Design students exhibit at Dutch Design Week

PLLANT is a collaborative design group involving young designers from the University of Lincoln’s BA (Hons) Product Design and BA (Hons) Jewellery and Object programmes as well as design students from the UK universities of Plymouth, Loughborough and Nottingham Trent University.

The group concentrates on the Upcycling of waste material to create a range of innovative and enhanced outcomes. The project is supported by Co-oproduct, and will showcase work internationally at major design festivals and events throughout the coming months, starting with the Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven next week.

The 17 jewellery pieces designed by 9 current students meets the PLLANT-brief of upcycling.  The students used materials that are considered to be waste, and turned them into desirable bracelets.  The images above show what can be done with upcycled Nespresso capsules; the Capsule Collection is by Caroline Draper.

Bracelet by Ruth Browton, using reinforced rubber and ribbon.

PLLANT will exhibit it's launch project collection at Dutch Design Week (DDW) 2012, the major international design event hosted in Eindhoven, Netherlands.

   Mudguard Fruit Bowl by Benjamin Perry and George Wright

Date: 20- 28 October 2012

Venue: TAC - TemporaryArt Centre, Vonderweg 1, 5611BK Eindhoven, The Netherlands

mbrela launches at National Centre for Craft and Design

mbrela is the collaboration between three Product Design and Industrial Design programmes, based at three international universities: BA (Hons) Product Design here at the University of Lincoln, Industrial Design at Philadelphia University, and Industrial Design at San Jose State University, both in the US.

The exhibition is currently showing in the roof gallery of the National Centre for Craft and Design, and runs until 4 November.  The exhibition offers the visitor a glimpse of the collection of products which were designed and created collaboratively by the staff and students across the continents, through the use of blogging, Skype, and research visits.

The collection of fresh, exciting and fun products features 'Dragg', a luminescent blue coloured rope light, designed by Michael Palmer, Lincoln;

'Sykho' a chair that rocks mysteriously when it is not occupied, designed by Chris Gray, Lincoln;

 'Zoomster', a children's toy ride that can be decorated by its owner, designed by John O'Leary, Lincoln;

and 'Denrug', a rug which lets you clamber inside and make a den, designed by Brenden Feucht and Greg Sunderman, both from Philadelphia University, together with Joseph Rimmer from Lincoln.

Participating students Fran Knight (designer of Milk Light) and John Gill, trying out 'Boksy', designed by Cameron Cole, Lotte de Jong, and Brian Boidin, all from University of Lincoln.

'Notch Light' by Adam Leeming.  An inner light is revealed when the blocks surrounding the light are moved or removed.

A welcome evening was held last week, when guest speakers from both Lincoln and Philadelphia gave an insight into how the project first started, the collaboration itself, and the exhibitions resulting from the collaboration, right across the globe, from Milan, to New York, to Baltimore.  This is the first time the collection can be seen by the general public in its entirety in the UK.

Staff and students above from Philadelphia University joined us for this special evening.

George Crane, Director of UK based design company Slam Design is an integral member of the mbrela collaboration as Lincoln's Level 3 Major Project this year is a collaboration between Lincoln and Philadelphia to produce a range of ideas, concepts and proposals for Slam Design to introduce new product ranges.  The two studios have already communicated through Skype and the recent 'Brick & Mortar' session and will continue to develop ideas for presentations to George in the near future and continually as ideas evolve.

Doris Wells-Papanek visits University of Lincoln

The BA (Hons) Product Design programme is delighted to welcome Doris Wells-Papanek to the University this Sunday 14 October from 6-00 - 8-00pm in the Co-op lecture theatre.

Doris Wells-Papanek, M.Ed, based in the greater Chicago area, collaborates with educators, practitioners, and learners to design and research tailored learning experiences. Doris has coached learners of all ages, authored multiple papers, and presented at national and international conferences. As partner of Greenleaf & Papanek Publications, Doris has co-authored five books on student-centered learning. With over 25 years of experience in human interaction design, she has developed change strategies, managed creative teams, and conducted human-centered action research studies.

Doris has collaborated with companies such as Apple, Xerox, Lotus, Hewlett-Packard, Siemens, Philips, and Intuit and learning organisations such as Chicago Public Schools, Waukegan Public Schools.

Doris will be presenting on the subject of Kindergarten through to Yr12 design education in the US alongside Professor Anne Chick, Stewart Bibby who will present on The Big Toy Factory and mbrela Jr. and Les Porter who will present on the Design & Technology Forum.  You are invited to attend as the Product programme continues to build its involvement in the Big Toy Factory.

For further information, contact Programme Leader BA (Hons) Product Design, Stewart Bibby.