Towcester students' pet projects chosen for design competition

Design students from Towcester have been selected to pit their wits against other young inventors after battling for a top creative award.
GCSE student India Leask  with her dog-feeding stationGCSE student India Leask  with her dog-feeding station
GCSE student India Leask with her dog-feeding station

A Level and GCSE students from Sponne School presented their creations to the Rotary judges for the local heat of the Rotary Young Designer Competition 2017.

Judges graded the students’ designs on technical merit, commercial viability, research, cost structure and ease of manufacture, as well as the overall finish of the prototype presented.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Integrated into the A level and GCSE curriculum, The Rotary Young Designer Competition helps students showcase their creations and receive constructive feedback.

Kit Thurman with her wall-mounted cat furnitureKit Thurman with her wall-mounted cat furniture
Kit Thurman with her wall-mounted cat furniture

After each student was quizzed about their designs, and how they could build in any improvements, the judges finally awarded their top prizes.

GCSE student India Leask’s design of a dog feeding station won top place in her category.

Her idea, to bring the food up to a more convenient level for a dog to eat from - and to provide storage space for treats and food caught the judging panel’s imagination.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

They said: “As always there was a range of highly creative and original ideas.

Kit Thurman with her wall-mounted cat furnitureKit Thurman with her wall-mounted cat furniture
Kit Thurman with her wall-mounted cat furniture

“India’s prototype was finished to a very high level and was aesthetically very pleasing to the eye.

“It could also be very easily adapted to various different heights for various breeds so confirming a good commercial product.”

Also on a pet theme, A level student, Kit Thurman’s wall-mounted cat furniture was chosen.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The panel said: “The driving force behind this was the need to create a space for a cat which could be ‘dog free’ – to create an area where a cat could go and play and dogs would not be able to gain access.”

The wall-mounted furniture consisting of walk ways, play areas and a sleeping area as well as a feeding area was designed by Kit to be a personalised, cat furniture play area.

Both Kit and India will now be entered into the District final of the Young Designer competition which will take place at Leicester De Montfort University (DMU)in June.

The district final winner will get 12-months mentoring from DMU and the chance to take their creation to market.

Related topics: