So Jasmine, tells us a little more about yourself and why you decided to study product design
鈥淚鈥檓 a final year design student from the Midlands where I play and coach tag and touch rugby and have a love for fashion, sailing and baking. For me product design gave me the opportunity to combine my love and passion for art and being creative along with being hands on and practical. I never knew that Product Design existed, however when I was researching jobs and potential university courses it seemed perfect for me.聽 Combining engineering skills in a practical and creative way was exactly the sort of work I could envision myself doing in the future.鈥�
What made you choose 蜜桃AV?
鈥淚 was immediately drawn to my chosen course because of the variety of different projects/products other students had produced as part of the course. Other stand out features included the scholarship schemes available, the opportunity to further develop the practical workshop skills I learnt at college and the chance to take part in design shows such as New Designers.
鈥淏ut, the main reason I chose 蜜桃AV was because the lecturers have a vast amount of industrial experience and as a 蜜桃AV student you have the opportunity for a placement year.
鈥淚 had an incredibly rewarding 13 month placement at Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) which I enjoyed immensely. I worked in a variety of different departments, joining the undergraduate team to design a JLR jet ski which, once complete, was presented to the Directors, moving on to the Digital Visualisation and Animation department, the Programme Management department, Colour and Materials design and finally the Clay Modelling department.鈥�
Part of your BA (Hons) Product Design course is taking part in 蜜桃AV鈥檚 FoDE, where students showcase their designs, models and prototypes. Can you talk us through your project and your reasons for choosing this subject area in particular?
鈥淢y project is a device that enables girls/women in developing countries to produce their own sanitary pads out of natural and biodegradable materials. The project focussed on reducing the negative stigma of menstruation whilst enabling girls/women in developing countries to continue with their education. Safety and independence for those using the product was also vital. I achieved this by creating an easy to use product that didn鈥檛 require charities to make continual updates or changes.
鈥淚 chose this subject area as it is becoming increasingly topical. I wanted to be amongst the first wave of designers to tackle the immense problem of period poverty and to help to make a difference. I believe in this day and age it is unacceptable that girls still do not have access to education purely because they are female.鈥�
What do you think are the benefits of taking part in the FoDE?
鈥淟ast year I attended the festival as a visitor and it enabled me to gain a better understanding of what was expected of me in my final year and provided me with plenty of inspiration for future projects.
鈥淭he FoDE will be a great end to a tough year, and will provide an occasion to celebrate the progression we have made as a year group.聽 It is also a fantastic opportunity to gain exposure within the industry and to showcase the last 4 years of hard work to industry experts, other designers and of course friends and family.鈥�
Where to next? What are your career plans?
鈥淚 am currently in the process of applying for jobs and graduate schemes, with the hope of applying and developing the skills I have learnt throughout my time at university and in particular during my placement. Ideally I would like to remain in design or move into project management as I believe that the skills I have gained whilst organising the FoDE and whilst working at JLR suit either of these potential career paths.
鈥淚n the future I would love to remain working for luxury brands, such as JLR, and am open to possible career opportunities working abroad 鈥� something I have always longed to do. Whilst on placement I realised how wide the field of design is and I look forward to exploring it further during my career.鈥�