Congratulations to all of the 8 students in GCE Product Design this year for being a brilliant group and keeping motivated throughout lockdown. Myself and Richard have enjoyed teaching, supporting and spending time with you over the last two years. You have taken the timetable changes in your stride and made the most of online learning sessions. All of the students have produced a wide range of creative and innovative design solutions to user-centred problems working with real life clients. I want to give special thanks to Darren Roberts and his talented welding students for technical assistance with 2 of the projects. Also big thanks to Horace Dennis and Simon Morris for feedback on the design concept for an extension to Dudley Sixth. We wish all of you the best at university and in your chosen careers.
Adrian Eynon, GCE Product Design Tutor
Amman Ahmed
Outdoor Educational Space
Ammandecided to look at how he could design an outdoor educational space as an extension to Dudley Sixth Form that could be used as a multi-purpose environment for education and relaxation. He carried out thorough investigation and gained useful advice from Horace and other members of Sixth form staff to guide his thoughts.
The architectural concept was designed for a specific site by the side of Priory Villa in front of the Sixth Form block. The prototype model was built to 1:100th scale using a range of relevant materials to represent the actual building. This is an outstanding project and Amman has worked exceptionally well to create very high standard CWK and finished prototype model. Well done!
Joshua Rollinson-Dainty
Security Rucksack to Deter Theft
Joshua identified a need to improve the design of ruck-sacks as there is a high level of theft suggesting that current designs are not designed with security in mind. He investigated existing products, carried out tests which led to design sketches and small scale model-making. He made some excellent small scale detailed models and a 1: 5 final prototype from foam board.
What is impressive is that Joshua decided to make the full-size version from similar materials as may be used in a commercial version. He worked carefully to produce detailed moulds to vacuum form for the sides. The completed model reflects his high level of attention to detail and the end product is excellent. Well done!
Oliver Gilkes
Micro-Space for Urban Living
Oliver decided to investigate modern solutions to urban living. He researched into the area and saw how the cost of living had increased and there is a trend to live in smaller spaces. This led him to look at designing this efficient and stylish interior. The aesthetic style is based on minimalist and modernist design and architecture influenced by Japanese interiors.
His brother, a University student acted as the user/client for feedback for evaluation. Oliver worked on a 1:10 scale to produce a realistic model using relevant materials and processes. Many of the components were laser-cut and other parts were made by hand with great skill. The final model is of a very high standard and combined with the CAD modelling represent an outstanding project. Well done!
Alex Harris
Micro-sleep Devices and Detection System
Alex has tackled the serious issue of Micro-sleep. This is when drivers can drift off, become unconscious behind the wheel, potentially resulting in serious or sometimes fatal accidents. He identified this design problem in a 1st year project and decided to extend it into a much more detailed investigation.
This year he created two devices including a smart wristwatch and a dashboard mounted camera-sensorwhich he has modelled full scale and also made a carry bag to contain these as a finished product. During the research Alex realised he also wanted to make the products more customisable and based his designs on the style of Memphis with bright colours and patterns. This is a good project which has tried to tackle a serious challenge, creating aesthetically pleasing products. Well done!
Abi Holl
Bakery Storage and Display Stand
Abi is a keen amateur baker who runs her own successful cake making business. She identified a need to design an improved bakery storage unit for equipment and also included a display stand for her decorated cakes.
She has created a design that combines form and function based on the shape of the stylised petals of a flower. The storage unit holds equipment effectively and is also a very aesthetically pleasing focal point for a kitchen or market stand.
This is an outstanding project both in CWK and the standard of the end product and should be well used by Abi in years to come. Well done!
Owen Robertson
Multi-Sensory Rainbow Arch
Owen originally intended to design this for the Birmingham Children Hospital, but die to COVID restrictions was unable to gain feedback, Instead we contacted Aspire Dudley and gained useful feedback from staff. Once it is safe we will be giving the finished multi-sensory Rainbow Arch to a hospital.
The product has been made full-size and is fully functioning. It is fabricated from steel and was assisted by staff and students at Advance 2. Many thanks to you! This project is an excellent result considering the challenge of designing without the necessary client feedback. Owen has stayed motivated and completed a very good CWK project with a good final prototype. Well done!
Nuria Rowley
Over-Bed Desk for Bed-ridden Client
Nuria designed her over-bed desk for her own grand-father as she had seen design faults in the existing product they owned. In simple terms the existing desk was ugly, over-engineered and not fit for purpose.
Throughout the project she gained good client research and has created innovative designs leading to an aesthetically pleasing product. Without much modification this could be sold commercially and is an outstanding working prototype. Well done!
Many thanks to the staff and students in Advance 2 who assisted with production.
Caitlin Siviter
Post-COVID Desk for Home-working
Caitlin recognised that over lockdown it was quite difficult to find space to work from home and saw the opportunity to design a compact multi-use work desk for a home-working office. This is an exception piece of design work both in CWK and the end practical project. She carried out detailed initial research with a real client, which led to outstanding design sketches and development.
The final model is made full-size and fully-functioning including a laser-cut storage system and a vacuum formed tray insert for equipment. What has impressed most is that Caitlin has worked for the main independently with minimum support. Well done!
For my personal investigation I decided to gain my inspiration from Digbeth in Birmingham. My project was based around the bold graffiti found on the walls. I found that experimenting with the embellisher complimented this project perfectly as it enhanced the nature of graffiti as it looked like sprays from a spray can. I also explored bold lettering, hand stich and machine embroidery to conduct my final piece. Positive words and phrases really inspired me through my project, due to such uncertain times in the world due to coronavirus I thought spreading positive messages for people to see on things such as their daily walks was beneficial to the indefinite times, we are living in. Clouds became the dominant theme from my original photographs to spread the well-being quotes in the local area. I then began to turn this into a garment of a dress to allow it to be showcased on the runway for people to see. The clouds became detachable form the piece to be able to place them in other places to be available for as many people to see as possible. To spread the message even more I also decided to make my own Instagram page to allow my work to be shared as much as possible.
My project evolved into work based on fast food, its aggressive marketing and the results of these ending up in the appearance of excess body fat. I looked at the packaging of fast-food items and started to manipulate them in different ways, gravitating towards the heat-based samples that shrunk and bubbled plastic materials like crisp packets. I used hand stitch work to add words onto these samples, words like EAT and CONSUME that reflect the immoral aims of food marketing.
I used tights, stuffing and rubber bands to create these 3d pieces that I intended to replicate to look of body fat, I used heat transfer techniques to put red lines onto the fabric that mirror the blood vessels in body fat, and then stitched into the largest sample with the text work. With these 3d pieces I also produced two masks constructed from the heated plastic and the stitched text-work, the focus being around the mouth area was intentional as the project is based around food consumption.
For my personal investigation I chose the theme of botany as I knew this project would keep me interested and could lead me in several directions, in terms of my project. After taking many photos and gathering lots of research from artists and other secondary photos I was able to start experimenting with samples and techniques such as weaving, printing, dying, stitching, sewing that then developed into samples such as screen printed and tie-dyed fabric, cut and fray samples, and fabric manipulation. All of this came together to inspire and create my final piece. A cut and fray printed panel skirt piece.
I took inspiration for my personal investigation from predominantly the Black Lives Matter movement. I decided to choose this as I felt it is an important topic that needs to be brought to light and talked about more. I was mainly influenced by the protests I attended and the protest signs for my final piece, so decided to go with a patchwork hanging piece. For this I used a variety of techniques such cut and fray, machine embroidery, hand stitch and melting plastic. I also wanted my piece to have an imperfect feel to it as many of the protest signs were rushed and messy and I wanted that to translate through my work.
For my personal investigation, I was heavily inspired by the construct of landscapes, after having visited Wales in the summer of 2020. I realised its intricate textures such as the water, rocks and mountains allowed for much versatility regarding different forms of experimentation. While experimenting with several different techniques, my main focus shifted to fabric manipulation, as well as prints. I personally really enjoyed exploring different ways I could work with fabric to create a wide variety of textures that would relate to the concept of nature. Throughout the entirety of the project, I wanted to ensure that my final piece would capture the raw and natural essence of nature through the form of a fashion piece. It was pieced together by the different elements of landscapes that could easily be rearranged and I thought this was an effective way of presenting my ideas in different ways.
A level Textile Design encourages students to work with a wide variety of skills and processes across the fields of Textiles, Fashion and Interiors. This includes printed textiles, constructed textiles, embroidery, fashion construction, weaving and fabric manipulation. Students are introduced to different techniques which they are then able to develop into personal outcomes. This can be clearly seen within the variety of imaginative outcomes produced by the students this year.
Learners are encouraged to explore both historical and contemporary techniques and to support their work with research into a range of suitable artists, designers, and trends. They are prepared for industry or Higher Education and some of the students from this year are continuing their education by pursuing degrees in Fashion and Textiles after their A levels.
I hope that you find the work inspiring. I am very proud of what the learners have achieved this year.
The theme I have in mind is horror-styled portraiture; like mugshots you see typically for criminals or offenders in prison. The photographs after could be edited to look grainy or darker for the after-effect.
A reason why I have chosen this theme is due to both personal preference and the way that different kinds of portraiture paint’s a different ‘story’ in a sense. If you use darker lighting, the subject could look more ‘evil’ or scary, while lighter lighting could portray them as a good person.
My final five images have captured a sense of light and time, and though the images are not of a correlated theme, they link because photography is still essentially about capturing light and time. Through my series of portrait and still life images, I have aimed to create an aspect of drama, capturing a decisive moment, whether it be through a model’s look or expression, or in the momentary splash of water.
This project’s theme is ‘Mindful’. While none of the subjects in these six studio portraits is actually speaking, each will hopefully say something to you. Perhaps you can see defiance, melancholy, reflection, heartbreak, contemplation, uncertainty – or something else? In any case, these images invite you to explore your own thoughts and feelings in the present moment.
