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!
TN
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 >
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
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 >
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!
TN
Product Design undergraduate Tim Spears is currently interning as an online design editor at designboom in Milan. Reading (and contributing to) digital design journals/forums is fast becoming a daily activity for most creative professionals, but what happens behind the scenes?
Tim kindly paused to write us a ‘day in the life’:
Recent ID graduates Sam Lucas, Joe Ginniff, and Phil Rogers made it into this year’s Wallpaper* magazine Graduate Directory. They are listed with 11 others from leading International institutions. Minwoo Hwang, also a Coventry graduate, features but under the flag of the RCA.
The Times and Sunday Times University Guide 2015
Coventry University has moved up the Times and Sunday Times University Guide 2015 league table by 3 places, taking us to 42nd overall (the highest any post 1992 University has ever achieved). We have also been named ‘University of the Year for Student Experience 2015’ and, for the second year running, ‘Modern University of the Year’.
The University was also shortlisted for the overall ‘University of the Year 2015’ category (awarded to our neighbours The University of Warwick) – this (of course) remains a future aspiration.
Well done us!
TN
Coventry University has moved up 6 places in the Guardian League Table, coming in at 15th for Design…
We aim to continue this momentum!
TN
Second year Transport Design student Robert Hunt has been interviewed by Commercial Motor magazine after the editor spotted Robert’s interest in trucks on Twitter.
Robert states that the editor “wanted to know more about the transport course at Coventry as it sounded interesting” and was also asked about his truck designs, as well as what he thought the truck industry would be like in 20 years in terms of innovative design features and safety challenges.
His article entitled ‘Designs on a Career’ is published in the March edition of Commercial Motor magazine, which is available to read in the Lanchester Library.
EM