About me
Product Design influences many aspects of society, encourages creativity and develops a strong community, hence why I am drawn to the subject. My father would take me to his design company, encouraging creativity by involving me in real design projects giving me first-hand experience. I have been particularly influenced by designers such as Terence Conran whose exhibitions portray his attitude towards design: he follows a philosophy of enhancing his surroundings by bringing qualities from a variety of different cultures together to join one larger community. This philosophy is the reason I want to do this subject: it encourages the connection between communities and cultures, which massively interests me. Studying Product Design would enable me to develop the advanced design skills to have a fulfilling career, designing a wide range of products which benefit society.
I regularly visit design museums around London. From exhibitions such as the 'Fear and Love' exhibition at London's Design Museum in 2016, I learnt how design can convey emotions, not just aesthetics, a theory I have incorporated into my own work. I have incorporated these skills and ideas into my design projects and taken inspiration from a range of exhibitions and designers. Furthermore, I have been going to new pop up stores throughout London, examining how the products are designed and interacting with the surrounding community, helping me to re-evaluate how we interact with design.
I am a creative and innovative thinker with the ability to work among different briefs and to work by myself or within a team. A recent group project where I highlighted these skills involved creating a flatpack table that could be made out of one sheet of material, aimed at millennials. We created a multi-function product which was both a coffee table and a dining room table to allow the users to free up space in their homes. This project involved the use of CAD software such as Rhino to create designs which we were then very precisely cut out on a laser cutter using laser plywood and more. Issues surrounding functionality were the main concern as we needed to make sure the core function worked while the table maintained its aesthetic qualities. The solution was both usable and attractive and made that connection between functionality and beauty. My creative thinking, willingness to learn, and ability to work well with others, are attributes that I bring to every project.
My work experience at Ogilvy advertising firm has helped me gain an insight into the creative working world, giving me experience of design through assisting on their American Express project, using 3D printers to create trophies. Working in the creative department allowed me to experience how designers work on a day to day basis in professional situations, from which I gained valuable knowledge on how to work collaboratively and supportively with my team, which I have incorporated into my design projects.
I have also previously been involved in a summer-long work experience opportunity at Junction Design Ltd., where I had the opportunity to experience how a design team operates. They showed me how to approach and solve specific problems by assisting them on current artwork that their clients were not happy with or wanted detailed changes made to them. This also allowed me to learn how to use Adobe software such as InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator to a high standard. They gave me an understanding of how a professional design and development team works. In addition to this, my part-time work at Virgin Active has given me key communication and people skills, as their brand ethos is focused on good customer service and quality. Lastly, I have a can-do, proactive attitude and am curious to learn.
Skills
3D Design, 3D Modeling, App Development, Brain storming, CAD, Illustration, Modelling, Photoshop, Product Design, Product Development, UX/UI