The School of Design at Institute of Technology Carlow has launched a new website, DesignCarlow.ie, to showcase the work of its students, promote design and mark 50 years of design education at the institute.
Ireland’s first National Council for Educational Awards (NCEA) industrial design course was established at IT Carlow in 1971. The course was closely aligned with the internationally renowned Kilkenny Design Workshops and helped to develop design education as an economic driver for the region. The new website reflects 50 years of design with an archive of student design, from the early days of Carlow Regional Technical College, through to the present IT Carlow that will next year become a technological university. It celebrates the pivotal role IT Carlow graduates have played in development of the Kilkenny Design Workshop from its inception, the emergence of a mature design sector in Ireland, and the growth of an Irish design research community in the last decade.
DesignCarlow.ie is also home to this year’s undergraduate design show entitled 2021-A New Wave where industry, the design community and the general public can view the innovative project work of Design Carlow students.
“Despite the disruption to studio learning, the uncertainty of the unfolding situation, and remote working, our students have shown great resilience and creativity to produce this year’s showcase”, commented Bernadette Douglas, a design communications lecturer at IT Carlow who developed the website in conjunction with the final year students.
The showcase consists of final year work from 27 third-year and fourth-year students, alongside a selection of industry projects from first-year and second-year students. Industry project partners included: BODYLITE, a Carlow-based night running safety gear company; Visual Data, a high-end ED visualisation and design service; and Cubbie, a research and design lead company engaged in helping people with sensory processing issues, dementia and anxiety.
Commenting on the industry projects, Cubbie promoter and designer David McIntyre said, “I wanted to encourage the next generation of designers; help them see beyond the classroom with a very real problem to be solved. The results presented exceeded my expectations and I was very impressed with the students’ commitment and level of thought. I want to wish these second-year students the very best in their future”.
The final year work explores a broad range of issues such as mental health and wellbeing, the medical condition dysphagia (difficulty swallowing), sustainable transport, and working from home.
The showcase also reflects the unique evidence-basis of the Design Carlow approach. Design Carlow offers a bespoke learning experience, within a professional studio-based environment and with small class sizes. Each year of the programme has its own studio where lectures take place, facilitating creative collaboration and friendships.
“The Irish design sector is pivoting beyond its traditional roots, drawing on design-led method and practice to address increasingly complex problem-solving for a wide spectrum of service, tech, medical devices and manufacturing sectors”, commented Colin Deevy, Course Director for the Product Design Innovation (PDI) at IT Carlow.
“This years’ showcase reflects our focus in developing design graduates capable of leading innovation in the years ahead. The graduate approach to problem solving and methods used is based on robust applied research practice; their evidence-based design-decision is solidly grounded on data-led analysis and findings. This differentiates the Design Carlow graduate, whose capacity to engage, frame, collaborate and innovate increasingly demark them as leaders within the field of design” added Mr Deevy.
https://designcarlow.ie/index.html
Caption: "Laser Cut Lamp" designed by Billy House in 2016, featured on designcarlow.ie
