BU Competition Urges Young Designers to ‘Go Green’

14 June 2007

Kitchen appliance designed by BU student

We're challenging young designers and artists from across Dorset to put their inventive skills to the test and design the next environmentally-friendly ‘must have’ kitchen product.

The competition to become BU’s inaugural ‘Young Designer of the Year’ coincides with the University’s annual Festival of Design & Innovation, which kicks off on 28 June.

Hosted by the University’s School of Design, Engineering and Computing the Festival showcases over 170 student design projects from across a range of courses.

The BU Young Designer competition has a decidedly green edge as young people are asked to create a new style of energy efficient toaster or sandwich maker, or a totally recyclable kettle.

They could even go to the extreme and design a product that currently isn’t available, made entirely out of sustainable or renewable material.

The key to winning the competition is to be imaginative and inventive.

There are two categories of Young Designer – ages 11-16 (secondary school pupils) and ages 16+ (college and sixth form students).

Prizes include an iPod, USB stick and an instant pop-up tent – the Gelert Quick Pitch SS, which was created by BU graduate Franziska Conrad.

The tent was recently named ‘Coolest Festival Tent’ in the Guardian newspaper’s weekend supplement ‘The Guide’.

A panel of top designers from the University will judge the winning entries, including Professor John Vinney, Dean of the School of Design, Engineering and Computing, and Professor Mark Hadfield, Head of Design.

Entries for the 2007 BU Young Designer of the Year competition must arrive at the University no later than Wednesday 11 July.

The winners will be contacted on Wednesday 18 July.

For further information and an application form, please email youngdesigners@bournemouth.ac.uk.

Students to Show off Innovative Designs at Festival