2nd year Product Design student, Robin Boyd final year Electronic Engineering, Richard Kemble final year Business and Kathryn Cooke final year student from Creative Studies & Media.
Participants received input from business people and experts including Gelert, Venture Wales, Robofold, Biotriz Ltd and the University’s Bio-Composites Centre.
Cynan Jones said: “The enthusiasm of the team members about their products was evident, but more importantly, I appreciated their talent for answering what were, at times difficult questions from the judges with confidence and conviction - only detailed work and understanding of the products, costs and the market can account for this.”
Professor Guillaume Thierry said: "Now this is what I call innovation: Students can discover what minds with complementary expertise can achieve together, through a process of creative thinking, idea evaluation, and having a go at creating with their hands and their mind. I cannot think of a better way to evolve priceless new skills"
Dafydd Hardy said: “Once again I assisted in judging the Enterprise by Design awards for Bangor University and was impressed by the standard and quality of the submitted designs and the presentation skills by all the groups concerned. The hard work and dedication of the Enterprise team has to be applauded and it would be a fitting reward that one day one of the innovations is successfully taken to market.”
Academic specialists who contributed were: Dr James Intriligator from Psychology, Dr Siwan Mitchelmore from Business School, Dr Iestyn Pierce from Computer Science & Electronic Engineering, Dewi Rowlands, Product Design School of Education, Dr Andy McStay, School of Creative Studies & Media and Dr Andy Goodman, Director of the Design Studio, Pontio. Lowri Owen and Ceri Jones from the Careers & Employability Service helped to coordinate the project.
Postgraduate students who acted as facilitators include: Rob Laing and Gareth Harvey from Psychology, Sonia Fizek and Isamar Carillo Masso from Creative Studies & Media, Sam Buxton, Charlotte Hall and Jenny Byast from Business, Thomas Christy and Sanjay Priyardashi from Engineering
and Sara Fisher and Eleanor Owen from Product Design. Also offering support were Matt Robinson from the Aber Bangor Skills Project and Michelle Hamlet from Careers.
Further information: Lowri Owen 01248 388424 e mail lowri.owen@bangor.ac.uk
Caption: Left-right: Kathryn Cooke, School of Creative Studies & Media; Robin Boyd, School of Electronic Engineering; Richard Kemble, Business School; Matthew Kennedy, studying Product Design at the School of Education & Hayley Carpenter, Marketing Director, Gelert.
Image available from aose06@bangor.ac.uk <mailto:aose06@bangor.ac.uk>
Publication date: 18 April 2011