RSA Student Design Awards – Mine for Life

2012 is turning out to be a very busy year! As well as running my own “Designing for the Future” competition with the Faculty of Arts, University of Brighton, I have also been invited to judge the RSA Student Design Awards and in particular the Mine for Life category.

The Mine for Life competition challenges students to design an assistive technology product which can be made through additive manufacturing using a consumer-driven and people-centred design philosophy. There is a cash award supported by Enabled by Design  and Loughborough University - and very excitingly, the chance to have the winning design additively manufactured by Loughborough University.

As well as Mine for Life, the RSA Student Design Awards have a number of other interesting categories, all of which address important social issues, such as the workplace and working conditions of the future (Tomorrow’s workplace);  intergenerational relationships (Something for everyone) and collaborative consumption (Shared assets).

I am really delighted to be asked to be involved and will let you know what happens.   

The deadline for entries is 17 February and more details can be found HERE

Image: Silver Inhaler by Hanna Mawbey 2011

Tomorrow Together – join in the conversation about re-imagining the future

Something very exciting happened yesterday. I was sat around a table at the RSA in London as one of a panel of  experts talking about what it means to get older and what products and services would allow us all to do that well. And then, this is the exciting bit, how we might go about achieving that aim.

The roundtable discussion was organised to kick off a new initiative from the UK’s innovation agency, The Technology Strategy Board called Tomorrow Together which is about encouraging people to talk about what they want in later life. The panellists included Nigel Campbell and Mat Hunter from the Design Council, Geraldine Bedell, editor of Gransnet, Denise Anstey, British inventor, Stephen Burke of United for All Ages and Kevin Johnson from Cisco.

According to findings released today, a staggering 90% of people in the UK are not looking forward to older age with concerns about health, mobility, wealth and social interaction ranking highly. Nearly half of people think that better products and services to sustain independence would change this with 79% of people wanting more innovation in products and services for older age.

The good news is that what became apparent from the discussion last night was that there are already very many passionate people engaged in innovating in this area. In the UK we certainly do not lack the skills or creativity to bring forward new products and services, more it is about bringing together the people, the businesses and the institutions to work together in a more focused way. And also about persuading those who have not yet embraced the challenges and opportunities of our ageing population to get on board.

As Jackie Marshall-Cyrus from The Technology Strategy Board says :”We need urgent innovation. It’s time for the talented, passionate brains of today to re-imagine and rethink for the future and work on tomorrow, together”.

As someone who has been working for a while now with some of our most talented and passionate brains at the University of Brighton, I wholeheartedly endorse this view.

I think this is a very opportune time to launch Tomorrow Together but it will only make a difference if we all join in the conversation and discuss how we can all work together in the UK to imagine and then help create a better future

So please do get involved at www.tomorrowtogether.org.uk and for those Tweeters amongst you, by following @tomorrowtogethr or the hashtag #innovateforage.

Exciting stuff.

To read my blog post on the Tomorrow Together website CLICK HERE

Image: Displacement Jug by Sophia Fong

Three ways to engage older people with social media

I have come across three projects recently which set out to engage older people with this new thing called social media.

Last week I wrote about Diane Atkinson’s SKYPE project which aims to introduce older internet newbies to the possibilities of communicating wth relatives and friends using SKYPE.

One of the entries to the “Designing for the Future” competition with the University of Brighton last summer was student Jono Redden’s project called “Pets“.  Jono was exploring the idea of loneliness amongst older people. “Pets” are are lighting fixtures designed to evoke the shapes of domestic pets such as cats. They are connected to the internet and in particular social media sites and as the number of friends who come online increases, the brighter the light shines reminding users of a world (albeit virtual) outside the isolation of their own home.  This was the first time I have seen the virtual online world made manifest in this way.  A really interesting idea.

This week I was contacted by the people behind Hugmail, a new app and online service specifically created to help make it easier for different family generations to keep in touch. 

Aran Potkin of Hugmail explains that : “Driven by the knowledge that 40% of grandparents live over an hour away from their grandchildren, many struggle to see their family as often as they would like. A lot of grandparents and older relatives also miss out on a lot of family news and photos because they don’t own smartphones and aren’t on Facebook or email. 

That’s why we created Hugmail – the message service that turns digital photos stored on your mobile, Facebook or computer and sends them as postcards anywhere in the world for £1.49.” 

As a product Hugmail is not so different from online greeting card retailers such as Moonpig but it is unique in focussing on the older market and in particular, the challenge of keeping families connected where not everyone is online. I do like the postcard format – there’s something very cheering about receiving a postcard and many are artworks in their own right. And it is a very quick and simple way to keep in touch.

 It does strike me, however, that the older person need not always be the recipient. An increasing number of older people are online (see our Facebook page). And I think Hugmail would also be a great way for grandparents to keep in touch with their grandchildren by sending them postcards, maybe as reminders of the days out they have shared, which would be lovely keepsakes for those children as they get older.

Teaching social media to the Facebook generation

A couple of weeks ago I was invited by Faculty of Arts, University of Brighton to talk to final year product design students about using social media to promote themselves.

I talked about how since I set up my business two years ago, I have eschewed traditional PR methods in favour of using Twitter (@thFuturePerfect), Facebook and blogging.  And how that had not only been more fruitful in terms of driving sales and raising the profile of The Future Perfect Company, but that the ability to interact with my potential customers was invaluable in terms of developing the brand.

Given the benefits I have found, could these students, I wondered use social media to similarly launch themselves at the Degree Show next year?

What was immediately striking to me was that whilst this cohort of 20-somethings used Facebook regularly, most of them had not thought about using it to promote themselves as designers.

Indeed one student admitted to Facebook fatigue, asking me whether I was so keen on social media because I was a relative newbie to the medium.  And I have to say I had to think carefully about that. Was I possessed of a kind of beginner’s zeal?

I must admit to being very enthusiastic about social media but mostly because as a lawyer I had spent 20 years using traditional marketing methods. Legal marketing is mostly driven by personal connections and in law firms often more senior partners act as gatekeepers to existing client relationships – which makes it very difficult for more junior lawyers to develop their own client base.  Social media on the other hand flattens traditional and social hierarchies – everyone is equal and accessible.  That makes it a perfect medium for the new business – or the graduate launching into the design world.

I hope I have convinced my audience to give social media a go and to take it seriously as a marketing tool.  

(And isn’t there something rather ironic about our older customers being more social media savvy than the younger generation!?)

Presenting to product design students at the University of Sussex

Following on from exhibiting at Generation Expo last weekend, I was asked to talk to product design students at the University of Sussex about The Future Perfect Company and our design ethos.

The students are about to start their third year projects and are looking for inspiration and ideas.

Other speakers included a charity wanting to redesign their communcation switches, a commercial kitchen supplier looking for ways to improve some of their products and a government- sponsored intermediary wanting to puts students in touch with SMEs with design challenges. It struck me as a win win situation for both students and design companies. Students get experience of working on real life design problems and SMEs get the chance to engage some of the most creative brains in the country.

I shared my experience of working on the “Designing for the Future” competition with the University of  Brighton and Collyer’s Sixth Form College.

The University of Sussex is itself a baby boomer, celebrating its 50th birthday this year and I hope that at least some of the audience will think about designing products which meet the challenges we all face as we get older.

Designing for the Future at Generation Expo

A very busy Summer saw us showcasing our Designing for the Future competition at various events throughout the country culminating last weekend with a pop up gallery at Generation Expo at the Brighton Centre.

Generation Expo is a new lifestyle event aimed at the over 40s which combines an eclectic mix of music, motors, sports, arts and fashion.

Curated and organised by the very impressive Hanna Mawbey, our stand showcased several future-gazing projects from the University of Brighton’s Faculty of Arts.

Ashley Temudo showed his thought-provoking Super-able Table. This striking piece is designed to challenge people’s perception of weakness and disability. Though the table appears “weak”, the many holes in fact enhance the functionality of the piece, acting as holders for mugs and glasses.

Sophia Fong brought along her elegant Displacement Jug which explores how liquids can be measured by eye rather than by recourse to fiddly and often difficult to read calibrations.  Chloe Meineck’s  The Hub is a multi sensory device which stores the music soundtrack of a person’s life to create a shared and engaging reminiscence activity for a dementia sufferer and their family. Also on show were prototypes of Harry Trimble’s interactive play mat with accompanying storybook which encourages young and old to play and exercise together and  Jessica Hung’s supermarket navigator which seeks to tackle the problems that elderly people face in supermarket shopping by helping them find products easily. Also prompting discussion was Craig Barrow’s bio-degradable Living Memorial Stone.

Visitors were able to try out Lucy MacDonald’s  The Public Rocking Bench which aims to combat loneliness by encouraging people to sit and rock together.

Hanna Mawbey’s  beautiful medical aids were much admired. Hanna’s work explores whether carefully designed, aesthetically pleasing medical equipment can make the devices desirable objects in themselves. Her attractive silver inhaler seemed to prove the point, earning her at least one commission!

And finally we showed the model and plans for Brighton’s very own Grand Design. Kevin McCloud’s famous eco house which was first erected in London’s Docklands live in six days in 2008 for Channel 4’s Grand Designs Live,  is being reborn in the courtyard of the University of Brighton’s Faculty of Arts.

The House That Kevin Built model itself attracted  a great deal of interest constructed as it is of recycled materials including what looks like mini Shredded Wheat, lolly sticks, Murray Mints and fish fingers!

We had a lot of fun at this, the inaugural, Generation Expo and were delighted with the response we received from our visitors of all ages to our gallery and to the thought-provoking ways the students had sought to address the many challenges of ageing.

Lots of hard work went into making this event possible and big thanks go to Rachel at GenExpo, Hanna Mawbey, Anne Boddington (Dean, Faculty of Arts), Andrew Scanlan, James Parsons and all our student designers and helpers (Ashley, Sophia, Lucy, Jes, Chloe, Camilla, Craig, Florence, Sam, Zosia, Elea) and supporters. 

“Designing for the Future” competition to be showcased at Generation Expo – Brighton Centre – 8-9 October

I am delighted to announce that we have been invited to showcase our “Designing for the Future” competition, which we run in collaboration with the Faculty of Arts, University of Brighton , at the forthcoming Generation Expo at the Brighton Centre 8-9 October 2011.

Working alongside the Faculty of Arts and in particular MA Design student, Hanna Mawbey, we will be exhibiting some of the most thought provoking designs from the competition together with some other future-gazing projects from across the University.

Generation Expo brings together a load of fun stuff like music, fashion, travel and food. Plus some sensible bits like, useful financial advice, interactive seminars and healthy planning for a longer future.

Special Guests will include ”Whispering” Bob Harris from the Old Grey Whistle Test. And Squeeze and Adam Ant who will both be playing acoutistic sets. There will also be live music from emerging bands such as Little Fish, Marner Brown and Harry Keyworth. Fresh from a host of festivals and UK and European gigs, Mums Old Vinyl DJ Andy Robinson will be pumping out some great tunes from across the decades.

There will be a fun, interactive sports zone. Luxury Golf & Corporate Events resort in La Manga, Spain will be show-casing their golf credentials with golf clinics, competitions and snazzy kit.  Beach Tennis UK  will be bringing a bit of beach to the expo and there will be LTA Coaching Clinic, Touch Tennis & Cardio Tennis sections set up and raring to go.  There will be a football corner with a range of clubs teaming together to enable you to fleetingly live the dream of being the premiership player you always knew you should’ve been. The South East Powerboat Association will be displaying the Powerboat B65, which recently returned from the 2011 World Championships

The team from Magnificent Revolution are bringing their pedal powered mini cinema to spread the word about energy production, renewable technologies and micro-power generation. Circus Brighton will be there on Saturday to showcase some circus skills.

There will also be a cookery and market produce area wafting the aroma of freshly baked brownies and local produce. You will also be able to sample a range of interesting beer, cider and wine.

Some of the team from a top five star spa hotel in London will be limbered up and ready to massage away your aches and pains. Fish pedicures will be available thanks to Balik Spa. There will be a fashion show and make-over corner with a range of beauty products, including Redken hair styling products and a top Redken stylist to hand to tousle your locks.

Gibson Guitars are setting up a Gibson Guitar Town, in association with GAK- the UK’s number 1 independent musical instrument retailer and these guitars and a selection of drums and other noise makers will be put to to good use in the seminars and interactive rock star workshops. The official Gibson tour bus will also be in town.  

Generation Expo is also the first event to provide a full lifestyle event experience informing and entertaining parents and teenage generations alike. So do bring your under 18s with you.

For more information about Generation Expo and details of where to buy tickets, CLICK HERE

New products designed for people with dementia and those who care for them

To mark Dementia Awareness Day, I thought I would share with you some interesting new products which have been designed for people with dementia and those who care for them – one we stock, one we don’t (should we?) and one which is still in the design stages.

1. Many Happy Returns 1940s

The Hairy Bikers’ Meals on Wheels

I have just been catching up on BBC iPlayer with the new series, “Hairy Bikers’ Meals on Wheels” where the TV chefs aim to do for Meals on Wheels what Jamie Oliver has done (or at least tried very hard to do) for school dinners.

Meals on Wheels, as run by the very admirable WRVS and others, is one of those invisible glues in British society which are greatly undervalued until they are under threat.  Not only do Meals on Wheels provide hot food to older people every day, they also provide regular contact and conversation to people who are often isolated and housebound. In the words of one of the customers, they are  “something to look forward to”.

And perhaps most importantly, Meals on Wheels allow people to stay independent and in their own homes for longer. Something most of us want.

Meals and Wheels are under threat not only from the cost cutting affecting most Council services but also from a shortage of, particularly younger, volunteers. As with school dinners, there are also issues around quality and the overuse of frozen rather than fresh ingredients.

As more of us live longer, more and more of us will depend on these sorts of services. Now is a good time to make sure the model works. And that means more of us volunteering now to guarantee that  the service is there when we or our family need it in the future.

But Meals on Wheels in its current incarnation at best looks rather outdated and subsequent programmes will explore how volunteering can be made more attractive. A rebrand by Saatchi and Saatchi seems to be on the cards.

A couple of our University of Brighton students  focused on re-vamping Meals on Wheels as part of our “Designing for the Future” competition last year.  Miranda Holms and Hanna Crick devised  a whole business where meals would be delivered in vintage-look branded vans and food decanted into the most beautiful handmade bowls inset in a bespoke wooden tray before being delivered to the customers. The challenges they had were logistical – how to deliver the service for the price within the time constraints.

I suspect the Hairy Bikers will face the same issues but with enough people and goodwill anything is possible. I shall be watching the rest of the series with interest.

To watch the first episode, go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b014sqyx/Hairy_Bikers_Meals_on_Wheels_Episode_1/

Student designer re-works medical aids as precious jewelry

What if your inhaler was made out of sterling silver or your pill dispenser looked like a beautiful necklace? Would you be less likely to leave them at home? Student designer Hanna Mawbey from the University of Brighton has been researching whether carefully designed, aesthetically pleasing medical equipment can bring about a stronger attachment in the user and make the devices desirable objects in themselves. 

Silver Inhaler

Medical condition: Asthma

Objective: improve appearance, whilst maintaining functionality.

An asthmatic patient Hanna interviewed described their inhaler as “embarrassing” meaning they often forgot to take it with them, risking an asthma attack. This inhaler is made from sterling silver, turning embarrassment into pride and creating a personal attachment with a mundane object. 

Pill Box Necklace

Medical condition: Heart Disease

Objective: encourage wearer to carry medications with them at all times. 

A patient with Coronary Heart Disease described how they needed to take a lot of medications every day. They were forgetful and found it difficult to remember which order to take the medicine in. With this attractive pendant necklace, the medicines can be stored in the order they need to be taken. 

Heavy Bracelets

Medical condition: Multiple Sclerosis

Objective: provide a discreet way of controlling arm tremors. 

Heavy bracelets replace shop bought wrist weights as a discreet and fashionable way to control tremors in the arms. Made in response to a person with Multiple Sclerosis, the bracelets enable the wearer to choose whether or not to disclose their ’disability’ to others, whilst at the same time controlling arm tremors.

Hanna Mawbey is about to start her fourth (BA Hons) year studying MDes 3D Materials Practice at the University of Brighton Faculty of Arts. She recently showcased her work along with work from the “Designing for the Future” Competition at BSRA Science of Ageing Conference.