Kingston Design Students Feed An Olympic Appetite

Second year BA (hons) Product and Furniture Design students at Kingston University had a real challenge this term. The leaders of Kingston's fast expanding and unique course worked with Coillte Panel Products - the Irish Forestry Boards' manufacturing division, producing Medite MDF and SmartPly oriented strand board - to develop a relevant and challenging project for the 40 students, so with design, planning and construction of the London 2012 Olympic Games already well underway, it was the ideal arena for the students to compete in.

The aim
With over 9 million tickets expected to be available over the duration of the event, the students were asked to consider and meet the refreshment and food service needs of Olympic visitors with "An Olympic Appetite" whilst reflecting London 2012's aim to be the first "sustainable" Olympic Games. London is gaining an international reputation as a centre for high quality food using local produce from sustainable sources and the brief explained the huge potential at Olympic venues for a number of suppliers to provide a good quality food experience for visitors with differing budgets, needs and expectations.

The material background
The students were briefed on the materials they could use: SmartPly OSB (engineered structural wood product suitable for many uses including hoarding, flooring, furniture, DIY, farm buildings and other building applications*) and Medite Exterior MDF (an MDF panel developed specifically for use in a wide range of external applications which provides the design freedom of Standard MDF**), and were also taken to Coillte Panel Product's manufacturing facilities in Ireland where their forest ownership, management, harvesting, processing and manufacturing of SmartPly OSB and Medite MDF could be experienced in person.

The challenge
In teams of three, work included designs for furniture, environments, facilities or point-of-sale which enhanced the experience of eating at the Olympic venues. Considerations were many and varied, from user experience and ease of assembly to manufacturability, portability and low transport costs.

Working with existing food companies provided the context for the design proposals and the students quickly understood that brand research was essential for their designs to be successful: customer profiles, USPs, expectations of the customer, the experience offered by the company and how they could enhance the customer experience, were all incorporated.

The results
Simon Maidment, field leader for three dimensional design at Kingston University, said "Designers need be methodical and use common sense, and when a project asks for urban picnic facilities for branded companies without fixed sites, both could be easily ignored. We're really making the students consider their decisions and direction; to be creative and strategic, and the students have risen to the challenge."

The 12 groups presented their concept with scale models and full size details to a panel of judges including Geoff Rhodes, marketing and business development director for Coillte Panel Products, artist and designer Mike Dye and designer and lecturer, John Coles. Three were chosen as the winner of three categories, and two were highly commended. Geoff Rhodes said "It has been a privilege to see the inspired enthusiasm of students who 12 weeks ago knew little food service facilities at the Olympics, and less about OSB and MDF. Working with students and universities is very important to us and having worked with Kingston before, this has been another exceptional project." Mike Dye added "The attention to detail is phenomenal, the students were fired up about their work. Sustainability - from the materials they are using to their designs having life after the event - has really been at the heart of this, and we were most impressed with the standard.

THE WINNING DESIGNS

BEST USE OF MATERIALS: "Twinnings"
Team: Rikako Iwamoto, Helena Karelson, Yu Hun Kim
The team played on a direct relationship between the visual aspect of the "leaves" of the SmartPly OSB and tea leaves. There was real Britishness to the concept and the design suggested a journey from tea chest to tea service.

BEST CONCEPTUAL DESIGN: "Organic Fresh Garden"
Team: Tom Kean, James Shaw, Jenny McBride
The design team saw this Covent Garden based organisation cycling from the centre of London to Stratford. The "cradle to grave" concept was carefully thought out - from organic produce and cycled distribution to "pedal-power" to run a smoothie maker and its eventual home as a composter at local Stratford schools. Using painted Medite Exterior MDF, the design had natural charm and addressed many of the sustainability questions posed.

BEST REALISATION OF DESIGN: "Eat"
Team: Anja Hueltner, Manuela Schuster, Jacky Wu
The "Eat" team had a very strong presentation and an exceptionally logical design. The corporate colours were used to great effect as was the combination of OSB and Exterior MDF, with the smoothly finished SmartPly OSB taking on almost a golden marble quality.

Highly Commended: "Innocent Smoothies"
Team: Dan Rawlings Diane Elston, Ryan Sorrel
An interesting and highly appropriate concept. The dry slot construction demonstrated good attention to detail.

Highly Commended: "Planet Organic"
Team: Geoff Marsh, Ben Atkinson-Willes, Nina Muller
A fresh fruit, market stall approach, with the raw OSB lifted very clean cut-out detail. A strong contender.

16 June 2008