Design for Development MA

Student achievements

Find out more about the sorts of things our students get involved in, and some of their achievements whilst on the course.

 

Rao Qingfang (Audi Design Foundation scholar)


In April 2009 Rao Qingfang won first prize in the inaugural Ecodesign Student of the Year competition in China. She received the award for her service design – OrganicRepublic.cn – a new service which engages Chinese farmers and consumers collaboratively in sustainable food production and consumption. The Ecodesign student competition was part of the third Eco Design Fair held in Shanghai. Competitors are Chinese students across all design disciplines. The competition aimed to promote awareness of sustainability and challenged design students to address the theme of responsible consumption.


In May 2009, Rao was shortlisted for a Design and Research Internship at Forum for the Future, a UK sustainable development organisation. The internship was required to be able to work effectively across design and research in the innovation team. It was a highly competitive short-listing process – many applications applied for the position and all the applications were of a very high standard.

 

Liani van der Westhuizen (Audi Design Foundation scholar)


During April 2009 Liani van der Westhuizen participated in a two-week workshop entitled ‘Building Communities: Strategies When Building Houses for the Urban Poor’ in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil. Facilitated by Architecture Sans Frontières-UK in conjunction with Dr Alex Frediani of the Development Planning Unit, University College London, the workshop reflected on the impacts of the Ribeira Azul relocation programme. The participants explored different types of initiatives to address the housing crisis of Salvador and worked with local residents to establish how the interventions affected residents’ abilities and opportunities to achieve their housing aspirations.

 

The workshop involved a photo-mapping exercise in which, after carrying out informal discussions with local households, disposable cameras were used to document some of the issues discussed. Focus groups were then held in the communities involved to explore these topics further, and uncover residents’ reactions to the pictures and their interpretations. The group discussions allowed individual views to be explored on a community scale and provided further insight into how problems, common or otherwise, affect each other and the community as a whole. Based on these discussions, each group made a poster expressing its findings, which were shared with the community-based organisation Sociedade Primeiro de Maio.

 

In October 2009 Liani was awarded second place in the Professional Category and won the Green Trophy Award for the most efficient and sustainable design in the OpenThinkBox design competition in South Africa. The competition brief called for the identification and improvement of a societal problem or need in South Africa. Liani’s entry defined a strategy for the coherent integration of urban agriculture into the urban space planning of South African cities, together with the creation of an urban area which attempts to reconnect urban dwellers with their environment.

 

 

Charlotte Coetzee (2007/08 Audi Design Foundation postgraduate sustainable design scholar)

 

Charlotte Coetzee took top honours in Pick n Pay's latest initiative to reduce use of plastic bags. In November 2008, the South African retailer launched a web-based design competition, inviting budding designers to submit designs for a new and stylish eco-friendly Pick n Pay bag.


An expert panel selected the winner and two runners up from the top 10 designs, as judged by Pick n Pay shoppers via the company's website.


The bags will be manufactured by Township Patterns, where women from previously disadvantaged backgrounds are members of cooperatives which they own and manage themselves. Currently, Township Patterns supports 21 women on a regular basis – this is set to increase to 33 by launch date. The bags, which are manufactured from entirely locally sourced natural fibres, will be available in Pick n Pay stores around the country.


Charlotte said, "I am really excited to get my work out there and I love the fact that it will be empowering women and also encourage the re-use of shopping bags".