Staff & Student Work
MDXPD Student Project is Shortlisted & Commended at the Global RSA Student Awards Brady Hansen, BA Product Design student, received a commendation from the global Royal Society of Arts Student Design Awards for his sensitive, meaningful and well-considered design of a Loneliness Emoji in response to brief ‘Alone Together’
The Royal Society of Arts Student Design Awards is an annual global student design competition. In association with industry partners, the awards offer a range of design briefs that call on design to tackle some of the most current societal and environmental challenges. They are a great examples of the relevance and power of design approaches in understanding difficult problems, gathering insights into people and human behaviours, proposing concepts, but also offering a window into the future.
early ideas, identifying a range of themes and areas of work. From the team investigations, an excellent set of individual projects emerged, ranging from services and community initiatives, right through the physical products and digital solutions.
As module leader Kate Herd observed, “Briefs such as this are helpful in challenging student perspectives on the types of work that a product designer can contribute to”. In every year of study, in particular the first year, it is vital to broaden the view of product From January 2019, the first year design and to provide cohort spent 6 weeks exploring opportunities for real world how design can play a part in engagement. reducing the impact on loneliness in society in response Brady Hansen’s project to an RSA project brief. Working developing a loneliness emoji together as a design team, the responded to the recognition group shared research and that for many, communicating
feelings of loneliness was difficult. His work was shortlisted and the project received a commendation. Brady Hansen reflects, “I really liked this project and remember it being one where I really felt the power of the design process. The brief initially seemed too abstract, but as I worked through the process of research, ideation, prototyping, and feedback I ended up with a solution that I was proud to submit to the RSA Student Design Awards. Preparing for the panel interview was a tough but enlightening process. The panel asked me questions which required me to think of my design in ways I had not previously considered. I am honored to have received a Commendation and know that I am better designer for having had this experience.” PRODUCT DESIGN Middlesex University School of Science and Technology
10
