In this episode, we start a series in which we will talk with Design & Technology Association Trustees about their careers to date and the reasons why being a Trustee of the Association and being connected to its work is important to them. 

We start this series by talking with Bill Williams, Chair of D&TA Trustees.

Bill is an experienced CEO across the manufacturing and engineering sectors. He was formerly a member of the Board of Group Lotus plc, the CEO of the Centre for Engineering and Manufacturing Excellence (CEME) in London, and is presently the Group CEO of Alloy Fabweld, a UK group of manufacturing and innovation companies based in Essex.

During his career, he has worked in the automotive and motorsport industries (including Formula 1 and MotoGP), as well as the pharmaceutical and food manufacturing sectors. He holds an MBA from Cranfield, is an Honorary Fellow of University College London (UCL), a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, and a Fellow of the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET).

He commenced his career by completing a Mechanical Engineering Apprenticeship with Michelin Tyre Company and is deeply passionate about apprenticeships and the need for design and technology in the national curriculum. 

Bill is currently in his third year as Chair of the Association and has been a Trustee for over six years. 

So relax, grab 51 minutes to yourself and enjoy Designed for Life - In conversation with Bill Williams. 

As always, huge thanks to The Edge Foundation for their continued support of the podcast.

This is the first episode with young graduates met recently at New Designers 2024 in London. 

Alex graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University with a second-class BA (Hons) in Product Design. I was struck by the simplicity of his design project and the clear communication of intent within his work. 

It is clear that Alex is very passionate about combating climate change and helping people to live more sustainably; his comment that "I want to utilise my design background to help to bring solutions to this sector" is, in my experience, representative of a significant percentage of his generation who recognises the massive challenges facing mankind and wants to be part of the solution, not a contributor to the problem.  

In the conversation, you will hear how Alex has mapped out a pathway to becoming a talented air source heat pump engineer. He is undoubtedly a talented and driven young designer, and I know he would welcome 'reachouts' from anyone who feels they may be able to contribute to his journey. 

Linkedin.com/in/alex-ball-439339224

So that was 2023! 

Twenty-four episodes of Designed for Life were recorded and published over the course of the year, fulfilling our promise of at least one podcast every two weeks. In these pods, I have been fortunate to speak with a wide range of innovators, founders, designers, engineers, academics, teachers and students, and here in this (admittedly longer than usual podcast), we pick out some of the best moments of 2023 and put them in one place for your listening delight.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank every single guest from the almost eighty who have given their time to be on the podcast since we started in summer 2020. This really has turned into a passion project; speaking with such talented and creative people has become one of the joys of my role as Chief Executive of the Association. 

I would also like to thank the Edge Foundation for their continued support. As I have stated so many times on the podcast, without their support, we simply would not be able to produce these conversations. 

And last, but not least, I would like to thank you...our listeners. You have streamed the pod almost 25,000 times, and you are the reason we do this work. The feedback that you provide is our fuel not only to continue, but to make this podcast bigger and better. 

We have ambitious plans for next year, including bringing the pod live to more schools across the UK. If you would be willing to host an event for students and their parents at your school (or at a local business), then please do reach out to designedforlife@designtechnology.org.uk

So one last time for 2023, grab the dog lead but prepare the hound for a long walk, take us to the gym but don't go too hard, too soon, or just grab a coffee and a mince pie and listen to the best bits of Designed for Life 2023. 

Where was the first music concert you ever attended? Who was the artist? Who did you see this artist/band with? And finally, how did you feel as you left the gig? If you are like me and love your live music, these are questions that will roll off the tongue. For me, it was the Police. I was fifteen years old and with my best mate from school, the gig was at Hammersmith Odean, and it left me buzzing and wanting more!

In this podcast, we are in conversation with Becky Pell. Becky is a sound engineer touring internationally with some of the biggest names in music. In this conversation, we trace her journey from school to a career that drew her in from her very first concert as a fifteen-year-old, where she saw A-ha live and found her attention split between Morten Harket and the other band members and the engineers working the sound desk in front of her. As she left that concert with her dad, her mind was made up; this was the career for her!

Through this conversation, we gain a glimpse of what life ‘on the road’ is like, explore what it takes as a woman to carve out a career in what is sadly still a male-dominated profession and hear from Becky about the pure joy of her job as she watches thousands of people enjoy the night of their lives...partly because she has done her job well, allowing the performers to do what they do to the very best of their ability.

This is a joyful podcast and one that will change the way that you look at the engineers working at a concert the next time you listen to live music. So grab the dog lead and plug us in your ears, take us to the gym, or just sit back and relax and listen to Designed for Life in conversation with Becky Pell.

To find out more about Tomorrow’s Engineers Week and access their free teaching resources and on-demand schools broadcast, you can visit www.teweek.org.uk/ 

To find out more about EngineeringUK’s work to drive change so that more young people choose engineering and technology careers, visit www.engineeringuk.com

As always, thanks to The Edge Foundation for their continued sponsorship of this podcast. 

How many of you reading this have fond childhood memories of reading the Beano? I am guessing many of you could name most of the characters from the Beano now; some of you may still have Christmas Annuals tucked away somewhere in the loft. Well, the good news is the Beano is still alive and well...in fact, it is in rude health. 

So when I received an email asking if I would like to speak with Alex Harris (BBC Teach) and Mike Sterling (Creative Director at Beano...although he also has another job title), the answer was an immediate yes!

What followed was an absolutely joyful conversation, sometimes the chat just flows, and we almost forget that the microphones are on and rolling, and this is one of those occasions. 

These two organisations have come together to create a truly inspiring resource aimed at primary school teachers. Comic creativity inspired by Dennis, Gnasher and Minnie the Minx 

The new BBC Teach Beano – how to create a comic set of resources provide a step-by-step guide to help children to make their own comic, from creating characters, to constructing worlds to developing stories. 

Three classroom videos featuring Beano Studios’ mischief makers introduce children to visualising characters as stick people, creating a story mountain, and building a soundscape with words like ‘clang’ or ‘squelch’. 

The new resources are rooted in Beano’s 85 years of expertise in comics and creativity. Featuring Beano creatives Mike Stirling, Ed Stockham, Rhiannon Tate and Craig Graham, the free videos are designed for teachers to use with their primary classes at Key Stage 2, 2nd Level and Progression steps 2 and 3 across the UK. They include everything needed to create a comic as part of a whole class project. The resources are accompanied by teacher notes, templates (thought balloons, head shapes and story mountains) and a specially designed comic book layout.

To access Beano – how to create a comic, visit: https://tinyurl.com/yx7c37x9

So sit back, put your earphones in, grab an hour to yourself and enjoy Designed for Life in conversation with Mike Sterling (Beano) and Alex Harris (BBC). 

This is part two of a two-part mini-series in which we explore the development of the design and technology curriculum offer at Hethersett Academy in East Anglia. If you have not yet listened to part one, I suggest you go back and listen to this first, as there is something of a sequence. 

In this episode, we follow on from our conversation with Kate Finlay, Head of Department and Trust Curriculum Lead by talking with students, parents, the design and technology staff and the Headteacher.  Through these conversations we gain a full picture of how the curriculum has developed at Hethersett, the value of D&T to all concerned and gain some wonderful insights from students. 

So sit back, relax and listen to Designed for Life - In conversation with the staff, students and parents from Hethersett Academy. 

Huge thanks to all the staff and students at Hethersett for their help and co-operation to make this pod possible, and as always thanks to The Edge Foundation for the continued support that makes these podcasts possible. 

 https://www.hethersettacademy.org/

In the second of our focus podcasts within a specific school, we are delighted to bring you 'Designed for Life' in conversation with Hethersett Academy in East Anglia. 

The intention within these podcasts is to provide listeners with a complete 360 journey around the design and technology department in the school, with interviews and thoughts from students, teachers, parents and senior leaders. From these conversations, you can piece together the value of the subject to the curriculum within these schools. 

This is part one of a two-episode podcast, and here we talk with Kate Finlay, the Curriculum Leader for design and technology for the Inspiration Trust, who run several schools (primary and secondary) in the area. 

In this podcast, you will hear a very open conversation with Kate in which she discusses the steps taken to build a department and how she has built a strong team around a shared vision. She talks about the highs and the challenges that she has had to face and how the vision in place at Hethersett Academy is being shared across other schools both within and outside of the Inspiration Trust. 

So grab the dog and put those earbuds in place, take us with you to the gym, or find a cosy chair and a coffee, sit back and enjoy Designed for Life in conversation with Hethersett Academy. 

https://www.hethersettacademy.org/

In this episode, we are delighted to be joined in conversation by Jenny Body CBE. 

This episode was recorded in front of a live audience at Aerospace Bristol on the morning of our annual awards ceremony on the 13th of October this year. The recording was made almost within touching distance of Concorde, an aircraft that Jenny had the privilege of working on some years ago.

Jenny Body is a British Aerospace engineer and former President (the first ever woman to hold this post) of the  Royal Aeronautical Society. Jenny grew up in rural Gloucestershire; her father was an aerospace engineer, and her mum worked hard to qualify as a dispensing chemist. Growing up, Jenny was naturally good at maths/physics but also developed a passion for English, which still stays with her to this day. 

Told by her headteacher that engineering was "not a suitable career for a young woman", she thankfully ignored this advice and, throughout her career, has worked to demonstrate that gender should be no barrier to progression in her chosen profession. 

Working in the avionics group at British Aerospace, Jenny was part of the team that generated some of the first 'fly by wire' software. She established and led the Next Generation Composite Wing Programme, one of the most extensive and expensive research programmes in the history of British Aerospace. In 2002 Jenny was made engineering lead on the Nimrod wing design team. 

In 2013, Jenny became the first female President of the Royal Aeronautical Society. Whilst she very humbly places this in our conversation, this was hugely significant as not only her gender was in play here, but also her route to this role and the fact that she came from a civilian background and not through the RAF, where many of the previous holders of this post had graduated from.  

Already an OBE. Jenny was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2020 New Year Honours list this in recognition of her services to aerospace engineering.  

This is a fascinating conversation with a groundbreaking engineer as we trace her journey from school to working with government to secure funding and lead a huge engineering team to advance British Aerospace. 

So sit back, grab an hour to yourself and enjoy Designed for Life in conversation with Jenny Body CBE. 

In this episode, I was delighted to be in conversation with Jennifer Campbell, Managing Director of Giles Agency Hong Kong. 

In the pod, we track Jen's journey from rural Berkshire through the discovery that her natural penchant to quickly strike up conversations with people, together with an ability to sell and the tenacity to hang on in there when sales didn't go as planned, could actually become a career. 

A move to a large agency in London (she wasn't aware quite how big a deal this was until friends were surprised that she had secured the position) allowed her to really learn the business of marketing, enhancing her natural abilities and, along the way, having fun doing so. 

A strong desire to somehow be involved in the 2012 London Olympics saw Jen shift jobs and work on the marketing campaign for one of the event's major sponsors. Then came a move abroad with a desire to be closer to family in Australia, seeing Jen move to take up a role in Hong Kong, where she has laid routes and is now MD at The Giles Agency, a role that she has held since October 2018. 

Jen has also teamed up with colleagues to run a business marketing podcast, 'The Disconnected,' available wherever you stream your podcasts (Looking at social and tech trends in marketing). 

If you are interested in digital marketing and want to learn more about the journey from mainstream education into the industry, do give this a listen. 

Thank you to Jen for reaching out and being such a great guest to chat with and, of course, to the Edge Foundation, whose support allows us to keep creating these conversations. 

This podcast was recorded in front of a live audience at The Royal Grammar School, Newcastle. This is the first of a series of live podcasts to come as we take Designed for Life on the road to meet not only our stunning guests but also teachers, students and their parents.

In this podcast, I was fortunate to be in conversation with Charlotte Chapman, CEng. MIMechE. Charlotte is a project manager at Royal IHC. In the pod, we follow Charlotte's journey through school to decide between a love of Engineering and a passion for English Literature. We look at how life's events may sometimes appear to block your way forward, but, with hindsight, sometimes things happen for a reason!

Charlotte designs, tests and commissions some incredible machines designed to lay cabling and infrastructure underwater in some very challenging environments. In the podcast, we discuss how such a complex machine moves through the journey from identification of the initial problem to exploration of this problem and the desired solution, through to initial thoughts, ideas and prototypes, then modelling and building of prototypes until eventual build, testing and commissioning of the final solution.  

Videos of some of the machines that Charlotte has been involved with over the years can be found here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89Tfq6L_wiQ For a more comprehensive picture of the engineering footprint of Royal IHC, see here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_96s0vkYMc&list=PLouhu6zaw0crd6bT7wrGiGkTFIP874oHL

It was an absolute pleasure to hear Charlotte's story and to share it with the students and their parents on the evening. I know you will enjoy it too, so sit back, relax and listen to Designed for Life Live - In conversation with Charlotte  Chapman. 

Thanks to staff, students and their parents at The Royal Grammar School for being such excellent hosts. 

https://www.royalihc.com/

Larry Sullivan is a serial entrepreneur, business founder, angel investor and social philanthropist. In this podcast, we track Larry's journey from humble beginnings growing up in Essex to a sudden awakening to academia in sixth form, leading him to be the first in his family to attend university. 

A chance conversation led him to travel to America during his summer break with BUNAC https://bunac.org an experience that he feels offered as much, or more, to his personal development than his university experience alone. 

This podcast has taught me that entrepreneurship can be taught, and skills can be improved and fine-tuned, but that entrepreneurial spirit is carried within people born to work for themselves and create a new business entity. Larry's first business saw a gap in the market and successfully met a need; this later led to the creation of COINS Global https://www.coins-global.com, a company that Larry led and nurtured for over two decades before recently exiting "in the right manner". 

Larry Sullivan is a successful businessman, no doubt, but what differentiates him is his desire for business to "be a force for good". He views business as an essential tool to help make the world a better place and, over the years, has put his money where his mouth is in this respect and continues to do so. He founded the Coins Foundation in 2006 (now Leolion Foundation) https://www.leolionfoundation.org and, through this, has worked with carefully selected third-sector partners, including Habitat for Humanity https://www.habitat.org and PEAS https://www.peas.org.uk

Several books and links are mentioned in the podcast, including:

• How much land does a man need - Leo Tolstoy 
• Post Corona from crisis to opportunity - Scott Galloway
• Eat the Rich - P.J. O'rourke
• The fortune at the bottom of the Pyramid - C.K Prahlad
• The Bottom Billion - Paul Collier
• Freebird Films - https://www.freebirdfilm.tv/
• Future of capitalism competition - https://www.borntoengineer.com/future-of-capitalism-competition-new-tech-startup-competition

If you want to see the difference Stepping Stones school has made to the lives of young people who attended, please do check out these alumni case studies https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1-rDCXeAPfJe78WV6XFt4Glx93IowIMp&si=cFVMvRaDPgRhSc0R

I have known Larry for years and not only enjoyed recording this podcast but learned from it. I hope and feel you will, too. Let us know what you think!

The joy of this podcast is that through it, we get to talk with designers, engineers and innovators at the very peak of their game and often informed by years or even decades of experience. At the same time, we have spoken with people at the very start of their careers, and are privileged to explore how they are shaping themselves and their careers for the future.

In this episode of Designed for Life, I am privileged to talk with Joshua Bruce, Aeronautical Engineering undergraduate, Mission 44 Youth Advisory board member and founder of the Young Engineers Summit.

There is an often-voiced mantra that, in life, 'we should all strive to be the change that we want to see; this is a shortened version of a quotation from Mahatma Gandhi, shown in full below:

 "We but mirror the world. All the tendencies present in the outer world are to be found in the world of our body. If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. This is the divine mystery supreme. A wonderful thing it is and the source of our happiness. We need not wait to see what others do.”

~ Mahatma Gandhi

Joshua has seen a world that is unfair and uneven in the way that it distributes wealth, knowledge and education and in the way it nurtures and utilises knowledge, and instead of sitting and waiting for others to make the change, he is doing his own bit to change the opportunities presented to young people worldwide.

These podcasts are an absolute privilege and a joy; this one is full of action, hope and belief...please do find an hour to sit back and listen to Joshua's story and if you can help him, either with funding for the next stage of the Young Engineers Summit, or otherwise, please do reach out, either through the contacts below or contact me at the Association at DesignedforLife@designtechnology.org.uk

Instagram: https://instagram.com/joshuabruce__?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuabruce/

https://myjoyonline.com/young-engineers-summit-harnessing-transformative-power-of-stem-to-change-lives/ - Young Engineers Summit Article

In this episode, we are delighted to converse with Design education specialist, advisor, teacher and CLEAPSS consultant Trudi Barrow.

It seems like a strange statement, but we rarely have a design and technology teacher and leader on the podcast, so in this episode, we follow Trudi's journey into teaching but then spend a good part of the conversation talking about the subject, its challenges and where it may be heading to.  I have to say it was a pleasure to hold this discussion with someone passionate about the value of design and technology education and what it can offer young people.

Trudi has recently taken on a role leading for CLEAPSS within design and technology, and many people will have seen her online journey as she has deep-dived into the use of AI and where this can be utilised within design education.

I really enjoyed this conversation, and I think you will too, so get those earphones in and enjoy Designed for Life in conversation with Trudi Barrow.

Trudi's website: www.trudibarrow.com

Futureminds Home Page: https://sites.google.com/view/cleapss-futureminds/home  

https://www.cleapss.org.uk

Ben Edmonds is a designer, inventor, entrepreneur, engineer and self-confessed 'tinkerer'. In this episode, we follow Ben from school where aged twelve and asked what he wanted to do when he grew up; he answered, "I want to be a lead designer for Dyson".  Almost twenty years later, that's exactly what he did,  becoming a Principal Designer at Dyson.

But Ben's story is oh so much bigger than that. He has sold or donated almost every possession he owned twice as he upped sticks to start life elsewhere in the world. Left one job four times...yes, four times. And we talk as he prepares to set out on a new and exciting adventure.

So grab some time to yourself (this is a little longer than some pods but there was just too much that was good to cut the conversation any further), and enjoy Designed for Life - In conversation with Ben Edmonds.

A statement from Ben:

"I've spent a lifetime creating, making, building, testing and iterating anything and everything. Having gone through the whole school system and seen my own children in schools, I know that students don't need any more time focussed on following instructions. Working with a friend of mine with a decade of teaching experience, it's our belief that we should be helping children to SOLVE PROBLEMS, and that's what Inventor Club is all about. It could be as simple as moving unknown boxes up a step or solving the world's energy crisis. Either way, we want to encourage teachers, students and parents to think creatively and have a license to fail in order to ultimately solve problems and create new, exciting solutions.

Our mission is to create as many innovators & inventors as possible. That starts with good quality D&T lessons, where it is OK to experiment and where the prototypes and the journey are just as important as the outcomes. Lessons where every student creates their own solution and not just the same product. 

We understand that teachers are extremely time-poor, and that’s where we come in. We can provide schools with high-quality and well-thought-out challenges that allow for creativity and encourage multiple solutions to solve the same problem. 

 We’re launching a new website purely for Inventor Club where all our challenges, resources and newly created schemes of work will be made available. Please also follow us as we document all of our innovations and journey on our social pages. 

www.innovationben.com 

www.inventorclub.co.uk

www.Facebook.com/InnovationBenPage

www.Instagram.com/InnovationBen

Regards

Ben

In this episode of Designed for Life, we speak with Ifeoma Noelin Okolie. Ify is a Chartered, FSEng (SIS) Certified, Product Safety Manager, Choral Singer, Poet & Abstract Photographer. 

Ify has 13 years experience delivering innovative state-of-the-art safety engineering solutions across a variety of safety-critical industries, where she has held various leadership positions. 

She devotes her time in and outside the workplace to sharing lessons learnt from her ‘Triple Minority Career’ as a Black, Female and Artistic Professional in Engineering and tech and de-bunking gender-career biases. Ify lends her voice to EDI and STEM campaigns by raising awareness of the importance of role models, adequate representation at all levels of leadership and the role of a diverse workforce in achieving the trifectas of high performance, market dominance and business longevity. 

She is a Keynote Speaker, Foundation Governor, REACH Employee Network Chair and UN Women UK Delegate (CSW).

I thoroughly enjoyed this conversation and I think you will too, so take an hour for yourself, pour a tea/coffee, find a quiet space and a cosy chair and enjoy Designed for Life, in conversation with Ify Okolie. 

PS. Look out for a very special input from Ify towards the end of the pod. I'll say no more...

In this latest episode of Designed for Life, you get to meet the Young V&A’s first designer in ‘The Shed’, Clara Chu. 

The Young V&A opened its doors on Saturday, 1 July 2023. Young V&A is a powerhouse of creativity for the young, from infants to early teens. It is a national museum dedicated to children and young people, a place to imagine, play, create, debate and design for tomorrow.

Clara is the first designer placed within the Young V&A for a six-month term. Clara is a London-based multidisciplinary artist and designer. She creates work that re-
imagines everyday, mundane objects in our domestic world, mixing mass production with the handcrafted. 

Visionary and colourful pop accessories challenge what we wear on our bodies, not only textiles but everyday household objects we take for granted, such as a mop, a kettle and a toothbrush. Clara’s exploration of up-cycling questions the prominence of fast-moving consumer goods, blurring boundaries between ‘high’ and ‘low’ forms of culture through humorous transformations. Her practice helps change the perception around waste in the form of fashion accessories, workshops and installations.

In this podcast, we explore how Clara has reached this point in her career,  what this six-month placement means to her, and what she hopes to offer to the young people who will get the opportunity to observe a designer in action and work with her through a series of planned workshops. 

Please check online for dates she will be open to the public for workshops, demonstrations or show and tell. 

https://www.vam.ac.uk/event/PD4qJqOWoO/yva-meet-the-designer-in-the-shed

Visit the Young V&A Cambridge Heath Road, Bethnal Green, London, E2 9PA.

In this latest podcast, we are in conversation with Alex Knight, award-winning founder and CEO of the amazing STEMazing initiative. The best way to introduce you to STEMazing's mission and work is to take this quote directly from their website:

In the podcast, we track Alex's journey from school to a successful career as an engineering consultant.  We explore the passion to make a difference that drove Alex to leave her role and follow her heart to set up STEMazing.

This is an episode that you will not want to miss. Alex is making a real difference to the perception and reality of women engineers nationally and has aspirations to grow this impact on an international stage.

So get those earbuds in and listen to Designed for Life in conversation with Alexandra Knight CEng, FIMechE,  FWES.

Some information about STEMazing and the Inspiration Academy:

Look out for the launch of our Autumn/Winter round of the 2023 award-winning Inspiration Academy programme, which will run from September until December this year.  |  | The STEMAZING Inspiration Academy supports women in STEM to shine as visible role models and inspires young people through fun, interactive online STEM sessions.  The women in STEM participants take part in training and workshops to build their public engagement skills and confidence on camera, plus their STEM delivery toolbox. These newly empowered role models then deliver a 6-week programme of LIVE online STEM sessions designed to engage children aged 7 - 9 years old.

Schools benefit from this FREE programme by taking part in hands-on simple STEM activities and experiments to promote children's curiosity, creativity and courage led by a woman in STEM role model. Thanks to our Partners, we can deliver this programme free of charge to down-selected women and schools. 

Doors will be open for registration on 3rd July. If you are considering signing up for the programme, or you are interested in Partnering with us to support our work whilst directly benefitting your female talent and your community, CLICK HERE for more information and to register your interest! 


 

This is the second part of a two-part series of podcasts, and the first of its kind recorded live in a school. We are excited to be able to bring you what we plan will be a series of spotlight sessions focused on D&T departments nationally. If you have stumbled across this episode without listening to Part One of the mini-series, I politely suggest you go back, as sequencing is quite essential. 

Baysgarth School is a Co-educational secondary school located in Barton-on-Humber, North Lincolnshire. The school was formed in 1975 by merging Barton Grammar School and Beretun Secondary Modern School. The school moved into new buildings within the last seven years.

Ofsted visited the school in January this year, and the school comfortably retained its rating of 'Good'. The school runs a unique curriculum offer with KS3 covered within years seven and eight, freeing up time for their 'Gateway' curriculum within year nine; this curriculum concentrates on four key areas of student development, these being:

• Achievement - Providing an academic foundation for KS4  study and freeing up time to allow students and their teachers to explore the richness and depth of learning that encourages deeper engagement and cross-curricular work. 
• Preparation for the future - Looking beyond examinations to how their education can help to prepare students for life. 
• Family and Community Engagement - Providing time for visits, cross-curricular work, and promoting community engagement. 
• Intent - Allowing students to change their GCSE option without the stress of having to 'catch up'. Develop a range of employability skills and connect what they do in school to the skillsets and attributes that will prepare students successfully for life.  

In this second part of a two-part mini-series, we meet several year nine and ten students who tell us what they think of the offer within D&T/Engineering and how this has positively affected them. We meet with the Employability Mentor to discuss how students at Baysgarth are prepared for life after school, including higher education and work. Meet with the Headteacher, Richard Briggs, to hear how he,  his senior team, governors and staff have balanced a desire to do what is right for their students with pressures from outside to conform. Finally, we meet parents to hear how the D&T/Engineering offer at Baysgarth has positively impacted their son/daughter's experience of school. 

I don't mind saying we are pretty proud of this podcast's 360 overview of a school's curriculum. We have more planned but would love to know what you think. Please feedback to DesignedforLife @designtechnology.org.uk.

I want to thank all the staff involved at Baysgarth School for their complete cooperation on this project that allowed us to produce this podcast mini-series. 
So sit back, give yourself an hour of reflection and listen to Designed for Life - In conversation with Baysgarth School. 

https://baysgarthschool.co.uk/
https://www.greenpower.co.uk/

This is the first in a two-part series of podcasts and the first recorded live in a school. We are excited to be able to bring you what we plan will be the first in a series of spotlight sessions focused on D&T departments nationally. 

Baysgarth School is a Co-educational secondary school located in Barton-on-Humber, North Lincolnshire. The school was formed in 1975 through the merger of Barton Grammar School and Beretun Secondary Modern School. The school moved into new buildings within the last seven years.

Ofsted visited the school in January this year, and the school comfortably retained its rating of 'Good'. The school runs a unique curriculum offer with KS3 covered within years seven and eight, freeing up time for their 'Gateway' curriculum within year nine; this curriculum concentrates on four key areas of student development, these being:

• Achievement - Providing an academic foundation for KS4  study and freeing up time to allow students and their teachers to explore the richness and depth of learning that encourages deeper engagement and cross-curricular work. 
• Preparation for the future - Looking beyond examinations to how their education can help to prepare students for life. 
• Family and Community Engagement - Providing time for visits, cross-curricular work, and promoting community engagement. 
• Intent - Allowing students to change their GCSE option without the stress of having to 'catch up'. Develop a range of employability skills and connect what they do in school to the skillsets and attributes that will prepare students successfully for life.  

In this first of two podcasts, we talk with Ben Wilson (HoD) and Andrew Browne about how they have shaped and changed the D&T curriculum at Baysgarth, their vision for the department and its students and how their positivity and drive have been essential in getting the department to this point. We also look ahead to their future plans and desire for Baysgarth to be the centre for all STEM-related activity in the Humber region.

In part two of this mini-series (to be released next week), we will take inputs from all major stakeholders to the department, including students, the Headteacher, the head of careers engagement and parents.

So sit back, plug your earbuds in and listen to Designed for Life in conversation with Ben and Andy, departmental leaders at Baysgarth School, Barton on Humber.

https://baysgarthschool.co.uk/
https://www.greenpower.co.uk/

Please note: this is the first of a learning journey for me as the podcast lead. Please excuse us if the sound quality of this podcast dips beyond our and your expectation in parts - it will not happen again!

In this episode, we follow Gill's journey from church school, where her dad was the local vicar and knew 'everyone', through to training as a structural engineer, a job that Gill loved and thought she would work in for the rest of her working life. 

As a young graduate engineer with a degree in applied geology and engineering, Gill took the first tentative steps into the adult world, testing, monitoring and evaluating the structural integrity of concrete structures and piled foundations. This job took her around the world, and she was involved in many prestigious projects, including the Queen Elizabeth II bridge, Canary Wharf, Trinity College Dublin and, of not to be left out, Congleton sewage treatment works. 

With parenthood, Gill realised she was no longer going to be able to travel with work and wanted to find a career that would allow her to settle and raise her family. Sadly, these were different times, and engineering was not seen as a viable option.  

Engineerings loss was teachings gain as Gill trained into primary education, a journey that she initially found less than easy. After spending her first stint of teaching "pretending she knew what she was doing",  she jumped out of the role of primary practitioner and into the shoes of a school sports coordinator, working not only in the primary sector but in secondary and tertiary as an advisor and event coordinator. Travel was once again back on the agenda, meeting famous sportspeople and working across schools. 

Gill is now Assistant Head at Beech Hill School and, in this role spins many plates, one being the school's coordinator of STEM education.  Gill has been a participant and regional leader on Manchester University's  SEERHI and the Progressing and Evolving to be an engineer project for many years. Gill views STEM education and design and technology specifically as a way to energise and transform student expectations and self-worth. 

Gill received national recognition from D&TA as Practitioner of the Year in 2021 and also won TES Subject Leader of the Year in 2022. 

So sit back, relax and listen to Designed for Life, in conversation with award-winning Assistant Headteacher Gill Fitzpatrick. 

https://www.seerih.manchester.ac.uk/
https://www.beechhillwigan.co.uk/
https://www.nfuonline.com/media/strpgvph/inspiring-stem-learning-through-agriculture.pdf

Magway is a values-driven startup technology business situated in Wembley, North West London. Started in 2017, their staged vision is to take cargo off our roads and instead run the bulk of this cargo emissions-free on magnetic motor-driven 'trains' either set above or below ground.  They are working to drive an electrical revolution, unlock new economies and connect cities, towns and communities like never before.

Cecile Searle took over as CEO in 2022, convinced by the founders that she "was already effectively doing the job anyway".  In this podcast, we follow her journey from a degree in civil engineering through a career which has focused on delivering airport and rail strategic systems projects. 

We also take the opportunity to explore the values that drive you as a company CEO and the concept of "leading with kindness", one that Cecile believes in deeply as she seeks to lead with both heart and head. This is a deeply insightful conversation with a sector leader seeking to quietly lead her way, as Magway look to fulfil their ambition to "look back and tell our grandchildren "we did that".

So grab a coffee, take the dog for a walk or take us to the gym and listen to Designed for Life in conversation with Cecile Searle. 

https://www.magway.com/

The Design and Technology Association is indebted to the Edge Foundation for their continued sponsorship of the Designed for Life series of podcasts. Without their support, this venture simply would not be possible. 

https://www.edge.co.uk/

This is the third and final episode in our short mini-series on Teachers in Residence, the initiative within the Design and Technology Association that places teachers in business and industry placements, within which they gain a detailed perspective of the company, learn more about the sector that the business works within, thus allowing them to return to school empowered with this experience and with a knowledge base that enables them to answer that question "Miss/Sir, what's it like to work in..."  

This episode sees us catch up with Stephanie Tomlinson, Assistant Head of Technology at Queen Elizabeth's School, Barnet, a boy's grammar school founded in 1573 with an incredibly forward-looking and vibrant design and technology department. Stephanie recently undertook a TiR placement at Bulletproof Design at their London studio. 

Bulletproof has been a Blueprint 1000 (www.blueprint1000.org.uk) member almost from the very start of this initiative and was one of the founding partners for Teachers in Residence. Over the last three years, Bulletproof has hosted three teachers at its Covent Garden, London studio. In this episode, we explore what the agency saw for them in this initiative, how this has developed over time, and just how much time Bulletproof staff spend making the teacher's placement not only worthwhile but transformational. 

I want to take the opportunity to thank Bulletproof for the vision and energy that they have brought to this initiative, described by one teacher as "the best professional development I have ever received". 

So pull up a comfy chair, pour yourself a luxurious cup of coffee, sit back for the next thirty minutes and enjoy Designed for Life in conversation with Stephanie Tomlinson. 

https://www.wearebulletproof.com
https://www.designtechnology.org.uk/for-partners/blueprint-1000/teachers-in-residence/
https://www.qebarnet.co.uk/

The Design and Technology Association is indebted to the Institute of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) for supporting the Teachers in Residence initiative. 

This is the second of three in our short mini-series on Teachers in Residence, the initiative within the Design and Technology Association that places teachers in business and industry placements, within which they gain a detailed perspective of the company, learn more about the sector that the business works within, thus allowing them to return to school empowered with this experience and with a knowledge base that enables them to answer that question "Miss/Sir, what's it like to work in...).  

This episode sees us catch up with Debbie Inman, talent partner at Bulletproof design agency, a large international design agency with offices internationally. 

Bulletproof has been a Blueprint 1000 (www.blueprint1000.org.uk) member almost from the very start of this initiative and was one of the founding partners for Teachers in Residence. Over the last three years, Bulletproof has hosted three teachers at its Covent Garden, London studio. In this episode, we explore what the agency saw for them in this initiative, how this has developed over time, and just how much time Bulletproof staff spend making the teacher's placement not only worthwhile but transformational. 

I want to take the opportunity to thank Bulletproof for the vision and energy that they have brought to this initiative, described by one teacher as "the best professional development I have ever received". 

So pull up a comfy chair, pour yourself a luxurious cup of coffee, and sit back for the next thirty-six minutes and enjoy Designed for Life in conversation with Debbie Inman.  

https://www.wearebulletproof.com
https://www.designtechnology.org.uk/for-partners/blueprint-1000/teachers-in-residence/

The Design and Technology Association is indebted to the Institute of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) for supporting the Teachers in Residence initiative. 

In this episode, we are delighted to talk with Dawn Foxall and Roy Ballam about the recently released paper commissioned by the Textiles Skills Centre, 'Unravelling the Fabric of Textiles Education'.  

As we seek to move the subject forward, building from the bottom up being our approach at the Association, we need to carefully look at where textiles fits into primary and secondary education. Our view is that we want to keep textile education within design and technology, a position that is perhaps challenged by the large number of textile teachers who are now delivering examinations within art and design in secondary education. 

We were, therefore, somewhat relieved and delighted that this report strongly indicates that textile teachers have moved predominantly for the assessment methodology adopted through art & design and a strong desire to "teach to their expertise" at KS4 and KS5. A large majority have stated in this report that they would come back to design and technology if the examination requirements were adapted to allow them to do this within the subject; this giving us a clear steer as we seek to start the process of reform. 

We drop the normal format of the podcast and dive straight into the report on this episode; there is so much that demands discussion. Thanks to Dawn and to Roy for giving up their time to talk with me. You can download the report from the TSC: https://www.textilesskillscentre.com/

As always, huge thanks to the Edge Foundation for their continued support of this podcast. 

Around three years ago, the Design and Technology Association recognised a problem which many teachers expressed. Many D&T teachers had entered the profession through the traditional route, school-university-school and as such had no experience of working in business or industry that could inform their teaching. 

We tried a few trials with teacher placements into industry. We instantly saw that there was gold dust within this work as both the teacher and the industry host came back with glowing accounts of what they gained from the placement, and so Teachers in Residence was born. 

This short mini-series of podcasts will explore the Teachers in Residence initiative from the perspective of both teacher and placement host, starting with Mario de Freitas, D&T teacher at St.Birinus Boys School in Oxfordshire, who recently undertook a three-day TiR placement at Bulletproof Design https://www.wearebulletproof.com in Covent Garden, London. 

Mario tells us why this initiative appealed to him, what he gained professionally and personally from the experience and, perhaps most importantly, how this has changed and helped to shape his professional practice at St.Birinus. 

So please sit back, relax and enjoy the first in our Teachers in Residence mini-series with Mario de Freitas. 

https://www.st-birinus-school.org.uk
https://www.wearebulletproof.com
https://www.designtechnology.org.uk/for-partners/blueprint-1000/teachers-in-residence/

The Design and Technology Association is indebted to the Institute of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) for supporting the Teachers in Residence initiative. 

In this episode, we are delighted to be in conversation with Nick Grey, founder and Managing Director of Grey Technologies, better known to most of us as GTech. 

GTech manufactures cordless tools, with the range running from vacuum cleaners through to garden tools and equipment. In this podcast we follow Nick's journey from his earliest years and what sounds like a few idyllic years when his father's work brought Nick and his six siblings to Ireland, through a problematic secondary education and then a range of jobs that eventually led to a technicians role at vacuum manufacturer Vax.  

At Vax, Nick found that his natural tendency towards being inquisitive and curious was encouraged and applauded where school had discouraged this. He flourished in this creative environment and, over several years, he moved from technician to Senior Engineer managing their innovation and design department.   

All this time, Nick was growing in confidence in his abilities and working out how he could set up as a design engineer and manufacturer in his own right. In 2001 supported by two friends who still work with him at GTech today, Nick branched out into his garage, and GTech was born.

This interview follows an engineering mind as Nick developed in business and, from that garage in Worcestershire, has built a business that turned over more than £65 Million in 2019/20 with a Pre-Tax profit of £12.6 Million. 

GTech was announced earlier this season as the stadium sponsor for Premier League club Brentford FC in a ten-year deal. In this conversation, we explore why Nick was drawn to this deal specifically and what his plans are as the stadium sponsor for the foreseeable future. 

This was an enlightening conversation with a designer, innovator and surprisingly chilled founder/owner with insights into setting up, building and expanding a successful design and manufacturing company. 

So grab a coffee, take the dog for a walk or take us to the gym and listen to Designed for Life in conversation with Nick Grey. 

https://www.gtech.co.uk/about-gtech
https://www.brentfordfc.com/en/news/article/gtech-announced-as-stadium-naming-rights-partner
 

In this episode, we are delighted to be joined by Dr Lynne Bianchi. Lynne is Vice Dean for Social Responsibility, Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility, Director of the Science & Engineering Education Research and Innovation Hub & Senior Lecturer at Manchester University. 

A staunch advocate of STEM and vocational education, we track Lynne's journey from her school days, which did not pass without challenge, to her current role at Manchester University and how this came to her through a slightly unorthodox process. We also dig deep into the outreach work Lynne is leading across a range of sectors and how a deep passion for students to have full access to opportunity irrespective of gender, social and ethnic backgrounds drives her to this day.

I really enjoyed this rich and broad conversation, and I believe you will too. So sit back, put your earplugs in, pour the coffee and enjoy Designed for Life in conversation with Dr Lynne Bianchi. 

Lynne wishes to thank all the organisations and supporters that have collaborated with her over the years and the teams that have committed time and energy to STEM projects over this time. 

Links: 

www.seerih.manchester.ac.uk

SEERIH  is a nationally recognised centre of science and engineering education. We develop and engage teachers in innovative, research-informed continuous professional development programmes to ensure high-quality learning outcomes for young people.

www.engineeringeducates.org

The Engineering Educates Farmvention Challenge involves three different pathways tailored to inspire 7-14-year-olds to think as engineers in the context of British farming. Each includes sequences of five curriculum-linked sessions. Learners apply maths, science, design technology and computing skills and knowledge through the context of farming and agricultural engineering. Sponsored by the National Farmers' Union

www.greatscienceshare.org

An annual campaign to inspire 5-14-year-olds to ask, investigate and share their scientific questions with new audiences. An award-winning campaign to raise the profile of science in schools and their communities, encouraging young people to be inspired into science and engineering. An inclusive, non-competitive and collaborative experience for all.

Twin brothers Richard and Antony Joseph are founders and owners of one of the world's most iconic and innovative kitchenware brands. 

In this podcast, we are fortunate to be in conversation with Richard Joseph, who takes us through his journey from school, where design and technology played a key role in setting his future direction as a designer, through the early days of Joseph Joseph selling glass chopping boards made from a raw material donation from their father's factory. Through to today and running a successful and innovative design business with over two-hundred mission-driven staff across continents. 

This conversation provides an amazing insight into the development and carefully planned growth of a design business, a business where 'form follows function' is something of a mantra, and why Joseph Joseph endeavour to take often complex designs just that little bit further in development than their competitors in order to fulfil this design promise to their customers.   

It also provides insight into how a successful business can be managed and led by twin brothers by splitting tasks and responsibilities but keeping design at the epicentre of every decision taken. 

Finally, we get an insight into the future of Joseph Joseph as Richard describes his passion for the company's products to use research and mission prioritisation to help solve some of the sustainability issues created by a capitalist and sales-led society. 

This was a great conversation to start 2023, I thoroughly enjoyed the conversation, and I know you will too.  

This podcast has been recorded with the help of our sponsors, The Edge Foundation https://www.edge.co.uk/ inspiring the education system to give all young people across the UK the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need to flourish in their future life and work and PTC Onshape Providing industry-standard cloud-based CAD to education  https://www.ptc.com/en/news/2020/ptc-onshape-education-enterprise-plan-available-free-of-charge.
 
We are indebted to The Edge and PTC Onshape for their continued support.

References within this podcast:

https://www.josephjoseph.com/

It's that time of year again when we track back over the nineteen podcasts released so far this year (with more still to come before 2023) and pick out some of the best bits to string together into an end-of-year compilation.

This is always a difficult task, but this year it has proved to be even more so, with some amazing guests providing brilliant thought pieces within the pods. That said, I had to pick some favourite clips out, and this podcast takes you back through the year, starting in February 2022 and finishing with a clip from just a few weeks ago.

In the podcast, you will hear from Industrial Designer Jonathan Robin, talking first about the difficulty of that middle stage of any design project, which can feel like wading through treacle until you can see the light on the other side, and then discussing the 'theatre' of some designs and why keeping it simple is more likely to produce a classic design of note that will stand the test of time.

George Cave (interaction magic) speaks of how D&T A Level set him on a path to where he is today and discusses the importance of empathy and emotion in design. " "Never mind how it looks for a moment; how does it make you feel?"

Jamie Robinson (Mashoom) asks why we ask teenagers, "what are they going to do with their life" and the importance of solid foundations that you can build on later.

Matthew Cockerill explains what lies "left of brief" and why it is so important to carefully consider this before driving on with possible solutions to an identified problem. And then discusses how Design can be a significant part of the solution to many of the environmental issues that the earth currently faces.

Professor Ian Green MBE discusses why it is important for business and industry to work closely with education if we are to have any chance of improving diversity figures and making a career in engineering/manufacturing attractive to as wide a talent pool as possible.

Carra Santos MSc talks of the importance of creativity within education as we seek to prepare young people to take their place in a challenging, troubled and fast-changing world.

And we end with a gem of a quotation from the podcast with Will Butler-Adams, CBE Chief Executive Officer at Brompton Bicycle Ltd.

I would like to thank all the above and all guests of Designed for Life across 2022 for their expert input and for making themselves available to chat on the podcast; you are all amazing!

Finally, I would like to thank all listeners for your support over the year. Together with our sponsors, The Edge Foundation and PTC Onshape, we have even more ambitious plans for 2023! Until then, please do take care. 

Welcome into 2023, and on behalf of everyone at the D&T Association, I would like to wish you all a happy, healthy and peaceful new year!

The First episode of 2023 and the first in season three welcomes Matt Hewison as our guest. Matt is the Co-founding Director of Cyberwhite, a disruptive provider of security services and risk mitigation technologies based in the North East but working with SMEs and larger organisations across the UK.

This is the first time that Designed for Life has explored the world of cyber security as we seek to explore the range of possible careers that could emanate from a design and technology education. Matt talks us through his journey through an education that failed to deliver in many ways to an accidental path into the IT industry, initially in sales but later specialising in cyber technologies and business ownership.

This podcast provides a look into a field that most of us are more than aware of but know very little about while at the same time covering the journey to self-employment and entrepreneurship, not for the first time on this podcast described as "an itch that I felt compelled to scratch".

At the end of this pod, we track back to a podcast released at the end of last year featuring Lynne Elvins and the Werkhouse activity that was just about to break when we released the podcast back in November. Now, post-event, we can reveal the brief presented to students, and Lynne joins us again to talk us through the weekend's events. (Please note we had a few technical issues with Lynne's recording, please excuse us if the sound quality is not up to usual standards).

This podcast has been recorded with the help of our sponsors, The Edge Foundation https://www.edge.co.uk/ inspiring the education system to give all young people across the UK the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need to flourish in their future life and work and PTC Onshape Providing industry-standard cloud-based CAD to education  https://www.ptc.com/en/news/2020/ptc-onshape-education-enterprise-plan-available-free-of-charge.
 
We are indebted to The Edge and PTC Onshape for their continued support.

References within this podcast:

Cyberwhite - https://www.cyberwhite.co.uk/
Werkhouse - https://www.werkhouse.co.uk/

If you are intrigued by the art of leadership, especially how to lead an organisation through a period of profound change successfully, then you will love this podcast. 

If you are fascinated by the sheer art and skill required to manufacture anything that is high in quality and is designed and built to last, then you will love this podcast.

If you find yourself conflicted between a societal push to consume more goods (requiring more 'stuff' to be manufactured) and the desire held by an increasing number of companies who are 'value led' and want to do the right thing, not only for the bottom line but also for the environment, then you will love this podcast. 

And finally, if you own a Brompton bike, or have ever considered owning this iconic means of transportation, then you will love this podcast. 

In this conversation, Will Butler-Adams, CEO of Brompton Bicycles Ltd., takes us on his journey from school, through a near-death experience in the Amazon and how this changed his outlook on life, to a chance meeting on a bus within which he was encouraged to come and take a look at how we make 'the Brommie'. 

The rest is history, as Will has led the company from handcrafting around 5,000 bikes per year to its current manufacturing capacity of over 90,000 and sales worldwide. This is a fascinating tale of picking up the design of an engineering genius (Andrew Ritchie MBE- founder and inventor of the Brompton) and plotting growth and development that has made the Brompton a British manufacturing success story. 

We recorded too much good material to lose in the edit but equally too much to cram into one podcast. So welcome to part two of this interview; part one was released earlier this week.

So grab a coffee, pull up a comfy chair, put us in your ears as you travel to work, work out in the gym or walk the dog, and enjoy Designed for Life - in conversation with Will Butler Adams OBE. 

This podcast has been recorded with the help of our sponsors, The Edge Foundation https://www.edge.co.uk/ inspiring the education system to give all young people across the UK the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need to flourish in their future life and work and PTC Onshape Providing industry-standard cloud-based CAD to education  https://www.ptc.com/en/news/2020/ptc-onshape-education-enterprise-plan-available-free-of-charge.
 
We are indebted to The Edge and PTC Onshape for their continued support.

Read the book we refer to in this podcast, 'The Brompton, Engineering for Change' By Will Butler- Adams and Dan Davies. 
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Brompton-Engineering-Change-Will-Butler-Adams/dp/1788168305/ref=sr_1_3?crid=GUMDGEIQW4JM&keywords=the+brompton&qid=1669723543&sprefix=the+brompton%2Caps%2C64&sr=8-3

If you are intrigued by the art of leadership, especially how to lead an organisation through a period of profound change successfully, then you will love this podcast. 

If you are fascinated by the sheer art and skill required to manufacture anything that is high in quality and is designed and built to last, then you will love this podcast.

If you find yourself conflicted between a societal push to consume more goods (requiring more 'stuff' to be manufactured) and the desire held by an increasing number of companies who are 'value led' and want to do the right thing, not only for the bottom line but also for the environment, then you will love this podcast. 

And finally, if you own a Brompton bike, or have ever considered owning this iconic means of transportation, then you will love this podcast. 

In this conversation, Will Butler-Adams, CEO of Brompton Bicycles Ltd., takes us on his journey from school, through a near-death experience in the Amazon and how this changed his outlook on life, to a chance meeting on a bus within which he was encouraged to come and take a look at how we make 'the Brommie'. 

The rest is history, as Will has led the company from handcrafting around 5,000 bikes per year to its current manufacturing capacity of over 90,000 and sales worldwide. This is a fascinating tale of picking up the design of an engineering genius (Andrew Ritchie MBE- founder and inventor of the Brompton) and plotting growth and development that has made the Brompton a British manufacturing success story. 

We recorded too much good material to lose in the edit but equally too much to cram into one podcast. So welcome to part one of this interview; part two will follow towards the end of this week. 

So grab a coffee, pull up a comfy chair, put us in your ears as you travel to work, work out in the gym or walk the dog, and enjoy Designed for Life - in conversation with Will Butler Adams OBE. 

This podcast has been recorded with the help of our sponsors, The Edge Foundation https://www.edge.co.uk/ inspiring the education system to give all young people across the UK the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need to flourish in their future life and work and PTC Onshape Providing industry-standard cloud-based CAD to education  https://www.ptc.com/en/news/2020/ptc-onshape-education-enterprise-plan-available-free-of-charge.
 
We are indebted to The Edge and PTC Onshape for their continued support.

Read the book we refer to in this podcast, 'The Brompton, Engineering for Change' By Will Butler- Adams and Dan Davies. 
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Brompton-Engineering-Change-Will-Butler-Adams/dp/1788168305/ref=sr_1_3?crid=GUMDGEIQW4JM&keywords=the+brompton&qid=1669723543&sprefix=the+brompton%2Caps%2C64&sr=8-3

Six years ago, Lynne Elvins and some of her designer friends and colleagues were discussing life, work and, specifically, the challenges of onboarding juniors into their business.  All agreed that some amazing young people were looking to enter the profession. Equally, all agreed that young people were, more often than not, not fully prepared for studio life when they entered employment; they brought energy, enthusiasm and often subject knowledge and skills but had minimal experience of putting all of this from theory into action. 
 
 This conversation was different because this small group of professionals didn't just moan and then go back to the day job; instead, they decided to act, and Werkhouse was born. https://www.werkhouse.co.uk
 
 Werkhouse provides a live studio experience for thirty young people currently held at Taxi studio in Bristol. Nine South West studios pool their own money to provide food and refreshments over the weekend as they work alongside young people to tackle a live brief provided by a national or local charity. The young people work on the brief over the weekend and then present their solutions to the client on Sunday. Many of these young people then go on to successfully take roles within the industry. 
 
 In this podcast, we talk to Lynne about her career and current role and discuss Werkhouse in some depth. This year's programme runs on the 19th and 20th of November, and without revealing the brief (which is a highly guarded secret until the first day), we discuss the experience that the selected young people will experience. 
 
 This podcast has been recorded with the help of our sponsors, The Edge Foundation https://www.edge.co.uk/ inspiring the education system to give all young people across the UK the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need to flourish in their future life and work and PTC Onshape Providing industry-standard cloud-based CAD to education  https://www.ptc.com/en/news/2020/ptc-onshape-education-enterprise-plan-available-free-of-charge.
 
 We are indebted to The Edge and PTC Onshape for their continued support. 

https://www.werkhouse.co.uk/
https://www.ted.com/talks/lynne_elvins_the_myths_of_gay_adoption?language=en

In this episode, we are delighted to be in conversation with architect, entrepreneur and co-founder of PrintLab, a 3D printing business focused on providing hardware and curriculum content to educators within the UK and indeed worldwide. https://weareprintlab.com/

This is a podcast that we have been chasing for a while now. PrintLabs curriculum content and resources are exceptional, and we have seen so many schools excited about what a well-constructed CAD/Manufacturing curriculum can do for their students. 

As always, we follow Jason from school as he transitioned to the architect he always thought he would be. Sometimes that final destination pays well and ticks many boxes for a 'creative career for life' but doesn't quite excite you and make you want more. Passion for what you do is such an important part of working life.

Jason turned his back on architecture as a career and instead moved into a field he knew very little about in 3D design and printing. A couple of years later and circumstance threw up the opportunity to co-found his own business; this felt like a natural progression and PrintLab was born. 

We discuss the challenges faced and the progress of PrintLab and how you head up a fast-growing company when you are a self-confessed introvert who hates being centre stage. 

I loved this conversation, and I think you will too. 

This podcast has been recorded with the help of our sponsors, The Edge Foundation https://www.edge.co.uk/ inspiring the education system to give all young people across the UK the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need to flourish in their future life and work, and PTC Onshape Providing industry-standard cloud-based CAD to education  https://www.ptc.com/en/news/2020/ptc-onshape-education-enterprise-plan-available-free-of-charge.

We are indebted to The Edge and PTC Onshape for their continued support. 

In this conversation, we follow Gordon Fraser, Co-founder of the Marloe Watch Company, on his journey from a difficult school experience to co-founding a successful British-designed watch company.  

With his Co-founder Oliver, whom he met online, the two founded The Marloe Watch Company and produced their first two watches without meeting (and living in two different countries). As the company grew, Oliver was the first to 'give up the day job' and concentrate 100% on the success of their venture, followed closely by Gordon. 

Gordon discusses the importance of understanding user requirements while designing a watch that you, as the designer, would be proud to wear. We also discuss the importance of storytelling in design and how we are all seeking to buy and wear objects that help define our tastes and unique persona. 

You don't have to be a watch lover to love this conversation (although I have to confess that I am). Gordon's passion for what he loves to do shines through as we discuss the highs and lows of owning your own design business. 

Gordon uses a phrase that is worth exploring on its own: his growing "intolerance to imperfection," especially when design translates to manufacturing. Process and 'value engineering' push you as a designer to one compromise too many. 

So grab an hour to yourself. Take the dog for a walk, place us in your ears for your gym workout or just grab a coffee and listen to Designed for Life - in conversation with Gordon Fraser. 

https://www.marloewatchcompany.com/
And if you want to fall down the rabbit hole we discussed on the pod (and I would recommend it) follow this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FhTu3aGM60&list=PLB00JHoTw1TeX82Qw8hoFLRJI89Us_jMw

This episode of Designed for Life was recorded live at the V&A London as part of the London Design Festival 2022. 

Yewande Akinola is one of the foremost design engineers in the UK today. Born and raised in Western Nigeria, she describes her interest in the built environment and bridges from an early age, intrigued by the beauty and structure of buildings around her. 

Her father was a Government Minister in Nigeria. He sadly passed when Yewande was very young, and her mother took over the task of ensuring that her children received the best education possible; this required grit, tenacity and hard work as money was tight and private education was the only way to chase the dream realistically. 

At 17, Yewande moved to the UK and Warwick University to start her journey into design and engineering. On graduation, she took up a post as a mechanical engineer for Thames Water before later moving to the Arup Group and continuing her development with a Master's Degree at Cranfield University. She currently holds the role of Principal Engineer and Innovation Lead at Laing O'Rourke. 

Yewande successfully balances the prominent roles of engineer, innovator, and visiting Professor at the University of Westminster. She is an Innovate UK Ambassador for clean growth and infrastructure. She is developing a growing reputation within media and public engagement, promoting engineering and challenging narrow stereotypes of who engineers are and the positive difference that they make in the world. 

This was a fantastic conversation with an engineer with an untold passion for the role of innovation, creativity and engineering. 

So pull up a comfy chair, pour a coffee, put the earbuds in and walk the dog or go to the gym...wherever you listen to your podcasts, make sure you find the time to listen to Designed for Life Live - In conversation with Yewande Akinola MBE. 

Please note this podcast has also been recorded on video and will be released imminently (we will post a link here when it goes live). Huge thanks to The London Design Festival and the V&A for presenting us with this opportunity and to Yewande for taking time out of a busy schedule. Should you wish to find out more about Yewande, do visit her website http://yewandeakinola.co.uk/

This podcast has been recorded with the help of our sponsors, The Edge Foundation https://www.edge.co.uk/ inspiring the education system to give all young people across the UK the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need to flourish in their future life and work, and PTC Onshape Providing industry-standard cloud-based CAD to education  https://www.ptc.com/en/news/2020/ptc-onshape-education-enterprise-plan-available-free-of-charge.

We are indebted to The Edge and PTC Onshape for their continued support. 

We were fortunate to bump into Kialy at Young Designers this year and knew there and then that she had a story to tell that made her a perfect guest for this podcast.

In this episode, we hear how Kialy set her heart and soul on working in fashion at a very young age, and when she secured a place on the foundation course at Central St. Martin's, this set the stage for her dream to come true. For many reasons, this did not provide the experience she sought, and she endured the course rather than thriving within it. Kialy moved on with a friend to a Fashion degree course at Kingston University in London.

Again this did not flick the switch for Kialy, and she found herself slowly disengaging from the course; in the second year, she finally left the course. This brought Kialy to a dark place as she tried to work out what it was about her that made her unsuitable for studying a subject that had been her dream for years. "The more I analysed it, I realised that it wasn't the courses, it was me; I was the common denominator".

At this stage, Kialy took any job that helped pay the bills and worked in retail, recruitment and even door-to-door sales for a charity. At a loose end, she took a friend's advice and, without a plan, moved to Glasgow. Again, after several non-creative roles, she found a job as an assistant to a Milner and found her inner-creative self. Within this role, she thrived and grew in confidence as she saw a hard-working, creative boss make a good living from doing something she loved.

Kialy then successfully applied to a Textiles degree course at Glasgow School of Art and, on graduation, almost immediately set up as a freelancer. Today she sits somewhere between designer and artist and flits reasonably seamlessly between the two. This was an effortless, casual and honest conversation with a designer/artist at the very start of her professional journey but already with a powerful story behind her.

So grab a cool drink, pull up a chair, find a quiet space, take us to the gym, take the dog for a walk, put those air pods in, and enjoy Designed for Life - In conversation with Kialy Tihngang.

Selected past projects:

‘Useless Machines’ 2021 - moving fabric-covered wooden panels exploring environmental racism and electronic waste

Selected upcoming projects:

‘Fetissoes’, 2023 - solo show at God’s House Tower, Southampton, speculating on precolonial African religion through sculpture and moving image

'Toghu', 2024 - an animated embroidered film about queer Cameroonian identity

This podcast has been recorded with the help of our sponsors, The Edge Foundation https://www.edge.co.uk/ inspiring the education system to give all young people across the UK the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need to flourish in their future life and work, and PTC Onshape Providing industry-standard cloud-based CAD to education  https://www.ptc.com/en/news/2020/ptc-onshape-education-enterprise-plan-available-free-of-charge

We are indebted to The Edge and PTC Onshape for their continued support. 

In this episode, we are delighted to be in conversation with Sustainable Futures Educator and Interpreter Carra Santos https://www.carrasantos.com 

Carra came from a rural upbringing in Northern Ireland. She was 'promoted' a year aged only four years old, a decision that, when played forward, saw her heading off to Leeds and a foundation course aged seventeen with a suitcase full of clothes and belongings and a bag of art brushes! 

In this podcast, we follow her journey from this rural upbringing to her current position influencing and educating business leaders to see their role in creating a sustainable future by not only reducing their negative impact on the environment; but also increasing their positive impact. 

The power to change our collective habits and start to reverse the damage inflicted on our planet is in our hands, we know what to do and I guess most of us are aware of the urgency of action, but for some, the leap to another way of thinking, acting and living is a step too far, they need to be helped through a series of small positive steps that collectively add up to substantive positive impact. In a nutshell, that's what Carra does as she works with business leaders both in the UK and internationally to change mindsets and encourage positive actions. 

Carra wants business success to be measured on more than growth and profit made, but instead wants new criteria to be introduced, such as the concept of business contentment...when is enough, enough? When do staff well-being and retention become key success criteria? Carra challenges the concept of capitalism and suggests that there are deeper, more important success measures that we should all be using. 

I found this to be a very thought-provoking podcast, I found I had as many questions as I had answers at the end of it but it has encouraged me to want to dig deeper. I don't run a multi-national company but small individual change matters. Carra mentions the book 'Citizens' by Jon Alexander and Ariane Conrad within the podcast, a book that I am now avidly consuming. 

You are on your holidays, so pull up a sunlounger, pour yourself something long and cold and enjoy Designed for Life, in conversation with Carra Santos. 

This podcast has been recorded with the help of our sponsors, The Edge Foundation https://www.edge.co.uk/ inspiring the education system to give all young people across the UK the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need to flourish in their future life and work, and PTC Onshape Providing industry-standard cloud-based CAD to education  https://www.ptc.com/en/news/2020/ptc-onshape-education-enterprise-plan-available-free-of-charge

We are indebted to The Edge and PTC Onshape for their continued support. 

In this episode, I am delighted to be in conversation with award-winning British inventor, YouTube Channel host, presenter and professional speaker Ruth Amos.

Ruth's future took a massive diversion when she was tasked with designing a mobility aid for a member of her design and technology teachers' family who had suffered a stroke. The task quickly escalated from a school GCSE project to a potential business as it became evident that there was no equivalent solution on the market, and Ruth started to receive requests to buy a product that, at this stage, was in prototype form only. 

On the back of this project, Ruth was  named Young Engineer for Britain in 2006, and the decision was made to abandon any thoughts of university and instead set up her company to manufacture and sell https://stairsteady.net/

Over the coming years, Ruth built on her initial success and became involved in several companies, at one point acting as an advisor to the UK government. 

More recently, Ruth has teamed up with her colleague and fellow Young Engineer for Britain Shawn Brown, to start a YouTube Channel aimed at harnessing and embracing the creativity of young people, and Kids Invent stuff was born https://www.youtube.com/c/KidsInventStuff

The channel has been featured on local and international news outlets as well as primetime TV and, to date, has received over two million views. Take a look...It's madness personified, but I love it!

It was an absolute pleasure to talk with Ruth as she shared her journey from D&T GCSE project to inventor and business entrepreneur. So grab an hour of me time, walk the dog, take us to the gym, or simply pull up a comfy chair, and enjoy Designed for Life in conversation with Ruth Amos.

This podcast has been recorded with the help of our sponsors, The Edge Foundation https://www.edge.co.uk/ inspiring the education system to give all young people across the UK the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need to flourish in their future life and work, and PTC Onshape Providing industry-standard cloud-based CAD to education  https://www.ptc.com/en/news/2020/ptc-onshape-education-enterprise-plan-available-free-of-charge

We are indebted to The Edge and PTC Onshape for their continued support. 

How do you move from 'table 6', the table at the back of the classroom for the lowest achievers, to being recognised in the New Year Honours List for "services to apprenticeships and STEM education"?

Listen to the latest episode of Designed for Life, and you will find out! 

Ian Green is currently Learning Specialist at British Volt and a Professor of Practice at Newcastle University. These roles follow thirty years as Head of Global Training for Nissan. As part of his work, Ian set up one of the most impactful Industry/education programmes in the UK, positively impacting over 70,000 students. 

Ian's primary school experience left him woefully lacking skill and confidence in mathematics. He was delivered a timetable that included art every day, "I still can't draw", and maths only once every two weeks. In secondary school, Ian realised the value of a good teacher as his maths teacher took the time to explain problems and mathematical solutions differently. He made progress fast, leaving school with eleven GCEs and a CSE Grade 1 in mathematics. 

Ian moved onto an engineering degree programme and progressed rapidly as his newfound thirst for knowledge served him well.    

A major car crash changed his direction as his recovery was slow, and he realised he could no longer stay on his feet all day. A shift to Training and a Masters in HR followed as he side-stepped into his new career. 

The outreach programme he started at Nissan has grown from small beginnings to a comprehensive offer from the Japanese manufacturer to education in the North East. Ian nurtured this programme from vision to the entity that it is today. 

Ian left Nissan earlier this year, and good people aren't allowed to retire, as he was swiftly picked up to work with British Volt. The possibility of helping build a major engineering project from scratch was too good to turn down. At the same time, Ian is completing his professional Doctorate as he explores ways to make engineering more attractive to young women. 

This was a fantastic conversation with an engineer with a brilliant tale; I know you will love it!

This podcast has been recorded with the help of our sponsors, The Edge Foundation https://www.edge.co.uk/ inspiring the education system to give all young people across the UK the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need to flourish in their future life and work, and PTC Onshape Providing industry-standard cloud-based CAD to education  https://www.ptc.com/en/news/2020/ptc-onshape-education-enterprise-plan-available-free-of-charge

We are indebted to The Edge and PTC Onshape for their continued support. 

We are delighted to bounce back with this episode in conversation with Dyson Institute graduate Oyemen Okes after a short break. 

Oyemen's journey to Dyson was serendipitous. She overheard a conversation between a fellow student and a teacher and set off to learn more about what Dyson had to offer. We talk with her about her journey to the institute, navigating the detailed application process and what the experience has offered her in her professional journey to date. 

For those unfamiliar with the Dyson Institute, the Dyson Institute of Engineering and Technology is now a higher education institute in its own right, offering a unique experience for students with a passion for problem-solving and a fascination for how things work. Set up in 2017 and based at the Dyson technology campus in Malmsbury, it offers a unique degree experience with two days a week spent studying and three days on-site working with the Dyson engineering team. Initially accredited by Warwick University, the Institute is now recognised in its own right and is now empowered to accredit its degree course. 

Oyemen talks us through her journey from A Level D&T, Physics and Maths to her current position as she reaches the end of her degree studies and enters full-time employment with Dyson as a qualified engineer.

I loved Oyemen's quiet confidence and humility as she describes her journey and looks forward to finding her "mission" with Dyson. I just know you are going to enjoy this one! So sit back and listen to Designed for Life in conversation with Oyemen Okes.

This podcast has been recorded with the help of our sponsors, The Edge Foundation https://www.edge.co.uk/ inspiring the education system to give all young people across the UK the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need to flourish in their future life and work, and PTC Onshape Providing industry-standard cloud-based CAD to education  https://www.ptc.com/en/news/2020/ptc-onshape-education-enterprise-plan-available-free-of-charge

We are indebted to both The Edge and PTC Onshape for their continued support. 

In late February, the Education Policy Institute (EPI) released a research paper on the current plight of design and technology education in England, 'A spotlight on design and technology study in England'.

The Design and Technology Association is proud to be one of the facilitating partners for this research alongside The IET, ERA Foundation, Foster and Partners Architects and the James Dyson Foundation.   

In truth, the paper does not tell us much that we did not already know or suspect of the subject's current position in English schools; what it does do is provide a sound, data-driven evidence base for conversation, projection and growth. The subject needed this foundation on which to examine the issues in-depth and plan a strategy for development.

In this podcast, we temporarily abandon the usual format of Designed for Life, and I spend some time discussing the paper and its possible implications for the subject with Dr Alison Hardy, Senior Lecturer at Nottingham Trent University.  Many of you will know Alison, but for those that do not, she is steeped in design and technology experience and has taught and led the subject in schools before moving on to teach and research D&T at Nottingham. She is also the founder and host of the Talking D&T podcast, which I highly recommend.

This conversation forms a small part of the Design and Technology Association's plans to bring a debate about the future of D&T to teachers, subject leaders, senior staff, headteachers and governors, business and industry leaders and policymakers before we bring a clear message and potential solutions to the issues that exist to Party Conferences this autumn.

So put those headphones on, sit back and enjoy Designed for Life - In conversation with Dr Alison Hardy. 

This podcast has been recorded with the help of our sponsors, The Edge Foundation https://www.edge.co.uk/ inspiring the education system to give all young people across the UK the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need to flourish in their future life and work, and PTC Onshape Providing industry-standard cloud-based CAD to education  https://www.ptc.com/en/news/2020/ptc-onshape-education-enterprise-plan-available-free-of-charge

We are indebted to both The Edge and PTC Onshape for their continued support. 

In this episode, we are privileged to be in conversation with independent strategic design consultant Matthew Cockerill. 

Matthew concentrates on helping companies accurately position their future direction and focus by identifying what he terms their 'near future' opportunities.  Not crystal ball gazing into the future and predicting what lies ahead, more pinning a destination down to what is possible within a given time frame (normally 6/8 years) and then working back from point. 

Using his expertise and insight, Matthew has helped some of the world's biggest brands and some of the most ambitious startups solve complex and ambiguous design challenges. 

We follow Matthew's journey from school through his degree to foundation years at DCA Design International, Samsung Electronics (in Seoul), Seymourpowell, to his current role as an independent consultant. 

In the pod Matthew talks of the importance of working "left of brief", really identifying a problem and setting a brief that is accurate and liberating for the work that follows. This work is set within a  strong belief that many potentially successful design projects are scuppered at an early stage through a poorly identified brief. 

Matthew also talks to us about how he now uses his gained experience to lead workshops helping fellow designers to more comfortably fit into leadership roles and how he is working with MyBigCareer to inspire school-aged students to want to learn more about the world of design. 

This podcast is a little longer than normal at sixty-five minutes as it was really hard to cut the good stuff! We are delighted with the outcome and know you are going to enjoy and learn through this podcast with plenty of thought nuggets to make you want to dig deeper. You can find out more about Matthew, including his latest thought pieces and examples of his work through his website https://www.matthew-cockerill.com/

This podcast has been recorded with the help of our sponsors, The Edge Foundation https://www.edge.co.uk/ inspiring the education system to give all young people across the UK the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need to flourish in their future life and work, and PTC Onshape Providing industry-standard cloud-based CAD to education  https://www.ptc.com/en/news/2020/ptc-onshape-education-enterprise-plan-available-free-of-charge

We are indebted to both The Edge and PTC Onshape for their continued support. 

This episode represents a slightly different approach to the podcast as we look at the world of coding and data sharing through the eyes of an entrepreneur and business owner.

Jamie Robinson is the founder and CEO of Mashoom, a solution that Jamie initially designed while he was a second-year student at UCL studying Mechanical Engineering; and needed a solution when all of the data for a Formula Student racing car that his team were designing and making was lost when a team member departed.  

After looking for a commercial solution and finding the cost-prohibitive and the products 'over-engineered,' he set about designing and making his own solution. Much to the surprise of all involved, including his university tutor, he created a solution that worked well, and in a stroke, Mashoom was born. 

Jamie talks us through his journey through school and university, through DJ'ing at some of London's best-known clubs, to his position today as the owner of a successful and growing company. 

Through the podcast, Jamie is offering a trial of Mashoom to any schools out there that might find the product helpful. Detail on the product can be found at https://www.mashoom.co.uk/ and Jamie can be contacted on Twitter here @JamieTheMashMan

This podcast has been recorded with the help of our sponsors, The Edge Foundation https://www.edge.co.uk/ inspiring the education system to give all young people across the UK the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need to flourish in their future life and work, and PTC Onshape Providing industry-standard cloud-based CAD to education  https://www.ptc.com/en/news/2020/ptc-onshape-education-enterprise-plan-available-free-of-charge

We are indebted to both The Edge and PTC Onshape for their continued support. 

In this special episode of Designed for Life, we celebrate International Women's Day with a very special speech given by Dame Stephanie Shirley.

Dame Stephanie (Steve) Shirley CH is an ardent venture philanthropist with an unrelenting energy for creating positive change. She arrived in England as an unaccompanied child refugee at the start of the Second World War, and in 1962 started a software business from her dining table, which grew to employ 8,500 people and was ultimately valued at almost $3 billion.

Motivated to share the rewards of her success with a society that had extended such generosity to her as a child, Dame Stephanie decided to give away her wealth. Now in her late 80s, she is driven by a lifetime of extraordinary experiences and achievements and still dedicates every day to making her life one that was worth saving.

We know that you will enjoy listening to Dame Steve's message for a day that is very close to her heart and one that the Design and Technology Association is proud to celebrate with female students and women across the UK. 

So sit back, relax in 30-minutes of 'me time' and enjoy Designed for Life, celebrating women's achievement across the UK with Dame Stephanie Shirley. 

PS. If you are inspired to read a signed copy of Dame Shirley's book 'Let it go', please email Lynn@steveshirley.com. As stated in the podcast, it is a unique and inspirational read, and all proceeds from sales made through this link are sent directly to her charity Autistica. 

In this episode, we are in conversation with Claire Holman, modelmaking professional and lecturer at Arts University Bournemouth.

We follow Claire's journey from a fairly nomadic start as her family moved first to Zambia and then to England, closely followed by Scotland as her father's work dictated their journey. This was followed at age sixteen by Claire leaving school and taking on a YTS course (if you are old enough, you know. If not, a government initiative to direct young people into training and employment). Here, she was subjected to some deplorable practice as the college concerned used the course as a 'cash cow', and the students were an essential part of the payment process for the college...but no more!

Sometimes, it takes a negative experience to produce a positive, and the bitter taste that this left with Claire drove her later in her career as she took a role (twenty-five years ago now) with the Arts University Bournemouth) "every student has a right to have teachers that are present, not just in the physical sense, but are on the journey with them, fully engaged".

We follow Claire's journey in modelmaking both in the UK and Canada and finally talk with her about what she has learned in over twenty-five years of educating students in design, modelmaking and prototyping in Bournemouth.

This discussion is one for students and educators nationally. Claire's love of teaching and her desire to get better at what she does professionally with each passing day comes over clearly in our discussion. I just know you are going to love this!

https://aub.ac.uk/
BA(Hons) Modelmaking: https://aub.ac.uk/course/modelmaking

NEW - BA(Hons) Creative Technologies: https://aub.ac.uk/course/creative-technologies

NEW - BA(Hons) Design for Sustainable Futures: https://aub.ac.uk/course/design-for-sustainable-futures

Other AUB courses of interest:

NEW – BA(Hons) Interior Architecture for Health and Wellbeing https://aub.ac.uk/course/interior-architecture-health-and-wellbeing

BA(Hons) interior Architecture & Design: https://aub.ac.uk/course/interior-architecture

Imagine taking two of your passions in life and turning them into a successful business. This is what Triple Double Studio Founder and Creative Designer Paul Jenkins has achieved in many ways. 
 
Paul has always set his own path. A careers interview towards the end of his GCSEs did not go well. He went in with a plan and was bluntly informed that he would fail if he didn't drop this and take a more conventional route through A Levels. His response "I stopped listening before the end of the interview; I knew what I had to do". 
 
Triple Double takes Paul's two passions in life, basketball and design and combines them in a way that empowers young people. In his words, "We are a creative studio that unleashes how youth engage in sport and education, using the power of design and creativity to transform their lives." 

Paul believes that if we listen, really listen to the needs, fears and aspirations of young people; we can work creatively with them to effect real change, a process that Paul calls Co-Creation. 

This is an inspirational story of a studio working differently and with a set of values running through its very core. So sit back, put your headphones on and listen to Designed for Life in conversation with Paul Jenkins. 

This podcast has been recorded with the help of our sponsors, The Edge Foundation https://www.edge.co.uk/ inspiring the education system to give all young people across the UK the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need to flourish in their future life and work, and PTC Onshape Providing industry-standard cloud-based CAD to education  https://www.ptc.com/en/news/2020/ptc-onshape-education-enterprise-plan-available-free-of-charge

We are indebted to both The Edge and PTC Onshape for their continued support. 

George Cave is an Interactive Technologist, Design Engineer, University Lecturer, TEDx Speaker, Team leader and founder of his own business, Interaction Magic https://interactionmagic.com/

In this conversation, we explore George's journey from Reading School through Bristol University, where he gained an MEng in Engineering Design where he, and others, developed a re-configurable submarine weapon handling and discharge system as part of his final year work. 

George cut his teeth as a designer at DCS Studio in Warwick https://www.dca-design.com/ Where he worked on a wide range of products, specialising in pharmaceutical design. He then went on to work in design both in the UK and Austria, where he lived for over three years before setting out on his own with Interaction Magic. 

In the pod, we explore some of the many 'poke statements' on his personal website; statements designed to provocate and start a discussion, for example:

"Designers bring concepts but struggle to transform them from a sketch into the real world. Engineers execute the vision but often miss the understanding of why people behave the way they do. This is the gap I bridge. The engineer that designers want to work with."

George also talks us through his fairly recent appointment as a university lecturer at Salzburg University, where he teaches Interaction Design and Technologies. 

I found this to be a fascinating and stimulating conversation with a designer who by his own admission, feels he has yet to reach the top of his game but is clearly a major thought leader within the sector. 

So sit back, plug the earphones in and enjoy Designed for Life - In conversation with George Cave Interaction Technologist. 

We love this episode with Industrial Designer Jonathan Robin. 

Jonathan was born in Rio da Janeiro and experienced a truly international upbringing with a French father and American mother. 

Following a relatively traditional educational experience in Rio, he transitioned to initially study Law before realising this was not for him and switching courses to Industrial Design, in which he graduated three years later. 

Since graduation, Jonathan has worked in small startups to more prominent design agencies across continents. He has designed everything from street furniture for a new tram system in Rio to vending machines, electric scooters, ceiling fans...the list goes on. 

In this podcast, we discuss the design process in some detail and how professional designers also experience the excitement of taking on a new brief, through to the sticky patch that inevitably hits most designers as they progress through an iterative design process, through to the joy of building and setting a design free into the market. 

Jonathan worked for Sapetti, a boutique design consultancy based in Switzerland where he worked for a number of international clients and worked on a range of designs, including working on an exoskeleton to support workers who routinely had to stand (or sit) in unorthodox positions that would otherwise result in back and repetitive strain issues. 

Jonathan currently works for GHD, a UK based brand that develops and commercialises consumer electronics for hairstyling and currently lives in the UK. He hopes to actually see some of London's sites as we finally exit from the COVID pandemic!

Jonathan's excellent work can be viewed on his microsite https://www.behance.net/jmedcalf
His contact details are on the site, and he is happy for any teachers or students to reach out to him to talk about industrial design either by email or through LinkedIn. 

This podcast has been recorded with the help of our sponsors, The Edge Foundation https://www.edge.co.uk/ inspiring the education system to give all young people across the UK the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need to flourish in their future life and work, and PTC Onshape Providing industry-standard cloud-based CAD to education  https://www.ptc.com/en/news/2020/ptc-onshape-education-enterprise-plan-available-free-of-charge

We are indebted to both The Edge and PTC Onshape for their continued support. 

This episode of Designed for Life is with the entertainment-focused business developer, sales strategist, coach and team leader Colin Mendoza.

Colin and I first met almost five years ago when we were introduced by a mutual friend who knew we were both interested in how mindfulness and meditation could bring greater levels of wellbeing to UK students.

Colin was born and brought up in London, moved to Hull to attend university but has made his living in America, where he moved post-university. Salaried posts with MTV,  NBA and Sony Music allowed him to learn and fine-tune his skills and vision before setting up his agency, 'Highgate' in 2002.

In this podcast, we follow Colin's journey from the UK to America, explore the work that he carries out through Highgate Agency, and touch on some of the differences that may exist between taking an entrepreneurial pathway in the UK and the USA.

Colins Bio

Specializing in developing sales and entertainment brands worldwide, Colin is an adventurer who enjoys defying the odds and conquering difficult situations. He started his career licensing sports programming to the Middle East and continued by creating branded blocks for MTV in eastern and southern Europe to promote awareness for the main channels. Originally from England but now lives in the US, he is ready to be dropped by parachute ( not quite..but close) into new areas or far-flung countries. Extensive experience in various genres, including sports, music, animation, drama and reality, as well as working with a range of companies such as IMG, MTV, NBA, Sony, Fuji and American Greetings. 

So sit back, put the earbuds firmly in place and enjoy Designed for Life - In conversation with Colin Mendoza. 

This podcast has been recorded with the help of our sponsors, The Edge Foundation https://www.edge.co.uk/ inspiring the education system to give all young people across the UK the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need to flourish in their future life and work, and PTC Onshape Providing industry-standard cloud-based CAD to education  https://www.ptc.com/en/news/2020/ptc-onshape-education-enterprise-plan-available-free-of-charge

We are indebted to both The Edge and PTC Onshape for their continued support. 

Colin can be reached at colin@highgateagency.com