The planets were aligned, there was a weird shift in the moon’s gravitational pull, or the internet was broken. These are the only explanations that I can think of for today’s events. Today, despite all logic and sense, I was crowned winner of the Boron Zone in I’m a Scientist.

I wrote last night of my adversary – the formidable Dr Keith Brain. Today he lived up to his role, and I was certain that my cause was lost…

I lay in bed thinking. It was 4am, and the final play for master of the Boron zone was soon to begin. I needed to think of a strategy. Like any general on the eve of a great battle, I reviewed both my own and my opponent’s strengths and weaknesses.  Keith knew his stuff – anything to do with the body or how it worked he had the upper hand on. He also had a sense of humour in his responses; that was another strength of his that I couldn’t out manoeuvre. He was brave – he wasn’t afraid to comment if he disagreed with a point or if he found an error. No help there. Keith went into depth with his answers – sometimes too much depth – this could go either way depending on the question. That I couldn’t count on. He was also unrelenting – from what I could tell he had answered almost every question asked to him – I still had 3 pages left unanswered.

OK, no help looking at my competitor – what about my own strengths?  I’m pretty much online at all times – a personality flaw I shall admit, but this could be invaluable in striking first with newly asked questions (and potential voters!). I can explain things in quite simple terms – perhaps my lacks in knowledge could do me well in only giving the basic, easy to understand answers? I can type quickly – this I could see as my greatest advantage. In the chat on Thursday, I estimate I was answering/posting a comment every 15 seconds for an hour and a half; whilst Dr Brain was rather slow in his responses.  This meant that I could chat to more children, and thus engage with them more. This was sure to be my ace in the hole during the final chat at ten past 2.

I went back to sleep, confident that I was very far from winning, but I could at least give Keith Brain a run for his money. Confidence is a wonderful thing.

I walked into the office with the determination of an old west cowboy. I was going to go in there all guns blazing and go out with a bang.  Pretty soon the ‘ding‘ on my phone signified a new email – more I’m a Scientist questions to answer. I was straight on the website, I picked one out of the list (about half way down – an easy one to get going!) and enthusiastically jabbed at the keys. Submit. I sat back and cracked my knuckles – today was going to be a good day.  Out of curiosity and competitiveness I went  onto Dr Brain’s profile to see what was the last question he has answered (it may be one I hadn’t gotten around to yet) – Bam. He had answered one of the new ones too.

That meant he was online right now. The children were online right now too. The game began.

The next few hours felt like a cross between a high school science lessons and Wimbledon tennis – amazing questions being thrown by the children, whilst myself and Keith dived at the balls, trying to get the first hit, and then trying to strike the winning shot.  Here I felt that Keith played the better game – his answers were fast and consistent, witty and accurate. I could not find a single fault with them (he did however find some faults with mine). I did however manage to sneak some shorter, simpler answers in there now and then; something that maybe might have tipped the game in my favour.

By 2pm I felt Dr Brain had the advantage. He had simply outclassed me. I only had one shot left – the live chat. Here my speed of typing would surely win over the slow responses of my adversary.

As has happened many times in this event, I was one of the first ones in. After a bit of a chat with one of the moderators, Dr Brain made his entrance. We exchanged pleasantries and wished each other the best of luck – there was no malice in our competition, just the will to win. Then I had a major blow to my campaign. After me commenting about how my fingers hurt after typing so much yesterday, Keith explained how he had been on his phone in a meeting during the chat – hence his slow typing. Now he was on a full size keyboard for the first time, and in the brief discussions that followed before the students arrived he proved that he could easily type as quick as I.  I had no advantage. All I had on my side now was enthusiasm and determination.

Luckily it appears that was enough.

With the speed of the chat room, I very rarely got to see Dr Brain’s comments (perhaps I was avoiding looking for fear of being outdone).  Instead I just focussed on answering as many questions as well as possible and getting the students to find things out for themselves – quite a few went and looked through the BLOODHOUND website during the chat, returning with all sorts of great questions.

The moderators (who were just superb) decided to announce the winner live in the chat. I had butterflies. I had more than butterflies. I was sat on the edge of my seat, stomach turning, watching every movement of the chat room – students had remained behind to find out so it was continuously moving.  All of my work colleagues gathered round.. the entire office was silent as we watched and waited.

The time between ‘And the winner of I’m a Scientist 2010 is…‘ and the result seemed to go on forever, and when my name was said the office exploded in a burst of hysteria. I jumped from my seat whooping for joy. That is what science engagement can do to you!

As for my worthy opponent, we exchanged words of commiserations and congratulations, complemented each other on our work and bid each other adieu.

What have I learnt?

I never realised just how captivating, exciting and how simply fantastic science engagement can really be. I loved every minute of it, and would recommend it to any scientist or student. Do it.

The other thing I learnt is that in order to win, you need to have someone to beat.  Dr Keith Brain was as worthy an opponent as they come. Alongside him were Alastair Sloan, Emma Carter and Vicki Stevenson – all fantastic science communicators and all worthy of victory.

The result today could have gone either way in my opinion.  I faced some tough competition, and still don’t know how I came out on top.

Every single scientist involved with IAS2010 is a winner – we have all gained an experience that we shall not forget. I may be the winner, but if all the scientists involved have gained as much as I have, then we are all winners.

Well, somehow I have done it. After two weeks of what can only be described as chaotic, mind-bending euphoria, I have somehow managed to reach the final of I’m a Scientist. How I have managed to do this is one of those questions that I guess I shall never know the answer to, much like why do we all manage to lose at least one sock, and why do we have knees.

In July last year I did the Oxfam Trailwalker – here you have to walk 100km in just one day. This was a test of your endurance, your mental metal and how well you coped under pressure… when I finished that walk, I honestly thought that it would be the biggest challenge I would ever undertake. I was wrong.  Like one of the computer games you played as a child, I feel like I have completed all of the levels and now reached the boss.  I have reached the doorway to success, and guarding it is Dr Keith Brain.

With comments as witty as they are insightful, Keith well deserves this victory. For that matter, all of the other contestants did.  Alastair – the latest casualty of the project – fought hard until the bitter end, teaching me and everyone else lots about bone biology and how bones repair themselves.  Keith though has remained consistent and charming in his replies, and has rigorously questioned anything that he does not initially comprehend.  A man with 5 degrees is not to be messed with.

But wait there just one second.  You don’t get to work on the fastest car in the world if you are willing to give up just because the seas ahead are a little rough.  I say, let the challenge commence!  Like any good movie, I shall not go down without a fight.  I feel like David vs. Goliath, pitting my intimate knowledge of supersonic cars against the heights and depths of Neuropharmacology.

It is me versus the Brain.

Tomorrow the struggle begins, but I shall relent…  I shall answer with a new found enthusiasm all that can be answered, and when the day is done I shall leave with my head held high, no matter whether I have won or lost.  My small ship of knowledge may be no match in size for the good Doctor, but it is fast upon the high seas of the keyboard.  As we enter our last Live Chat at 14.10 tomorrow I shall defend my little battleship to the end.

So… man the cannons!

May the best Brain win.

The project is seeking to be an icon – a way to inspire future generations to take up these subjects and ensure that science is there to lead a way in the low carbon world of tomorrow.

There is however a second hazard in the way. A second tripwire that can cause children to falter when striding towards science and engineering.  What is a scientist?  When you sit down in a classroom with a pen and pencil and a teacher asks you to draw a scientist, what do you draw?  Odds are that it will be an elderly man with white hair wearing a lab coat and holding a test tube.  I know, because let’s face it, it is what most of us would draw.

The exact same goes for engineering.  A colleague of mine in PR at a presentation recently asked the audience to name a famous engineer.  The majority came up with Isambard Kingdom Brunel – no doubt a great engineer, but slightly outdated when it comes to 21st century engineering.

How then do you shed this stereotypical image of science and engineering and get the public – both young and old – to widen their understanding of what a modern day scientist really is?  Well, it appears there is an answer – an amazingly simple answer – get them to talk to the scientists.  I shall explain in a moment.

First though, let us be brutally honest.  Science and engineering seem to have a bit of a barrier when it comes to communication with the outside world.  Not all of this is due to the experts themselves – often research and industrial practices mean that information cannot be freely and easily shared with the masses.  Media has also inevitably played its part in the slow decline of STEM subjects – most seem to be of the opinion that science needs to be ‘dumbed down’ so that everyone can understand it.

This however, is completely the wrong way to do it.  The public loves technology, loves science, and loves engineering.  Quietly there is the whisper of change fluttering in the breeze.  Children out there are fascinated by these pioneering subjects.  They want to learn more, they want to know how things work, why the world behaves the way it does and why their television sets spend more time on celebrity gossip than on scientific discovery.  The people have asked, and the scientific community has sat up and listened.

And so I come back to my earlier question – how do you get rid of the stereotypical view that a scientist carries?  You introduce interaction.  Enter I’m a Scientist.

I’m a Scientist is a novel program that takes 100 scientists from all fields and 8,000 students from across the country and mixes them together.  Split into zones, the students get to ask any – and yes I mean any – question to the scientists.  The scientists then answer, as well as participate in live chats and lively discussions until the students vote them off one by one – leaving one scientist victorious in each zone.

What does the winning scientist get? £500 to spend on a way to increase their engagement with children, but most importantly the title of overruling scientist in their zone.  What do the students get? They get to see that scientists are real human beings, they get to have their questions answered, and get to ultimately make a decision on what they feel is important.

Everybody wins.

That stereotype of a scientist is corrected, and children get to see that science can actually be a cool thing to do.

So why am I telling you all about this?  Well, because through an odd series of events I have ended up as one of those 100 scientists.  Today I watched with amazement and an equal amount of fear as other scientists were bombarded with questions.  I am up against some amazing people – including a researcher in renewable energy, a senior lecturer in bone biology and tissue engineering, a research fellow and a senior lecturer in Neuropharmacology.

Will I win? Perhaps, perhaps not.  All that I can say is that I am waiting on tender hooks for that one question that I cannot answer… It’s the taking part that counts, but saying that I wouldn’t mind being crowned overruling scientist.

Now just as I have finished this post, my phone has bleeped to tell me I have received an email.  I think my first question is in…

Part One > How I got my placement with BLOODHOUND SSC.

A.    Joined the supporters club.

When the project was announced back in October 2008, I was immediately interested.  Actually, interested isn’t the word.  I was wide-eyed-jumping-up-and-down-excited-and-revved-up about the project.  This wasn’t a case of ‘Oo, I could get a placement out of this’, it was a case of ‘wow, this is amazing, I want to be a part of this’ situation.

Within 3 hours of the launch I had signed up to the 1K Club.  This is the supporters club for the project; which allows you to go along to talks by the designers, the driver, the engineers and anyone else who has a hand in the project.  It also gives you exclusive access to news before it breaks, to limited edition merchandise and access to the project from the inside.  Think of it as a supersonic IMechE crossed with a Mechano club without the branded T-shirts.  Except we do have the branded T-shirts.  And polo shirts.  And caps, shirts, jackets, scarves and hoodies.

I know it sounds like I am plugging the 1K Club quite a bit, but it really is worth it, and it was a major contributor to where I am now.  My hat (BLOODHOUND branded hat of course) goes off to Ian Glover who runs it; each event is enormous fun and always amazingly interesting.

Anyway.  I joined the 1K Club.  It was there that I heard Richard Noble talk about the aims of the project and how it was being carried out.  It was there that I saw the story of the design unfold, and it was there that I met John Piper.  I got myself known through these events; and in the end it was that that sealed the deal.

B.    BLOODHOUND@University

Whilst all of this was going on, like any good battle an attack was launched on another front.  By another front, I mean the University, and by attack I mean getting involved.  As the University of the West of England (UWE) was one of the BLOODHOUND Project’s founding sponsors, a project was arranged for students to help design the cockpit for the car.

Now I know that you would immediately raise a few eyebrows about the viability of a group of twenty-somethings designing the office of a 1000mph vehicle, but the entire project was used as a proving ground.  It set about to validate both the idea that student participation would be beneficial, but also that the guys behind the desks in the Design Office were following the right track.  A few fresh minds to a job can often work wonders.  I once again was amazingly lucky – I was one of the ‘fresh minds’ that worked on this project.

Rather than go into depth about the design process itself, I shall merely point you in the direction of the media coverage that was gained from fitting the driver to the mash of MDF.  Incidentally, if you wish to go and see the rig, it is now on prominent display at an excellent exhibition about ergonomics that currently resides at the London Design Museum.

C.    Sent off my CV.

When the time came and the shadow of placement was looming just over the ever approaching horizon, I broached the topic of Industrial Placement with John Piper and the engineering team.  As you can imagine, John is quite a busy man (being lead engineer on a supersonic-world-record-breaking-car isn’t exactly a walk in the park), so I didn’t harass him.  I mentioned that I was looking for something and showed just how keen and enthusiastic I was.

When it came to sending off my CV, I was honest.  There is a lot of misrepresentation and truth-bending with CV writing, and I don’t think that is fair.  Yes, say that you have done freelance graphics work if you have gone and designed some leaflets and posters for a restaurant, but you probably shouldn’t if you have done a headed agenda for your local gardening club.

I made sure that all of the covering letters were polite and respectful (and spell checked!), and used the time in-between correspondents to apply elsewhere.  Granted, BLOODHOUND was my main choice for placement, but I had backup plans.  Always have a backup plan.

D.     Patience.

The hardest part of the entire placement application process is the waiting.  You have sent off your CV and taster page, you have had pleasant conversations with the designers and management, and they have said the second worst line you can hear.  Obviously the worst is ‘no thanks’, but a close second is ‘thank you, we will be in touch’.

Now you have to wait.  And wait.  And wait some more.  The temptation at this point is to ring them or send them an email every few days just to make sure they have read through your polished and well presented profile.  The problem is that doing that will in most cases annoy them greatly, turning your expensively printed CV into the world’s most expensive paper aeroplane.

What I did was use the time productively.  During the response time, I sent off other applications, I kept up to date with all of the latest news on the project, and redid my portfolio for the umpteenth time.  Every three or so weeks I would send an email asking (politely) if there was any update on the application process, but would combine this request with a few samples of recent work.  This was I didn’t sound too desperate, or if I did I still diverted their attention away from it.

E.     The Interview.

Again this is a hurdle that a lot of people tend to fall down at, and without sounding too cocky (and most likely failing miserably) I am never really sure why.  Interviews are about being yourself, or at least making everyone else think that they are seeing you being yourself.  As long as you are relaxed, well rested and reasonably confident in your abilities you will be alright.  Once again, there are thousands if not millions of pieces on interview technique out there, so go take a peak.  I went in to that interview slightly nervous I shall admit, but I was prepared.

I was wearing a full suit; something that not only shows you are taking the interview seriously but also gives you that extra boost of confidence.  I knew every detail about the organisation I was going to and about my own work.  Best of all though I was armed with a freshly printed, £120 portfolio.  It was printed on high quality paper, at an excellent printing shop, and was displayed in a nice case.  It sounds like a lot of money, but this is something I can add to and use again for years to come.  Worth every penny, especially if it makes your work stand out over everyone elses.

And that was it.  Six months later I have travelled the length and breadth of the country, designed test rigs that have been used in South Africa, I have done basic concept work on steering wheels, made models, produced documents, made carry cases and CAD files, learnt drafting and email etiquette, and also learnt that no matter where you end up getting placement; it will most likely be kept afloat by one magical substance.

Part Two > What advice would I give for getting a placement?

1.    Get yourself known.

With social media and networking being in abundance, the easiest way to get yourself recognised is through the internet.  If you are not already on Twitter; join it.  Most big design firms and high profile companies have their own twitter stream – follow them, read what they have to say and ask them questions.  This does not mean bombard them with enquiries, but merely show an interest.  ReTweet stuff you find interesting, send them links to articles and posts that you think they may like.  In the end what may make your name stand out from the rest in a pile of CVs is simply the fact they recognise it.

This goes the same for other forums on the internet too.  Comment on blog posts, look at Tumblr accounts, read their LinkedIn and view their Flickr page.  Again, don’t become their stalker, but do enough that the small voice in their head that says ‘Hmm, I recognise that name’ pops up when they see your cover letter.

2.    Go to meet them.

The majority of design and engineering firms with the exception of the defence industry exhibit at certain points.  Go along.  Not only will you expand your knowledge of the company, but you will also get to see other similar opportunities.  Chat to the designers.  Try to understand why they do and more importantly, how they do it.  This again will help stand out for the crowd, but also give you the reassurance (or perhaps dissuade you altogether) that this is the company you want to work for.

3.    Wording is very important.

A common problem with coming from a design or engineering background is that people seem to have an issue with traditional spelling and grammar.  From personal experience, the number of people who send out letters, CVs and portfolios without spell checking them first is absolutely shocking.  With almost all word processing programmes now having spell checkers built in, there is no excuse for this.
One other problem that you have to sidestep around is the way you word letters.  Naturally be polite, be courteous and be respectful in your tone, but don’t lose all of the individuality in your writing.  You still want to stand out, so keep an element of yourself in the text.  Do not, however great and desirable your skills may be, assume you are already a part of the team.  Making suggestions for improvements or general ideas to companies can go down exceptionally well, but phrasing it in a way that says you are heavily involved in the running of the company can rub people up the wrong way. You – yes. We – no.

4.    Don’t give up.

It is very easy to get disheartened whilst searching for placement.  I saw it happen to some of my closest friends.  They would send out requests, and get rejected, and then have to do it all again.  Do not give up on the chase.  If you get turned down, then thank them kindly and move on.  Still keep in touch with them via point 1 and 2; situations may change in a few years time.  Keep trying, keep sending out requests, and keep your enthusiasm.  Sometimes it is easy to see that someone will get turned down for a placement – they have already given up.

So there we have it.  I cannot guarantee that you will get a placement if you follow these guidelines.  I cannot say that you will go out and get an interview with the first company you follow on twitter.  I am not even going to wish you luck on this one.  You don’t need luck.  You need to believe in yourself, and know you are a good designer.  Who else is going to believe in you if you don’t believe in yourself?

Go now, and produce another draft of your CV.

I am going to go and get a coffee.

Back at the beginning of my first year at University, I was set a challenge.  To be historically accurate, everyone was set a challenge.  An exceptionally talented designer; Duncan McKean, wrote something called The Campus Code.  This involved solving a series of clues in order to locate a silver ring hidden somewhere on the University Campus.

It was this puzzle that got me into puzzle solving and puzzle writing, and for that matter, it was this puzzle that got me into puzzles altogether.  At the end of this month, Duncan McKean, who first laid those seeds of ingenuity, is leaving the country.  To celebrate (or commiserate?) this, I wrote a puzzle of my own and posted it through his letter box in an envelope complete with newspaper-cut-out letters on the front.

Duncan is exceptionally close to solving this challenge, but time is rapidly running out.  Below is the information sent to him.  If you think you are up to the same standard as my good friend Mr McKean, you are welcome to try and solve it also.  There are no more clues than this file, everything you need is contained in the picture.  All that I ask is that you drop me (and/or Duncan) a message if you decode it all.  To quote Airplane – “I just wanted to say good luck. We’re all counting on you.”

Below are listed five free applications for the iPhone that are exceptionally useful for the creative type and that all designers should have.

Units
Sometimes the best design is simple design. This app is one that I use very frequently for all sorts of things, whether when in the workshops, doing research or just in general conversation.

At its most basic it is a conversion tool. Pick any sort of category; length, time, weight, speed, and convert one unit into every other format. Instantly millimetres can be changed into miles and hours into milliseconds. Exceptionally easy to use, simple and a necessity for designers.

Wired
Almost all products since the turn of the new millennia have had a microchip in them somewhere, and those that don’t probably will do soon. Because of this, it makes sense to keep an eye on the latest innovations in technology related products.
With reviews, videos and my personal favourite WIRED blogs, this is a brilliant way to keep on top of tech and inspire you on your next project. It is also a great read when you are sat on the bus in the morning rush hour.

TED
Speaking of inspiration, this is the ultimate source of design related inspiration you will find either on the net or on the iPhone.  TED frequently post talks by creative individuals on a whole range of topics; from inspiration to why they chose to do something in a particular fashion.  All of the videos are well worth a watch and work remarkably well on the iPhone, meaning you are never short of known designers to influence your work.

Bump
Social networking always comes across as sounding dirty. It sounds like something you do to get ahead rather than because you want to get to know people. It isn’t. Bump is a little application that helps you with the networking side of your life.
The way that it works is, like most of the best apps, remarkably simple. You meet someone with an iPhone, you make sure that they have bump too, then you ‘bump’ the phones together. This swaps your contact details, much like handing out a business card.

SketchBookX
There are lots of drawing apps out there, all with varying features and interactivity.  This though is the best one I have found thus far.  The little brother of the £1.79 SketchBook Mobile, this drawing app is like Photoshop for the iPhone.  You can zoom, you can use varying brush sizes and colours, you can even do layers.  Want to do an illustration on the fly? This is the app for you.

What though about the poets? There were those days where the shy poet would sit on the bustling tube train, write some romantic verse and shyly look up. At this point the pretty girl opposite would smile at his emotionally sensitive self, and he would carefully go back to his work, perhaps even daring to glance back once again.

It occurs to me that this will not work with an iPhone (despite extensive attempts by myself and others). When writing on this small black piece of flirting-killing-technology, you either look like you are gaming or answering an email. Neither of these are particularly creative, nor do they impress.

There must be a solution to this. Us poets and creative individuals must unite to devise a way to show that we are different. That we are unique. That we are emotionally sensitive and doing something special with our time.

Will someone please then come up with a solution to this challenge?
How can you make an iPhone not look like an iPhone, without ruining the reasons why you use it in the first place?
This is my challenge to all of you budding designers out there, you who live for a creative problem that not only needs to be solved, but will help you in your everyday life.  Give me a way to hide this piece of geek chic in a sensitive and thought provoking disguise.
Any solutions that are sent in will find a proud home on my blog.  Sketches, doodles, models, working prototypes; all are welcome.

I will leave you with one final thought.  Next time you are on a bus or train and see someone tapping away at their iPhone, pause and think that they may not be chipping their way through the corporate quarry or wasting their time on perplexing puzzles. They may be creating something beautiful, so give them a smile.

Congratulations, you have spent the past two years of your life working your way through your A-levels to gain that small set of silver keys that open the gates to the garden of higher education.  During this time you have had to come to grips with the adulthood that you have been continually being dipped into – rather like a brand new paint brush and a fresh pot of paint with the hue of age – and have tried to develop yourself into the stylish and smooth character who is now going to go and leave their mark on the world.

So with eager hands and wide, enthusiastic eyes, you have unlocked that gate (or perhaps even scaled the barbed wire fence that sits next to it), bounded in, and have landed softly in the garden of a design related course. Bad news though my fresher friend. Your landing spot is no bed of roses; you are sat in a thorn bush. It is time to take all of those preconceptions you had and shred them along with your financial status for the next decade.

What have you let yourself in for? Are you about to be confronted with scented flowers or a vicious guard dog? Here are a few of the realities about the environment you have launched into and some things to remember if you want to really succeed.

Your coursemates are better than you.
Even the most modest individuals tend to enter a course thinking that they are reasonably good. Not necessarily the best designer in the world, but not half bad. You made it onto the course didn’t you? Well one of the hardest truths to swallow is that you aren’t as great as you thought. Your coursemates are stiff competition. There will be someone who’s renderings are hot. You will see them and a little part inside you will hate them. There will be someone who can make gorgeous models, someone who takes amazing photographs and someone who is unbelievably good on CAD.
There are two ways you can deal with this. You can either sulk along and focus on the strengths that you have, or you work your socks off and hone your toolbox of skills. Yes those people are good, but if you can take the fall, you can get running and try keep up with them. Competition is a plus, not a minus.

Sleep is for the weak of mind.
Remember those days where you used to go to bed at eleven and get up at half seven for school, and used to think that you were having it rough? You will long for those times again. Exceptionally late nights will become a thing of habit. Whether deadlines or the rare designer’s social scene, you will be up to the crack of dawn. Then there will be the days where you have to be up at that time to do some extra work.
What you will quickly learn is that naps are invaluable. Twenty minutes here and there will get you through this course.  As a final piece of advice on this point, sleep before a presentation. If you haven’t then be warned; you won’t be competent and may slip up, forget something or just be generally rubbish at answering queries. This happens all too often, so please, please, please get some rest before a presentation.

You will hate your flatmates for not doing design.
By far the most difficult thing to deal with whilst doing a design course is yourself. Moral is almost as important as your skills, and a positive attitude will do you wonders. There is one thing that chips away at this though; the social scene. There is nothing quite so depressing as coming back to your student accommodation at the end of an exceptionally long day of lectures to find that your flatmate has only just gotten up, and that they are now going out whilst you have to stay in and work on that rendering. It sucks.
Once again how you deal with this is up to you, but it never hurts to go and let your hair down once in a while. Your brain needs to recoup sometimes too. It will aid the creative process. Maybe.

You are in charge.
University is a whole other world from school. Whether you turn up to tutorial sessions is up to you, whether you do the work or put in the effort is a personal choice.
Remember though that you are paying to be there. Every session, every lecture, every hour in the workshops is coming out of your pocket, so get your money’s worth. By the time you add up tuition fees, top up fees, living costs, accommodation and every other expense you incur, each lecture costs you roughly £60. Don’t throw that money away because you cannot be bothered to get up that morning.
In addition, you are paying for your tutors. That means that, although some may disagree with this, you are in charge. If you don’t think you are getting good value from them then tell them. Make them work for you, and learn everything you can from them in the process.

Deadlines are like buses.
There is one piece of advice that is given every year to students. It is the one that will help you the most, and is the one that everyone ignores. Start work early. With the sheer amount of work you will have to do, you will most likely pull some all nighters to reach deadlines. Sometimes even the best planning can’t avoid this. There will be a time though when you have a bit of downtime; some ongoing bits and pieces but no imminent hand-ins, so you will take your foot off the accelerator pedal. What will happen though is that three deadlines will suddenly rear their head and you will struggle to cope. If you start the work early then you will end up with a piece of work that shows your effort, and more importantly a piece of work that you are happy with, whilst others are rushing around trying to get theirs done.

There is no such thing as new design.
Every student wants to be the next innovator. The next James Dyson. This can very quickly overwhelm you with work. It is common for a new student to set out to prove themselves and take on a project that is far too big. This can end up with an uncompleted mess rather than a polished project, and is often accompanied by a whole load of stress.
Don’t be afraid to take an existing design and change it. Think of chairs. Few people try to innovate a new way of sitting. Lots design a new style of chair. 95% of design has been done before – use it. Give it your own touch, improve it, make it sexy and call it your own.

Get to know people.
No doubt you have heard the phrase ‘it’s all about who you know’. Well this is more relevant in the design world than anywhere else. Although ‘networking’ sounds like a dirty word, it is something I implore you to work on. Chat to your coursemates, your tutors, the workshop technicians, anyone who is involved in design. Go to design events, to exhibitions and talks. Get yourself known. In the end this may be the thing that helps you the most. The chances are that these people are also a depth of knowledge; the more you can learn from them, the better a designer you will become.
As for your coursemates, these people are going to be your sounding board for the next few years. Make friends and keep an eye on them. Learn their strengths and weaknesses. In group work this will allow you to capitalise on your talents so that you all come out on top.

Don’t underestimate yourself.
When all is said and done, no amount of advice can prepare you for life within the garden of design.  A lot will change, both personally and professionally. When people say that these are the best years of your life they really mean it.  Do not doubt that you can do it. It is not just about becoming a good designer – it is about understanding yourself and what you are capable of.
It is going to be hard, it is going to be tough. You are going to end up pricking yourself on many thorns and probably burning down a few hedgerows. In the end though, if you are keen enough, you will develop into a sculptor of form, an engineer of function and a master of your own creativity. If you are lucky, you may even have a bloody good time doing it…

unted. This is a pivotal moment in the life of many young people, and events in these first few weeks, planned or unplanned, will leave a lasting mark.
One such event is the fresher’s fair, that time when hundreds if not thousands of students pile into a large marquee to get their hands on discounts, memberships and general booty. How can this massive event though, filled with various stalls and promoters, be so bad in terms of design?

Attending one such event, I was exceptionally selective with what I left with, being wary of signing away my personal information and at least attempting to take only the bits and pieces that interested me. I left with six bags.
Scrutinising later, I reduced this number to two – most bags were fairly empty. The first contained items I believed would be useful and that I would use. The second I threw away. That means that even with being selective, I still ended up with 50% rubbish. Not even beginning to talk about the environmental cost of this, that is an enormous amount of wasted money.

So, what was in the bags?

The first bag was full of exceptionally glossy fliers and leaflets.  This seems to have increased recently. Promoters are under the impression that the glossier the paper, the more attention will be paid to them. Wrong. Most had gone seriously over the top on the graphic illustration side, making them busy, indecipherable and eventually a wasted effort as they joined their friends in the bottom of my waste paper basket. Keep it simple and clean. I will receive a hundred of these. If I cannot understand it in three seconds you go in the bag.

Bag number two, the good bag, the bag I was to keep, was mainly full of things that I will not actually keep at all; consumables.  Chocolate, sweets, bananas, cookies; all will be gone in a matter of days with no memory of who gave them to me. Apart from that there were the inevitable discount cards for bars and restaurants (and dominos pizza aplenty) and what I call the ’stationary element’. This consists of anything that has a practical application; pens, mouse mats, bottle openers and even the occasional rubber duck.

So how does this all relate to user centred design?

For a starter, students love freebies. Whether it is because of an underlying rebellious nature or something to do with student economy, if anyone is going to try and get something for nothing it is most likely going to be a student. If you are going to design a stand that will get yourself noticed, you have to appeal to your demographic. The most successful and popular stands were giving stuff away. You give me a nice glossy flier? That will go into a bag. Something I can use though? That I may keep.
But then there is the question of what you give away, and this is where design is key. Consumables are great, but as mentioned earlier they are used and forgotten. A better choice is something practical. If you give a student something that they think they may be able to use in future, then the likelihood is they will do just that.

To begin with, it has to be aesthetically pleasing. Granted the product may be given away in a bag, but it may not. Make it stand out. Glossy products can look expensive (a good way of luring the poor or soon to be poor student) but bright colours also work well.
Then it has to be cheap to manufacture. You may give away hundreds or even thousands of these branded products, so make sure you are not going to regret the financial implications. Some stands make students pay for their products or memberships; a risky strategy, but if the consumer thinks that it will save them money in the long run it may pay off.
But finally, make sure it is practical. Stress balls are a popular choice, but will probably end up in a box on a shelf. You want to design something that will be used regularly, that will be seen often and promote your business.

So what is the general conclusion to draw from this?

If you want to promote yourself at a fresher’s fair then follow several key rules:
Endless flyering will get you nowhere
Entice with something that will make them think they are getting a great deal
Give them something stylish, practical and cheap – a pen, a mouse mat, a bottle opener, or an ingenious product that they know they will need. Look at your desk. How many branded pens do you have?

[Addition]
After writing this I looked through my room to find what I still had from my first year of university; pens, a mouse mat, a keyring torch, some bottle openers, some discount cards, a ruler with a puzzle in it and finally a stress ball, in a box, under my bed.