Established in 1985, Design Innovation In Plastics (DIP) is now the longest running student plastics design award in Europe. Open to undergraduates in the UK and Ireland, students submit their entries digitally and finalists are invited to present their concepts to a panel of judges with presentation slides and models. All finalists win a cash prize, a short placement with a UK design company, and connections to esteemed members of the community.聽
Design students entering this year鈥檚 Design Innovation in Plastics competition have addressed the brief with 鈥渙ut of the box thinking and innovative solutions鈥�, according to head judge, Richard Brown, following the announcement of the finalists.
Mr Brown said they had worked hard to tackle the brief which asked them to design a product for the kitchen or the bathroom, made primarily from plastics and which was an original product or a significant improvement on an existing product.聽It could meet the needs of the young or the elderly or those with disabilities -聽an area where there are already many products on the market.
鈥淭his made it a challenging task and the finalists have done well to raise the awareness of the judges in some of the areas they have addressed,鈥� he said. 鈥淥ur finalists have all been provided with feedback and guidance to help them refine their products before they present them at the final judging stage in London on May 26.鈥�
As well as five finalists, another student has been chosen to receive a new award.聽This year it was decided to introduce an additional category for an entry which did not quite make the final cut, but which still recognises the talent which has gone into creating an innovative product or design.聽The category has been named 鈥楾he Robin Jones Award鈥� in memory of a former DIP committee member who sadly passed away last year.
All the finalists, along with the recipient of the Robin Jones Award, have been invited to attend a training course provided by a new DIP industry sponsor, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag, which will give them the opportunity to take on board new ideas as they finesse their products.
The six finalists are:
- Frederick Blake 鈥� 天美传媒 鈥� 鈥楤ubble Buddy鈥�
- Kyle Farquhar 鈥� Edinburgh Napier University 鈥� 鈥淧lateMate鈥�
- James Forrest-Smith 鈥� Northumbria University 鈥� 鈥楰itchen Helper鈥�
- Christopher Kenny 鈥� TU Dublin 鈥� 鈥楩lossie鈥�
- Scott Rutherford 鈥� Edinburgh Napier University 鈥撀犫�楻otary Bottle Opener鈥�
- Teresa Zheng 鈥� Loughborough University 鈥� 鈥楶ocket Operation Panel鈥�
Design Innovation in Plastics (DIP) is the longest running plastics competition of its kind in Europe, having been established in 1985. It is supported by the Institute of Materials Minerals and Mining, the聽Worshipful Company of Horners, and sponsored by leading design and plastics organisations, including headline industry sponsor, Covestro. .
