Two Northumbria University students have been awarded second and third place in a national design competition.
Russell Tuit, a second year Design for Industry student from St Alban’s, came in second place for his design of an electronic toy to keep children entertained in supermarkets.
The 'Little Helper' attaches to the front of a shopping trolley and quizzes the child on the current shopping list item. This, in effect, increases a child's knowledge base whilst keeping them entertained during the visit. For older children aged six and over, the product doubles as a shopping list display, allowing them to go off and find items for the parent.
He said: “This device is aimed at turning family shopping into a pleasurable and educational experience that encourages parent and child bonding and gets children into good behavioural routines.’’
Russell’s success earned him a cash prize of £500 and a placement with DuPont in Geneva.
Bumki Cho, also a second year Design for Industry student, designed a ‘Guardian Angel’ which he describes as a warm-hearted valet chair that holds your clothes and belongings with affection.’’
The chair sets out to minimise the risk of thefts of bags and wallets from cafes and restaurants. It features a barrier at the back to lock coats and jackets in place and features wings at the side of the chair to which bags can be locked.
Bumki, 21, from Seoul in Korea, but who now lives in Sandyford, Newcastle, said: “My idea was that the waiter could give a cable lock to customers at the same time as offering the menu to ensure that a pleasant evening out is not ruined by crime.’’
Bumki won £250 and a placement PDD in London.
A total of 76 students from 19 universities entered the Design Innovation in Plastics Award Design 4 Fun competition.
Northumbria University’s Design for Industry (DFI) course is aimed at those aiming to become professional designers of mass produced products, or seeking to work in interaction design, service design and futures design.
DFI graduates go on to work in leading design roles in internationally leading companies such as Adidas, Black and Decker, Samsung and Volvo. Alumni from the course include Jonathan Ive, Senior Vice President, Design, at Apple who leads the design team responsible for the iMac, iPod and iPhone and Tim Brown, CEO at IDEO the world’s leading design consultancy.
