News

News from 2020

a room of people with a Ford Fund screen in the background

Ford Fund Smart Mobility Challenge launches for the third year

The School of Design and Creative Arts are delighted to announce that the Ford Fund Smart Mobility Challenge is running again this year and is open for teams of students to register to take part. The challenge invites student teams to propose new ideas for sustainable urban solutions for communities. There are awards to invest in the projects with the most potential, to help realise their implementation.
Tympa Health System being used on a woman

Design student鈥檚 lead project as part of placement wins Gold at the UX Design Awards

Industrial Design and Technology student, Eleanor Bell, has recently completed a year in placement at Team Consulting. Working within the Design Group at Team her role gave her the opportunity to work with a range of departments across the company. This included her main project, the Tympa Health System, which has since won Gold at the UX Design Awards 2020.
a group of students in the Milliken showroom

天堂视频 and Milliken reinforce their powerful partnership during lockdown

For the second year running Milliken partnered with 天堂视频 on a project to design carpet tile concepts using Milliken鈥檚 proprietary Millitron庐 patterning technology for theoretical commercial environments. The project, developed closely with the University, forms an important part of the students鈥� final degree. But in 2020 鈥� the year of the global pandemic 鈥� the students and staff faced unique challenges.
IxDA 2021 Student Design Charette banner

Two User Experience Design students are finalists at the IxDA 2021 Student Design Charette

The IxDA Student Design Charette (SDC) champions the next generation of interaction design, by bringing together students and early professionals to tackle big challenges. Samantha Tung and Tara Janes, both MA User Experience Design students at 天堂视频 have been selected as finalists and will be joining eight other successful students at the SDC.
a variety of plastic packaging

天堂视频 awarded 拢1m to research alternatives to single-use plastic packaging

天堂视频 has been awarded around 拢1m to help tackle waste plastic in the UK.
books on a shelf

University to host Leadership Summit on Applied Storytelling this week

The Institute of Advanced Studies and the School of Design and Creative Arts are delighted to be hosting a Leadership Summit on Applied Storytelling on 12-13 November, organised by Dr Antonia Liguori and Professor Mike Wilson.
Eccleston Student Engineering Centre building

Eccleston Student Engineering Centre Sculpture Competition

LU Arts is delighted to announce a competition to produce a new sculptural work for our East Midlands campus.
an illustration of CAIR smart phone screens

MA User Experience Design student wins Public Choice award at the UX Design Awards

MA User Experience Design student, Tanya Beri, has won the Public Choice award at the UX Design Awards 2020 for her concept 'CAIR', which inspires knowledge about poor air quality and promotes a shift to walking.
Loud Voices diagram

Two Industrial Design graduates win Gold at the Creative Conscience awards

Two recent Industrial Design & Technology graduates win Creative Conscience awards for their creative approach to their winning projects which have the potential impact to influence real tangible change for good.
Tara Janes's Collectimals

Design students are award winners at New Designers 2020

Two Industrial Design & Technology students win awards at New Designers 2020. The virtual award ceremony which took place via Facebook Live was hosted by Sally Bent, New Designers Event Director, and also joined by Luke Pearson from Pearson Lloyd who delivered a keynote speech.
Drawing by Richard Deacon

Exhibition launches to see drawings by some of the most important and innovative artists

An unmissable exhibition that is said to be 鈥渁kin to having a tiny Tate show in the East Midlands鈥� is to open at 天堂视频 next week.
a screen shot of the software window

Product Design student gains valuable opportunities with leading software company

Product Design and Technology student, Gregoire Saul, has spent recent months gaining valuable work experience and opportunities with leading software company, Autodesk, who are industry leaders in creating 3D design, engineering and entertainment software.
The Night Manager books on a shelf with a smart phone

Graphics student is shortlisted for the Penguin Student Design Awards 2020

Graphic Communication and Illustration student, Hazel Shorney, has been shortlisted for the Penguin Design Awards from over 2000 entrants for her illustrated cover of The Night Manager by John le Carr茅 in the Fiction Cover Award category.
a hand holding the Theia device

Student designs autonomous way-finding device for visually impaired people

Theia - a portable and concealable handheld device that guides users through outdoor environments with little user input.
Alice Burnhope, 'Moss and Smudge鈥� 鈥� interlocking seating

Textiles student creates garments inspired by nature from discarded and natural materials

Alice Burnhope is one of many final-year students in 天堂视频鈥檚 School of Design and Creative Arts currently showcasing her work online as part of the annual Arts Degree Show.
a detail from the pro quo image

Industrial Design student is highly commended for their economical response to managing money

Industrial Design and Technology student, Matty Hodgkins, has been highly commended by the RSA Student Design Awards for his project 'ProQuo', an economical response to their 'Just 天堂视频 Managing' brief.
John Atkin being interviewed by Sculpture Magazine

Borderless Art Making - Interview with John Atkin for Sculpture Magazine

Reader in Fine Art and Director of Internationalisation in the School of Design and Creative Arts, John Atkin, was interviewed by Sculpture Magazine in September 2019 as he was completing two large-scale sculpture projects in China.
Optiair solution to reducing your air pollution illustration

Students commended by environmental charity Hubbub from their Design By Nature competition

How can design change the world? This year environmental charity Hubbub launched Design by Nature, a competition open to university students across the UK, looking to celebrate innovative ideas that tackle tough environmental issues.
details from Annabelle Loweth's designs

Textiles Company, Milliken, Announce Winning Student鈥檚 Designs for their Live Project

Milliken is a global textile design and manufacturing company, with expertise is in chemicals innovation and floor covering, as well as creating innovative textile solutions such as flame-resistant fabrics. They started collaborating with the 天堂视频 Textiles: Innovation and Design course in 2018, after the Milliken design team were impressed by the students鈥� work at the annual New Designers fair in London.
the in:sight logo design

AI-powered early Alzheimer's detection project wins RSA Student Design Award

One person in the UK is diagnosed with dementia every three minutes (alzheimers.org, 2017) and over half of the people who have dementia, might not know they have it (NCIB, 2020). Insight allows the user to take a photo of their eye and helps to analyse it. It鈥檚 a product and service design proposal which gives peace of mind to those at risk of Alzheimer鈥檚 through early detection and provision of guidance post-diagnosis.

three characters inside a car taken from Amy Begent's video

Fine Art student creates animation to celebrate coming out to her dad

天堂视频 Fine Art student, Amy Begent, made an animation for her final year project 鈥� featured in the Arts Degree Show 鈥� that celebrates the support her dad gave her when she came out to him as bisexual.
an illustration of the spore trap hanging in a tree

Student鈥檚 spore trap design aims to save UK trees

The United Nations General Assembly declared 2020 as the International Year of Plant Health 鈥� an opportunity to raise global awareness on how protecting plant health can benefit the environment and other areas. Lucy Mitchell, a final year Industrial Design and Technology student, is well aware of the importance of looking after nature as her mother is a landscape architect and she also spent much of her placement year in Putney visiting the renowned Kew Gardens.
D&AD award submission

Graphic Design and Illustration students win 5 D&AD New Blood Awards

The D&AD Awards are the professional body for Graphic and Communication Design disciplines in the UK. Their New Blood Awards are open to advertising, design, digital and marketing students, recent graduates and young creatives worldwide. Students are invited to participate in industry lead briefs, which provides an opportunity to gain exposure and kickstart their creative career.
Lauren Jefferis Odeon centrepiece in front of the Odeon building in Leicester

Illustrations celebrate life of everyday people in 1960's Leicester

Lauren Jefferis is a final-year Graphic Communications and Illustration student within the School of Design and Creative Arts at 天堂视频, and uses illustration as a powerful tool to celebrate the stories of everyday people from 1960's Leicester.
CAFA virtual school screen shots

CAFA Virtual School: Design Thinking Short Course 2020

Prior to the COVID-19 travel restrictions, Professor Ian Campbell, from the School of Design and Creative Arts was due to teach a short course on Design Thinking at Beijing鈥檚 China Central Academy of Fine Art (CAFA). CAFA is China鈥檚 leading arts university, ranking 28 in the QS World University Rankings for Art and Design. With the restrictions in place, and by working with a team of academics, this was continued to be delivered through innovative ways of remote teaching.
three images of Natasha Dingwall's Play!

Lockdown life: creative arts student vlogs

Find out what life has been like in lockdown for some of the final-year students from the School of Design and Creative Arts.
a kitchen with BeoBia on the worktop and a person slicing a yellow pepper in the background

Graduate start-up company BeoBia launch Kickstarter

Graduate start-up company BeoBia, founded by Thomas Constant, is encouraging people to turn to innovative insect-based foods. The company is launching its new Kickstarter campaign on 7 July.
a group of six people

Record number of Starpack awards given to 天堂视频 design students

Students from the University鈥檚 School of Design and Creative Arts have been awarded more than 30 awards for their innovative work submitted as part of an international competition.
a close up of three textiles

Interactive textiles developed to help with stress relief

Musical fabric and walls you can play with: Meet the student who wants to use interactive textiles to mimic Japan's zen atmosphere in your office.
4 designs for Herd smart phone screens

More than 拢24k invested in design students as they develop concepts for cities of the future

Last week, design students at 天堂视频 were awarded more than 拢24,500 in funding towards their ideas which have the potential to offer solutions to communities of the future.
LU Arts Week banner

LU Arts Week - 22-28 June 2020

Join LU Arts for an exciting and diverse programme of online events celebrating the creative arts at 天堂视频!
a group of four students next to the fountain

天堂视频 climbs to sixth in The Complete University Guide and third for Art and Design

天堂视频 has climbed two places to sixth in the Complete University Guide 2021 and remains the only University in the Midlands to feature in the top ten. Art and Design has also risen to third out of 85 institutions.
a room with an exhibition of art and table and chairs

Fine Art graduates encouraged to apply for ABF鈥檚 Step Change Fellowship Programme

Applications are now open to 2019 and 2020 graduates of 天堂视频鈥檚 BA Fine Art degree for two 拢10,000 Fellowships. A one-year artistic development programme hosted at the University.
Old John in Bradgate Park

Creative Arts teacher produces virtual tour of Bradgate Park

Stuart Franey, who is a teacher in Creative Digital Technologies, has created over one hundred 360-degree panoramic images of Bradgate Park. Although these panoramas made up part of his master's degree, Stuart has spent the past few years continuing to create them as a labour of love for a place that he is passionate about.
image of the Grace product on a bedside table

Alumnus Peter Astbury awarded huge grant for his innovative product

Alumnus Peter Astbury, Founder of Astinno, has been awarded a sizeable grant worth 拢360,000 ($450k) to fund further testing and technical development of Grace, a wearable piece of technology for women experiencing hot flushes.
Maxwell Stevens's designs to protect a horse's head

Students respond to La Martina brief to rethink the approach to protective equipment

As part of Design Week, La Martina presented students a brief to rethink the approach to protective equipment for either the polo player or the horse.
Design Research Conference 2020 banner

DesRes 2020 - View the online proceedings

The DesRes 2020 proceedings have been possible thanks to the collaboration of the School of Design and Creative Arts community.
Airbnb me logo design

Product Design students are Adobe Creative Jam finalists

Product Design and Technology students Robin Pickering, Becky Hicks and Cameron Smith are Adobe Creative Jam Top 10 finalists. Representing 天堂视频, and out of 360 submissions from 3 countries, 570 registered teams and 230 different schools, they were the only remaining team in the finals from the UK.
Hug in a Mug logo with two children eating a cookie

Alumnus sets up "Hug in a Mug" to help people send a virtual hug to friends and family

TEA REX has teamed up with cookie company Wholey Moly to bring "hugs" to the public during a time of social distancing.
How to NOT go to School title and main character Parsley Mimblewood

Alumna illustrates e-book supporting children during lockdown

Rebecca Sampson is a graphic designer and illustrator who has recently paired up with teacher Mike Forde to illustrate his book 鈥淗ow to NOT go to School: Parsley Mimblewood Saves the World!鈥�.
Nerissa Prawiro

Alumna makes Top 100 Rising Stars shortlist

Nerissa Prawiro has been shortlisted for the WeAreTheCity Top 100 Rising Stars Award 2020 in the Technology Category. The award recognises women who are making a difference and succeeding in their respective sectors.
Alistair Cooper

Alumnus wins prestigious award for ergonomics and human factors project

Alistair Cooper won the Best Student Project award presented by the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors (CIEHF) for his project investigating the influence of Safety Management Systems (SMS) on people working on the front line of rail services.
close up of a plastic PPE face shield

More alumni contribute to PPE production effort across the UK

天堂视频 alumni across the country have been working to produce protective visors for staff in the NHS and care homes amid efforts to protect carers throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
Pickle illustration postcards: 'Take care' a woman watering houseplants and 'Sending sunshine' a sun with a smiling face.

Alumna enterprise duo design postcards to help the public reach out to their loved ones

A small business founded by a current student and an alumna just over one year ago has added quirky postcards to their online shop to help the public stay in touch with their loved ones and keep one another in positive spirits during this period of social distancing, as well as raising money for the NHS.
Manufacturing Technology Centre exhibition

Placement students organise exhibition at Manufacturing Technology Centre

In February, two 天堂视频 Fine Art students, who are spending their placement year as Artists in Residence at Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) in Coventry, organised and curated an exhibition on the MTC site. The exhibition included artwork created by Fine Art students from across the degree, as well as pieces by MTC employees.
the plastic components of a face masks

Design and Technology teachers rally together to produce personal protective equipment

A group of Design and Technology alumni from 天堂视频 have been working to produce protective masks for healthcare professionals, utilising their design and manufacturing skills.
Illustration of ChargedUp and CleanedUp

Alumni entrepreneurs bring innovation to global pandemic

Alumni Charlie Baron and Forrest Skerman-Stevenson, Co-Founders of ChargedUp, have been working on CleanedUp 鈥� an adaptation of the company鈥檚 current phone charging stations 鈥� to dispense hand sanitiser in public places.
Habib Hajallie, Can I Touch Your Hair?

Fine Art alumnus wins Signature Art Prize

Habib Hajallie has won a Signature Art Prize in the category of Drawing and Printmaking for his piece 鈥楥an I Touch Your Hair?鈥�.
ASAP Water Craft at sea viewed from above

Industrial Design alumnus begins crowdfunding for ASAP Water Crafts

Ross Kemp founded ASAP Water Crafts in 2011. He has now begun his second round of crowdfunding with the target of raising 拢200,000 for the company.
Paige Denham

Textiles alumna wins 鈥楳ake It!鈥� 2020 award

Paige Denham recently won the 鈥楳ake It!鈥� 2020 award with Cockpit Arts. The award offers three individuals aged 16-25 the space and support to build their own craft-based businesses.
Group of people from Joshibi University in the centre of 天堂视频

Art and Design students collaborate with Joshibi University on postcard exhibition

For the fifth year running, 天堂视频 welcomed students from Joshibi University of Art and Design, Japan, studying Art and Culture. The 2nd and 3rd year students spent three weeks collaborating with the Art and Design Foundation students on an annual postcard exhibition, as well as attending English classes on campus.
Design showing the International arrivals corridor Beijing New Airport

Academics are prize winners for Beijing鈥檚 airport international arrivals art installation

The Public Art Global Competition for the International arrivals corridor was announced in early 2019, with The Beijing New Airport Construction Headquarters (BNACH) and the China Central Academy of Fine Art (CAFA) as judges. The School of Design & Creative Arts 天堂视频 were one of 250 internationally renowned teams selected to submit designs, and one of ten to receive a nomination prize.
Inspirational Women Project posters

Creative Arts students selected to showcase their work for Inspirational Women Project

LU Arts has partnered up with the Women鈥檚 Network on an exciting project that has asked students to identify a woman that has meant something to them, either personally or through their achievements, and celebrate them through illustrations and creative writing.
Patrick Grant

The future of fashion: Where do we go from here? An intimate talk with Patrick Grant

On Wednesday 26 February 2020, as part of the university-wide Spring Careers Fair, Creative Arts students were invited to a day filled with specific workshops targeted at those looking for a career in the creative industry.
2 students using a computer

天堂视频 ranked 24th in the world for Art and Design

We鈥檙e proud to announce that 天堂视频 has been ranked 24th for Art and Design in the 2020 QS higher education league table. The QS rankings assess each school on academic and employer reputations putting us in the global Top 25 for Art and Design subjects.
textiles exhibition - woven samples

Textiles: Innovation and Design students exhibit at Premi猫re Vision

The Textiles: Innovation and Design programme have exhibited for another year at the international trade fair Premi猫re Vision. This unique opportunity allows students to showcase their designs on a global platform and for the course to continue to bolster its deep routed connections within the industry.
group from Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University

Sustaining 'Inclusive Design' Collaboration with Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University

The School of Design & Creative Arts (SDCA) are collaborating on a new research project - Sustaining 'Inclusive Design' Collaboration (The SIDe Programme) with Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University (MSFAU) in Turkey.
Wendy Mason, National Director of the Artist Access to Art Colleges project

鈥楳aking it out there鈥� career talk by Director of National Scheme AA2A

天堂视频 School of Design and Creative Arts recently hosted special guest, Wendy Mason, National Director of the Artist Access to Art Colleges project (AA2A), for a talk aimed at informing students and graduates about self-employment as a career option.
Jack Strachan on stage with a microphone

Industrial Design and Technology graduate wins the 2020 IxDA Student Design Charette

The IxDA Student Design Charette (SDC) champions the next generation of interaction design, by brining together students and early professionals to tackle big challenges. A three-day design challenge took place during the Interaction 20 conference from 4-7 February 2020 in Milan, Italy. The brief, sponsored by Amazon Design, focused on using voice to create empowering moments for those facing unique challenges.
James Elderton and Joseph Thomas with their award

Two alumni are this year鈥檚 German Design Award winners

James Elderton and Joseph Thomas, founders of Wonder Vision, have won the 2020 German Design Award for their CGI look, development and production for the Triumph Speed Twin, in the category of Excellent Communication Design.
a Future Transport illustration showing an autonomous car driving along a road

The Future of Transport: Ask an Expert

Video Q&A: We asked an expert panel your questions on the future of transport.
Nixie Tube 3D Printed Electronics

World鈥檚 First Nixie Tube 3D Printed Electronics Demonstrator

Researchers at 天堂视频 have completed a Collaborative (Cross-School) Project, 鈥�3D Nixie PE 2020 / Printed AC Electroluminescent (ACEL) Display鈥�
a view inside the Design building

Launch of this year's online showcase

Students featuring in this year鈥檚 online showcase have come from over 15 countries across the world, together forming a thriving multicultural student community.