Foreign Correspondance

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It’s always a pleasure to hear from our graduates, and it’s easy to forget how far students travel to study with us (and how far they go when they leave us!). A recent update from Sisi Xu (MDes Product Design graduate and ex-student rep extraordinaire) informed us about her business success, collaborations with Quanzhou Normal University and awards. Congratulations Sisi!

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Top 5!

BIDA Design School Survey 2015

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In a recent poll undertaken by BIDA (the British Industrial Design Association), over 1000 design practitioners were asked to share their experience. BIDA’s question was simple: “Which design schools create the most employable BA, BSc or BDes industrial or product design graduates?”

Respondents selected up to 5 design schools, from a list of the current 70 institutions in the UK. Participants included a good cross section of industry (31% being employers of industrial and product designers, a further 52% are employed as industrial or product designers, 8% freelancing, with 9% academics, students and others).

Coventry University placed 4th with 16% of the vote.

Poetry in Motion

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Photograph: Jane Ball

Alongside his busy teaching and research roles, Senior Lecturer in Automotive and Transport Design, Aysar Ghassan has been busy writing poetry for local bus provider Network West Midlands. Read his Poems on the Network here >

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Aysar also writes a popular series of articles on design theory for Artsthread. the Design ‘Keywords’ already explored include Experience, Empathy, Storytelling, Participation and Authenticity. Read the articles here >

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Making A Stand

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Students from Interior Design and Architecture have been working on the Build the Bandstand competition since September in collaboration with the Friends of the War Memorial Park. Six designs were shortlisted in November for a new park bandstand. The artwork and models for these six, are currently on a roving exhibition across Coventry:

War Memorial Park Coventry, Visitor Centre – 4 to 9 January
Coventry Central Library – 11 to 17 January
West Orchards Shopping Centre – 18 to 24 January

2015 Roundup

Happy New Year!

The finish to 2015 was so busy that we didn’t have time to post! Here’s a brief round up of some of the things that happened last term…

University of the Year

Coventry University was named University of the Year 2015 at the Times Higher Education Awards. Vice Chancellor John Latham said: “This is a landmark achievement for Coventry University and a just reward for our collective successes over the past few months and years. This award is open to all higher education institutions and competition is fierce. During the judge’s visit, we showcased everything that makes Coventry University outstanding – our staff, our students, our business links, our research and our ability to innovate.” Read more here >

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R.I.P.I.D.

The Industrial Design department is no more! In an exciting reshuffle of the University’s portfolio, the Automotive, Transport, Product and Interior Design courses now fall under the School of Art & Design in the new Faculty of Arts and Humanities. We welcome our new colleagues from Architecture and Humanities!

MA Automotive Design & MA Vehicle Interiors Degree Show

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The 2015 MA Automotive Design & MA Vehicle Interiors Degree Show: Shift took place at the Coventry Transport Museum in December, showcasing self-initiated individual research projects and a display of the collaborative project with Jaguar Advanced Design.

The exhibition featured a private view event which was followed by a week long public opening for visitors to view the proposals which are based on innovative thinking, application of technology, processes and how they can be applied to the futuristic world of the automotive industry. View the image gallery here >

Another Red Dot

2014 Product Design graduate Adam Haynes is part of the design team at Cambridge Consultants responsible for the KiCo smart insulin pen, which was awarded a prestigious Red Dot award in September. Read more here >

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Design Innovation in Plastics

2015 Product Design graduate Martyn Billings was awarded 3rd Prize in the Design Innovation in Plastics Competition for his “shock-absorbing, non-conductive, non-sparking polymer hammer”… Martyn was awarded £250 and a placement with PDD in London. Read more here >

Here’s to an equally successful 2016!

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CDW 2015

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Staff accompanied 72 Product and Interior Design students to Clerkenwell Design Week on Wednesday 20th May.

“Celebrating it’s 6th year in May (19-21) the award-winning CDW has firmly established itself as the UK’s leading independent design festival and annually attracts the international design community to this small area of London for three days of exciting events. In 2014, the design community flocked to Clerkenwell with 32,300 attendees and over 300 exhibiting brands.”

The visit was part of an ongoing programme of events planned to take students out of the studio to look at design and understand its place within the global market. The cohort were left suitably impressed and inspired by Clerkenwell’s mix of showrooms, exhibitions, installations and talks… buzzing with ideas and laden with brochures and catalogues.

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Summer Shows

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With the degree show still on show, plans are already underway for summer exhibitions in London. Automotive, Transport and Product Design will be exhibiting their best graduates at NewDesigners and Interior Design will show for the first time at Free Range.

Dates for your diary:

NewDesigners: Part 2
01-04 July 2015
Business Design Centre / London (nr. Angel Underground)
www.newdesigners.com

Free Range: Interior Design & Architecture Week
09-13 July 2015
Truman Brewery / London (nr. Liverpool Street/Old Street Underground)
www.free-range.org.uk

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Degree Show 2015 in Pictures

Industrial Design Degree Show 2015
28th May – 4th June

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Interior Design: Show One

The following images represent a small proportion of the outstanding work at our degree show, which opened last Thursday with a private view for guests from industry. This year’s exhibition features the best work from students graduating in Automotive, Transport, Product and (for the first time) Interior Design. The show has attracted many important visitors including representatives from Jaguar Land Rover, Sprue Aegis, Dyson and Bentley (to name but a few). Many of the students have received awards and offers of employment already…

Our continued affiliation with the Coventry Motofest drew further visitors in over the weekend. Cesar Pieri’s exhibition of painted Jaguar Bonnets at Fargo Village (a joint venture with ID) was also a success.

If you’re intrigued to visit the show, then do hurry, as it closes this Thursday. Details here: covdegreeshow.coventry.ac.uk

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Click Read More for images >