We've long believed in the importance of supporting emerging talent and the Design Museum clearly shares our sentiments. Today, the London institution announced the winners of its design competition, Design Ventura, which innovatively opens the floor to industrious 13-16 year olds, exposing them to the reality of working in design.
A partnership with Deutsche Bank, the three-year old enterprise allows participating young minds to experience the design process; from pitching ideas and working to a brief to solving complex problems pertaining to development and production along the way. While the experience can be considered a prize in itself, the top honour for the winning team is the chance to see its creation put into production and sold at the Design Museum's shop.
As with every year, teams' design proposals were vetted by a glittering panel of industry insiders. This year's winners, a group from Trinity School in Lewisham, London, impressed the likes of designers Anya Hindmarch, Sebastian Conran and Naomi Cleaver, along with our own top dog Tony Chambers, with a set of clever badges called 'Pics Pins'. The pins depict famous London landmarks in segments that can be playfully rearranged, much like the game Consequences. In addition to the pins being produced and stocked in the museum's shop, the winning team from Trinity School will receive a £1,000 bursary, with all profits from sales going to the charity of their choice: CATS (Cure and Treatment of Tay Sachs Disease).
Top honours were also given to a group from Essex's Brentwood School for winning the programme's online iteration, who devised a pair of cycling glove lights that enhanced cyclists' safety when they indicated a turn. Students from Walsall Academy also won an award for good communication with their interactive card game, Gesso, aimed at combating boredom while on a journey.
With all products winging their way into the Design Museum shop some time soon, the future for design is shining bright.
St Clove's and St Saviour's Grammar School were 'commended for sustainable design' for their 'Attyre' belt, made of recycled bike tyres
For Virtual Ventura, the online version of the programme, Essex's Brentwood School nabbed first prize with their pair of illuminated gloves, designed to improve safety for cyclists when indicating to turn
Judges included noted design luminaries such as as Sebastian Conran (left) and Anya Hindmarch (right)
'Journey Cardz' by Mill Hill Country High School are interlocking cards that can be arranged into a sculpture or mobile
Norbury Manor Business and Enterprise College for Girls entered a clever multiple-use bag that unfolds into a picnic blanket with a map highlighting parks in London
A new award category for good communication launched this year was judged by our own Editor-in-Chief Tony Chambers along with TESPro magazine's editor Michael Shaw. Walsall Academy won with 'Gesso', an interactive card game to combat boredom on long trips
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