“This is such a great opportunity to connect with young people and to bring our disciplines to life in a way that both inspires and educates. Find the joy and run with it!"
Students from London got an insight into design and engineering at Middlesex University as part of Discover! Creative Careers Week 2024.
Overview
The department of Design Engineering and Mathematics at Middlesex University opened their doors to year 12 students from The London Academy to share their courses, state-of-the-art facilities, and the breadth of career possibilities that can stem from Design and Engineering degrees.
The session was led by BA (Hons) Product Design Programme Leader Dr. Kate Herd and Brendan Walker, Professor of Creative Industries. Brendan Walker is also Founder Director of Studio Go Go who are on a mission to turn neglected amusement rides into unusual and brilliant experiences - whether it’s avant-garde VR revamps for mechanical fairground classics, or new content for their growing number of location-based VR swing simulators. Brendan is known as a ‘Renaissance Showman’ - a technology-inspired performance artist described by The Times as "the world's only Thrill Engineer". His multi-faceted Thrill Laboratory performances have provided popular entertainment for audiences from the Science Museum, London, to Disneyland, Paris.
Students were invited into the Product Design studio to participate in a creative workshop entitled ‘VR Playgrounds and the creation of amazing experiences’ where they worked in teams to design and pitch a concept for a new VR experience. Brendan shared firsthand insights into his career and current practice as an artist, designer, engineer and public broadcaster, delighting the group with his recent work using Virtual Reality, and allowing students (and staff) to test out a ride.
The event provided an opportunity for students to learn new skills, gain exposure to the industry, and connect with Higher Education. This provided a safe space to explore their creativity and to ask questions, ranging from engineering specifications on roller coasters through to queries around university applications and portfolios.
Number of young people reached:
27
Advice for similar companies/organisations:
This is such a great opportunity to connect with young people and to bring our disciplines to life in a way that both inspires and educates. Find the joy and run with it!
Can you tell us why you believe it’s important for industry to get directly involved in inspiring and informing young people about careers in the creative industries through projects like Discover?
Design influences the way we think, the way we feel and the decisions we make. Supporting young people in understanding what a product designer is, and the work that they do is hugely important. Alongside that, being able to offer accessible information and support around what it looks like to study at university, how to apply, and the possibilities and opportunities that can result from a product design degree is so important in getting more people excited about entering the creative industries.