Local press coverage for our student design competition

West Sussex County Times 29 June 2012

Great press coverage this week for our student design competition, “Designing for the Future” run in conjunction with the University of Brighton from our local paper, the West Sussex County Times – and a lovely photo of Florence Pike’s Swivel Hatch which is designed to get neighbours talking!

The West Sussex County Times have always been very supportive of us. We won the West Sussex County Times Business Awards in 2010 for Best New Business.

“Designing for the Future” run by The Future Perfect Company in conjunction with the University of Brighton is now in its third year and encourages student designers to think about the challenges and issues affecting our ageing population – and to create innovative and attractive and designs which allow older people to continue to live enjoyable, active and independent lives

Prosthetic legs and knitted crutches stand out at New Designers 2012

Aesthetics and prosthetics by Hanna Mawbey

Yesterday I went to New Designers 2012, which is the UK’s most important graduate design exhibition. Top of my list of stands to visit was the University of Brighton stand featuring the work of Hanna Mawbey. 

Hanna has been involved with our “Designing for the Future” Competition since last year.  Her work focusses on making medical equipment aesthetically pleasing and her medical jewellery, and, in particular her beautiful silver inhaler, has been much admired.

Star of this year’s show was a prosthetic leg Hanna made for an amputee who likes to dress in the vintage “chap” style, using traditional beech wood and leatherworking techniques learned through her work experience with Otto Bock (who have subsequently offered her a job).

Also thought provoking are the knitted crutches which, like Hanna’s other work, challenge how we perceive medical devices  and bring traditional craft techniques to equipment which is often clinical, hard edged and mass produced.

For more details about Hanna Mawbey and her work, visit www.hannamawbey.com. Hanna’s work can be seen at New Designers 2012 until tomorrow.

More student designs from our competition

Memory Decanter by Joshua Barnes

Joshua’s Memory Decanter is a decanter that provides access to a person’s digital archive. By scanning the QR codes that have been laser etched into the crystal decanter, the reader is then linked into an online data storage website created by the decanter’s original owner.

Joshua explains : “This product addresses the issues of what we are meant to do with the huge amount of digital memories we build up over our life-times and how they can be passed on for future generations to access. The inspiration behind this project was looking at how objects and people are often associated with one another. I wanted utilize available technology such that an object could be associated with someone in its physical sense, while also having the ability to provide access to a digital memory bank.

 I chose the form of a decanter, as it is an object that is strongly associated with heritage and celebration. The Memory Decanter (full of its original owners favorite drink) would be used by future generations to stimulate conversation about the person whose digital memories it holds, while everyone enjoys a fine glass of booze.”

Clock reminder by William Green

Clock reminder by William Green

The idea behind this design is to encourage people to keep in regular contact with their families. The product comprises of 2 clocks, one of which is programmed to call the other at a certain time each day. Unlike a regular telephone, the clock contains a loudspeaker which allows family members to talk naturally and whilst they are doing other things, like cooking or supervising homework. This prevents contact phone calls from seeming like a chore and also allows other family members to join in. 

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

“Designing for the Future” run by The Future Perfect Company in conjunction with the University of Brighton is now in its third year and encourages student designers to think about the challenges and issues affecting our ageing population – and to create innovative and attractive and designs which allow older people to continue to live enjoyable, active and independent lives.

.

Student designers tackle faceblindness and forgetfulness

Prosopagnosia device by Isobel Goodacre

More designs here from our “Designing for the Future” student design competition.

Prosopagnosia device by Isobel Goodacre

Isobel Goodacre’s design aims to help people with prosopagnosia, which is commonly known as face-blindness. Prosopagnosia affects approximately 2.5% of the population and can result from stroke, traumatic brain injury, or certain neurodegenerative diseases and culminates in the total loss of facial recognition.

Isobel explains : “There is very little support available for those who suffer from this condition, with many feeling isolated as it can be socially crippling. My grandfather suffers from this condition, and using him as a case study I am proposing a mini HD camera that uses Biometric software to identify individuals and build up a database of ‘known faces’ matched with the corresponding names for future reference. In using such a device, those who suffer from this condition can discreetly ascertain to whom they are talking, or even if they know them or not, and thus aid social inclusion.

I believe my design proposal could not only help those who suffer from prosopagnosia, but also poor face processors and others suffering from similar memory disorders and could even be incorporated into home security. The solution functions both visually and audibly and can be used on its own or in conjunction with adapted spectacles whilst remaining discreet and user friendly”.

Forget Me Not reminder system by Poppy Wilson St James

Forget me Not by Poppy Wilson St James

Poppy’s design is a more light hearted take on memory loss.

Inspired by a family friend’s comment “I always know where my car keys are because I always put them in the same place, except when I don’t put them there”, Forget Me Not is designed to remind users to take their personal items with them when leaving the house. After conducting a survey, Poppy spotted that there is usually a “holy trinity” of three things people don’t want to leave home without – typically, keys, purse and mobile phone.

Poppy explains : “By attaching an RFID tag to your chosen  objects and installing a scanner near the exit of your home, Forget Me Not will notify you by beeping and flashing as you leave if any of your tagged objects are missing, meaning you’ll never forget your  phone or get locked out again”.

This is a simple technology driven solution to a common problem for many different people. It isn’t patronising or clinical, just a little nudge to ensure you have everything you need.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 “Designing for the Future” run by The Future Perfect Company in conjunction with the University of Brighton is now in its third year and encourages student designers to think about the challenges and issues affecting our ageing population – and to create innovative and attractive and designs which allow older people to continue to live enjoyable, active and independent lives.

Winning students present ideas to Bartle Bogle Hegarty

Our student design competition, “Designing for the Future”, stepped up a gear this year with winners being offered a mentoring package in addition to a cash prize.

This year’s winners, Xenia Moseley and Florence Pike, together with fellow student Joshua Barnes got the opportunity to present their ideas to Zag – the “brand invention” division of international advertising agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty.

Here’s a photo of them just prior to the presentation – Florence even brought along her fence panel!

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 “Designing for the Future” run by The Future Perfect Company in conjunction with the University of Brighton is now in its third year and encourages student designers to think about the challenges and issues affecting our ageing population – and to create innovative and attractive and designs which allow older people to continue to live enjoyable, active and independent lives.

Family top trumps and cups of tea – those winning student designs in more detail

Last week we announced the winners of our student design competitiion. 

“Designing for the Future” run by The Future Perfect Company in conjunction with the University of Brighton is now in its third year and encourages student designers to think about the challenges and issues affecting our ageing population – and to create innovative and attractive and designs which allow older people to continue to live enjoyable, active and independent lives. 

Winner Xenia Moseley, (BA (Hons) 3D Design) and runner up Florence Pike (BA (Hons) 3D Design) competed against a record number of entrants to secure a combination of mentoring and cash.

Family Tree Cards by Xenia Moseley

The Family Tree Cards are all about faciliating interaction and strengthening family relationships. They help to teach children about their heritage, whilst also reminding the older members of the family about the supportive network of people surrounding them, helping combat memory loss and loneliness. 

The Family Tree Cards are a new way to present the family tree, which is becoming increasingly digitised making it difficult to share amongst a group of people. These cards can be laid on a table, hung up, stacked,shuffled and played with. Family top trumps, anyone?

“Inspired by my Grandmother’s deteriorating sight, I wanted to highlight the importance of the remaining senses. This made me think of further age related diseases such as Alzheimers and Dementia. I obtained information relating to the senses from my family members – their favourite smell, taste, touch, memory – and in this way was able to learn more about the personality behind the name. The resulting Family Tree Cards are a tangible catalogue of what it is they value and can serve to represent family members for generations past, present and future.”

“Tea for Two” and “Swivel Hatch” by Florence Pike

Florence describes her project as follows: “My products are designed to encourage communication between neighbours. I have used the garden fence to symbolise a social barrier. The application of my products transforms it into a meeting point. The ‘Tea for Two’ set draws people to the fence allowing neighbours to come together and share a cup of tea as they garden.  The ‘Swivel Hatch’ is designed for high fences, allowing you to communicate with your neighbour by leaving messages, sharing gardening tools or simply having a chat.

My products are unique because they encourage conversation and friendship in the home environment where elderly people feel most comfortable. Secondly they promote gardening as a great way of being social and they expose people to the mental and physical benefits of being outdoors. Finally the products add an attractive focal point to the garden fence and fence post. 

Research shows a link between social interaction and increased longevity yet recent estimates suggest that one million people over the age of 65 say they are often or always lonely. Florence found that neighbours in particular can play a crucial role in providing a source of companionship for the elderly:  ”I think my products target a market that is often overlooked in the design world and that they address the need for more thoughtful and exciting designs in an ageing population”.

Congratulations to Xenia and Florence and to all the other students who entered. We will be sharing more great projects from the Competition over the next few days.

_________________________________________________________________________________

The “Designing for the Future” project is being showcased this week at in the Design Zone at the Mobility Roadshow in Peterborough.

Student design competition steps up a gear as winners are announced

Our student design competition, “Designing for the Future”, stepped up a gear this year with winners being offered a mentoring package in addition to a cash prize.

 “Designing for the Future” run by The Future Perfect Company in conjunction with the University of Brighton is now in its third year and encourages student designers to think about the challenges and issues affecting our ageing population – and to create innovative and attractive and designs which allow older people to continue to live enjoyable, active and independent lives. 

Winner Xenia Moseley, (BA (Hons) 3D Design) and runner up Florence Pike (BA (Hons) 3D Design) competed against a record number of entrants to secure a combination of mentoring and cash.

Founder of The Future Perfect Company, Philippa Aldrich explains as follows: “The Designing for the Future” competition has come a long way since we started it three years ago. Begun as a brief for one small group of students within the Faculty of Arts at the University of Brighton, the Competition has steadily gained recognition as a touch point for discussion about design for our ageing population, whether at the Age UK national policy conference, the BSRA Science of Ageing conference or the Mobility Roadshow.

As the Competition has grown, I have become increasingly aware that in order to create and sustain an innovation pipeline for this area of design, the students would benefit from a mentoring approach to help them develop their projects and also launch themselves into the design world after graduation. The mentoring package will consist of product development advice from designer Richard Child who is currently bringing his own unique crutches design to market and I will be adding business support, drawing particularly on my experience of using social media to launch and build The Future Perfect Company”.

Commented Richard Child : “The “Designing for the Future” competition has been an excellent showcase of young British design talent and I’ve been very impressed with the standard that was set by the students at the University of Brighton. Each student applied their design intuition to real world problems, relating to our ageing population, requiring nothing less than professional results. I look forward to seeing how the students progress during their time at Brighton.”

Says Anne Boddington, Dean of Faculty of Arts, University of Brighton: “This Competition and Philippa’s commitment have provided us with an important nudge to think differently about some of the most important immediate and future challenges. Our students have produced some very thoughtful sophisticated and high quality work.”

Winner Xenia Moseley took inspiration from her own family history to design a Family Tree card game which allows people to discover and remember the person behind the name.

Runner up, Florence Pike, on the other hand, was horrified by her research that suggested that as many as one million people over the age of 65 say they are often or always lonely. Finding that neighbours in particular can play a crucial role in providing a source of companionship for the elderly, Florence’s products “Tea for Two” and “The Swivel Hatch” transform the garden fence from a barrier to a meeting point by creating an ad hoc tea tray.

The competition received entries from two year groups of Product Design and 3D Design students at the University of Brighton and was coordinated by tutor Gareth Neal and judged by Anne Boddington, Dean of the Faculty of Arts at the University of Brighton; Philippa Aldrich, founder of The Future Perfect Company; Gretel Jones, senior consumer markets policy adviser at Age UK; and Richard Child, Technical Director of Hymid R&D. 

Other entries included a memory decanter which uses QR codes to access family photographs, an eccentric carrier which incorporates a gyroscope into a playful carrying tray, a face recognition device for people suffering from prosopagnosia (faceblindness), a coffee table which incorporates a foot massager and a lap garden for the bedbound.

We will be letting you have more details of the winning designs over the next few weeks.

Student design competition to be showcased at Mobility Roadshow

I am delighted to announce that we have been asked to showcase work from our “Designing for the Future” student design competition at this year’s Design Zone at the Mobility Roadshow.

“Designing for the Future”  which we run in conjunction with the University of Brighton is now in its third year and encourages student designers to think about the challenges and issues affecting our ageing population – and to create innovative and attractive and designs which allow older people to continue to live enjoyable, active and independent lives.

The Mobility Roadshow is an annual three day event, taking place at the Peterborough Arena at the East of England Showground on 21 / 22 / 23 June 2012, showcasing all things mobility related; everything from adapted vehicles and charity stands, to 4 x 4 wheelchairs and mobility scooters. This year’s Design Zone will be curated by Enabled
 by Design and Such and Such Design who will be pulling together a host of new and innovative designs that can help to support people to live as independently as possible.

The Design Zone showcase is sponsored by Autoadapt and supported by the Royal College of Art’s Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design  and, as well as work from our “Designing for the Future” project, will feature designs and products from Northumbria University as well as from other innovative companies and charities.

The Design Zone will also feature the popular Cool Wall. To find out more about the Mobility Roadshow Design Zone and how to nominate your favourite products and designs for the Cool Wall, CLICK HERE

We are delighted to be exhibiting in such good company and to be helping highlight the need for good design in the areas of ageing and independent living.

Fidgeting is good for you says product designer

How often are we told as childen not to fidget?

Designer Grace Hancock argues that rather than a tiresome habit, fidgeting can actually be a very therapeutic way of dealing with stress and anxiety. Her series of “Fidgets” encourages the user to rub, scratch, spin, squeeze and push.

I came across Grace’s work at the Up and Beyond Graduate Show currently being held at the Faculty of Arts, University of Brighton. What immediately struck me was how attractive these objects were and how they invited interaction. Much more appealing than the usual range of  masculine “executive toys”.

It is unusual to see student product designers grappling with issues around mental health and I like the fact that the forms Grace uses invoke the ideas of homes, shelters and comfort.

To meet Grace and see more of her work , visit Up and Beyond at the Faculty of Arts, University of Brighton (Grand Parade) until tomorrow and then at New Designers 4-7 July 2012.

Grace Hancock’s blog can be seen here : http://www.gracehancock.co.uk/

Definitely getting Hotter – comfortable but stylish shoes

At a wedding a couple of years ago, an actress cousin of mine was bemoaning the fact that her plain footwear did not match her otherwise stylish outfit because of her “problem feet“.  “You see”, she said, ”I need shoes which are wide and comfortable and that seems to rule out style”.

Since then I have been building a list of stylish yet comfortable shoes and it was in this context that I made my first visit to Hottershoes in Chichester.  And now the nice people at Hotter have sent me a pair of black Valettas to try.

These arrived yesterday (very well packaged in a smart green box with an accompanying shoe horn) just as I was about to leave the house for the prize giving at the University of Brighton for our Designing for the Future student design competition. Struck by how smart the Valettas looked and ignoring the voice in my head (”but you haven’t worn them in.”), I put them on and headed off to Brighton.

Valettas are a Mary Jane style shoe with a vintage feel (that’s 1940s and not 1980s as my daughter assumed..). The shoes are made of a good quality leather with a pretty patent leather cut out motif. The buckle was a little stiff at first but I am sure this eases with use. At £69 per pair, these are not cheap shoes but they are well made, proper shoes and do look like they can be brought out again and again for smart occasions.

And they were very comfortable. And they have heels. Smart heels which are comfortable but did not made me feel frumpy - particularly important as I took to the stage before the very fashionable folk of the Faculty of Arts at the University of  Brighton.

I am looking forward to putting my Valettas through their paces again at this Summer’s round of weddings and Golden Wedding anniversaries. I will let you know how I get on.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

For more details about Hotter shoes and to buy your own Valettas to get you through the Summer wedding season, go to http://www.hottershoes.com/en/Women/Womens-Shoes/Formal-Shoes/Classic/66410_valetta-shoes