Design Innovation in Plastics Competition
Established in 1985, Design Innovation In Plastics is now the longest running student plastics design award in Europe. It is co-organised by the Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining (IOM3) and the Worshipful Company of Horners, an ancient City Livery Company that has forged strong links with the plastics industry.
Both IOM3 and the Worshipful Company of Horners play important roles in the field of education, and this award was set up to encourage plastics design innovation and best practice in our future product designers.
The competition is launched in October each year and is open to all undergraduate and postgraduate students registered in the UK.
Further information is also available from Sylvia Katz, Award Co-ordinator.
2011 competition
The theme of the 2011 competition, Design4Fun: Putting Pleasure Back into Design, challenged undergraduate and postgraduate students to create a product that solves a real problem and puts fun into the lives of the users.
The design might be a solution to an existing problem, or a new way of injecting enjoyment into an activity. It might exploit emerging technologies or use material properties in a novel way.
The winner was Lewis Pearson, with a shelving system that makes reading more enjoyable for 3-6 year olds by tilting as books are added or removed from the shelves. In second place was Russell Tuit with an electronic game to turn shopping into a game for young children, and in third place was Bumki Cho with a chair that secures personal belongings.