Making your start-up work

All you really need to cook up a brand is IPR

Industrial Design professionals, students and design enthusiasts have until 31 March to submit their project entries for BraunPrize 2012, the international competition for innovative product designs. Under the slogan “Genius design for a better everyday”, this year's BraunPrize concentrates on the increased relevance of well-designed products that help improve all aspects of everyday life by focusing on fewer but better solutions to help us live our lives. With this in mind, BraunPrize 2012 is looking for i

In a design collaboration with mechanical engineer Gary Peplow, BDI member Nick Dearden harnessed the power of the internet to demonstrate the visual business case of their Deardens Jupe expanding table – and received over 22,000 thousand hits, including commercial sales enquiries from trade and private buyers.

British Design Innovation (BDI), the UK’s representative organisation of Industrial Designers involved in product, service and interaction design, has voiced its support for the Design Commission's call for the creation of a national design strategy in the UK.

National BDI director Phil Gray flew the flag on behalf of BDI and the Industrial Design sector at the inaugural BIP Asia (Business of Intellectual Property Asia Forum) in Hong Kong on 2 December. The event attracted nearly 800 IP professionals and government officials to discuss present and future developments in Asia’s IP market.

The Land Trust is launching an international competition to find the most inspirational design and funding team to create a new visitor destination and public open space at the former Cronton Colliery in Knowsley, Merseyside. The competition is in two stages; the deadline for Stage 1 submissions is Wednesday 15 February.

The Design Commission has launched its inaugural report, Restarting Britain: Design Education and Growth, an exploration and statement on the relationship between the UK’s world-leading design education system and economic growth in the 21st century.

There’s no better way to obtain new clients than through personal recommendation, so BDI member Hyphen Design, the Bethnal Green-based product development consultants, has launched its Hyphen Ambassadors Referral Reward Scheme.

BDI member Sorcit, the Nottingham-based product design, sourcing and prototyping consultants with offices in China, has created a collapsible water butt that not only enables householders to install a comprehensive water conservation system simply and easily, but also uses ‘smart’ materials to define its USP. The HUGO water butt system was a triple award-winner at Glee, the annual trade show for the garden and leisure industries, and was awarded Best in Show.

The European Pricing Platform, the independent body focused on widening the scope of pricing as a strategic competitive advantage in a wide variety of industries and sectors, has announced the European Best Pricing Master Thesis Award 2012. Closing date for submissions is 09.00 hrs (CET) on Friday 31 August.

To coincide with the government’s innovation and research strategy for growth, the Design Council has published Design for Innovation, a document containing facts, figures and practical plans for growth.

Designers have only a few weeks left in which to enter the 50th D&AD Awards. Categories include branding, digital design, graphics, outdoor advertising, packaging and product design. The entry deadlines are 1 February (professional) and 9 March (student).

Jonathan Ive, the Industrial Designer behind Apple's iMac and Macbook computers and the iPod, iPhone and iPad, has been knighted by HM The Queen in the New Year’s honours list for raising the standards of Industrial Design and championing British talent abroad.

Revo's Heritage multi-format digital radio – designed by award-winning product design consultancy Dekode, a member of BDI – is featured in the Let it Live television campaign currently being aired on BBC Television.

BDI member C-Tech Innovation, the Chester-based innovation, science and technology consultancy, demonstrated its latest ohmic heating technology at the recent opening of the company’s expanded R&D facilities. Guests included local businesses, HEIs and the chairman of the Science & Technology Select Committee at the House of Commons.

tangerine has been appointed by one of Asia’s leading airlines, Asiana, to design the first class, business class and travel class cabins - the work explores all aspects of the customer experience.

British Airways have invested £100 million into its flagship brand First. Drawing on its rich heritage BA has created an exclusive experience based on classic design and understated luxury. tangerine worked together with design agency forpeople, to deliver the next generation of luxury travel for BA First passengers. Together they created a passenger experience that optimises the space and created a unique product that clearly differentiates BA First in it’s market. A new level of luxury that conveys BA’s v

The $10 million Qualcomm Tricorder X PRIZE is a global competition to revolutionise healthcare through the development of handheld mobile devices that give consumers instant access to their state of health. Teams will develop technology innovations in areas such as artificial intelligence and wireless sensing that enables medical diagnoses independent of a physician or healthcare provider.

BDI director Professor Phil Gray gave a “one-day roadshow” presentation to the Life Science Faculty at the Open University on 31 January as part of BDI’s outreach initiative to engage with universities. He demonstrated how early industrial design interventions can influence the research process towards relevant successful outcomes.

BDI member C-Tech Innovation, the Chester-based innovation, science and technology consultancy, is leading one of nine new research and development projects to develop the next generation of environmentally-friendly chemicals. The scheme aims to support projects that will create innovative processes to generate high-value chemicals through biotechnology. Innovation Norway is providing additional funding of £400,000.

Edinburgh-based BDI member Shore Design has completed the design and development of a next-generation interspinous device for client QSpine. The company, which specialises in all aspects of the spinal market, approached Shore Design for a product that was more than just an interspinous spacer, requiring a dynamic stabilisation system that worked in both flexion and extension. The result is the QSpine dynamic spinal stabilisation device.

Entry is now open for the IET Innovation Awards, bestowed annually by the Institution of Engineering and Technology. The entry deadline is 31 July. Last year’s IET Innovation Awards attracted a record 420 entries from around the globe, each demonstrating different innovations encompassing a broad range of industries.

BDI member David Morgan Associates (DMA), the award-winning luminaire design consultancy, is to present its new Radiant 3D LED Flex linear system on stand M32 at the ARC Show, the architectural, retail and commercial lighting event being held at the Business Design Centre London from 29 February to 1 March. DMA recently installed 350m of Radiant 3D LED Flex linear lighting in a concert hall in Azerbaijan.

BDI member Greenwich Design, the London-based strategic branding consultancy, has rebranded Shell Gas (LPG) UK to AvantiGas, following the national utility company's acquisition by American-owned UGI Corporation. Greenwich Design delivered the comprehensive start-up brand programme – from devising the company name and designing the identity to creating the website, vehicle livery, press ads and sales literature – in just eight weeks.

In a bid to deliver the first offshore “solar farm” in the world, BDI member Pauley launched its innovative marine solar cell technology to great acclaim at the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi last month. Pauley’s Marine Solar Cells (MSCs) are hybrid solar and wave energy generators with the potential of establishing offshore photovoltaic power generation.

National BDI director Professor Phil Gray is to represent the Industrial Design profession at a major gathering of national business, government and university representatives on 23 February. 'The Next Steps for UK Research and Innovation' will bring key government policymakers together with business sectors that rely on research and stakeholders from universities to discuss the future of research and innovation policy in the UK. The event is hosted by Westminster Business and Higher Education Forum.

The Technology Strategy Board is to invest up to £5m in collaborative research and development that encourages innovative solutions to some of the higher-risk challenges facing the UK aerospace industry. A further £1m will be available from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) for projects with a significant high-quality academic research component. The competition opens on 13 February and compulsory expressions of interest must be submitted by 21 March.

The Third International Pro Carton Design Award honours new unrealised design ideas in cartonboard applications, and is open to students. Participation is free of charge to anyone undergoing training. The official closing date is 5 February.

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council has presented a trophy to British Design Innovation (BDI) in recognition of their support for HKTDC's Think Asia, Think Hong Kong promotion http://www.thinkasiathinkhk.com/en/index_en.htm last September. More than fifty Hong Kong partners and British organisations took part in the week-long event to demonstrate the businesses opportunities available to British companies utilising Hong Kong as their preferred strategic partner.

Winter is the peak season for boilers breakdowns in the home due to blockages in the condensate pipe, which result in a failure of central heating systems and hot water supply. In a collaborative partnership between Nottinghamshire-based heating engineer Adrian Morley and BDI member Canard Design, the product design and engineering consultancy came up with a solution within one year that retails at £89 but could save homeowners and fitters thousands of pounds in repair bills.

The French marque Renault will be visiting four UK university campuses with their two seater Twizy in February to promote a student design competition based on the 100% electric runabout . The lucky first prize-winner will receive enough money to cover a years’ worth of tuition fees. The competition ends on 20 February and winners will be announced on 16 April.

The Design and Technology Association is calling for support to ensure policymakers are aware of the value of Design and Technology (D&T) in the National Curriculum, following publication of ‘The Framework for the National Curriculum – a report by the Expert Panel for the National Curriculum review.’ This recommended that D&T should be removed from the National Curriculum and become part of the Basic Curriculum. The Design and Technology Association believes this to be a serious mistake.

The Defence Science & Technology Laboratory (Dstl) seeks ideas, knowledge and innovations to maintain a winning edge for the UK’s armed forces. Dstl works with the best people with the best ideas around the world, from very small companies to world-class universities and huge defence contractors. Together they develop technologies based on deep and widespread research to support UK military operations now and in the future.

The 2012 edition of the R&D 100 Awards marks a milestone: The 50th anniversary of the technology awards known as “The Oscars of Innovation.” The editors are now accepting entries for this year's awards. Winners last year included a differential scanning calorimeter, a phased array radar panel and a bridge constructed from recycled plastic. Entry deadline is 16 March and the competition is open to industry, academia and government-sponsored research from any country.

The Sign Design Society is to hold an international conference on signing and wayfinding at the University of Greenwich on 11 April. "Dateline London: The world is coming" is aimed at planning and wayfinding professionals, and will discuss how London will cope with the challenge of hosting the London 2012 Olympics.

Nano4Design Workshops are hosted by the Nanotechnology KTN, who are following up their successful Nano4Sport inaugural event with a Nano-enhanced Textiles workshop in London on 28 February. The workshop highlights key developments in embedded electronics, smart materials and surface coatings technologies that enable interactivity and protection from moisture, shock and wear-and-tear.

Citi has partnered with the Financial Times and INSEAD to sponsor the FT/Citi Ingenuity Awards: Urban Ideas in Action, a global program to recognise ingenious solutions to urban challenges in the fields of education, energy, healthcare and infrastructure. Entry deadline is 31 March.

A one-off £2m funding competition for technology-inspired innovation is to open on 12 March for small and micro companies working independently or in collaboration with a partner. Projects can last up to four months and are eligible for grants of up to £25,000. A briefing event for potential applicants will be held in London on 20 March.

Industry professionals, students and schools have until 27 April to enter the Starpack Awards 2012. Now in their 53rd year, the Starpack Awards recognise innovation in packaging design and technology and are open to packaging and design professionals, students and schools. Hosted by the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3), the event recognises innovation, promotes best practice in packaging design and champions consumer needs while supporting the environment.

In this 15-minute RSA lecture from BBC Radio's Four Thought series, Gerard Darby argues that creativity is just as vital in science and engineering as it is in art and drama, but that the present education system is undermining it and is in urgent need of reform. He highlights some novel approaches, and explains why this matters for the individual, for our wider society and for the economy.

BDI member Renfrew Group International, the Leicester- based Industrial Design consultancy, has delivered the Meditrox 100, a powerful new and innovative hospital sanitiser, in a collaborative partnership with client Steritrox, who developed a patented system capable of removing airborne and surface-borne infection from a hospital ward or operating theatre quickly and efficiently.

As part of the Cambridge Innovation Festival, Wright Design Limited have successfully achieved 3 of the 20 finalist products in the Design Icons exhibition at the Anglia Ruskin University.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), one of the world’s top-rated universities, has announced free courses which can be studied and assessed completely online. An electronics course, beginning in March, will be the first prototype of the online project, known as MITx. The interactive course is designed to be fully automated, with successful students receiving a certificate. MIT says it wants MITx to “shatter barriers to education”.

The James Dyson Award 2012 is now open for entries. THE BRIEF: design something that solves a problem. THE PRIZE: £10,000 to you and £10,000 to your university department. ENTRY DEADLINE: 2 August 2012.

Designers have until 10 April to enter the second Core77 international design awards, with an early-bird discount deadline of 13 March. Entries can be submitted online. Categories for the New York-based awards include consumer design, DIY, furniture and lighting, interaction, interiors and exhibitions, packaging, service, social impact, strategy and research, transport and visual communication.

Hosted by Good Design Australia, the Australian International Design Awards set an international benchmark of design excellence and quality in products and services and are recognised as the country's major design and innovation assessment and promotion vehicle. Deadline for entries is 30 March.

The Technology Strategy Board and the Office for Low Emission Vehicles are to invest up to £25m in collaborative R&D and demonstration projects that will accelerate the commercialisation of low carbon vehicles. Low Carbon Vehicles: the road to market will encourage a reduction of costs in the supply base and a faster adoption of new technologies. The deadline for expressions of interest is 28 March.

The list of things that contain rare earths is almost endless, from smartphones and hybrid vehicles to cordless power drills and cruise missiles – they‘re one reason why so many electronic devices have become so small. But over the next decade China, which supplies 97 per cent of the world‘s rare earth needs, is expected to steadily reduce exports in order to protect supplies to its own industries, which already consume about 60 per cent of the rare earths produced there.

The Make it in Great Britain Challenge is a nationwide competition that aims to identify innovative British pre-market products, processes and concepts. Winning entries will form part of this summer’s Great British Manufacturing exhibition at the Science Museum London.

In advance of the Budget on 21 March, former CBI director-general Richard Lambert has urged the government to retain the research and development (R&D) tax credit scheme. All of the UK’s major competitor countries have such a scheme, and the CBI is worried that the UK will lose business abroad if the programme is scrapped.

In a collaborative partnership with NHS Blood and Transplant Services (NHSBT), BDI member Renfrew Group International, the Leicester-based Industrial Design consultancy, has designed a completely new type of user-centred phlebotomy chair that enhances the blood donation experience for donors and phlebotomists alike. The Donation Chair is now undergoing national trials in NHS phlebotomy clinics and mobile centres.

BDI member Greenwich Design, the London-based strategic branding consultancy, has implemented a global signage project for client HSBC.

The free-to-enter Plastics Industry Awards are now open and include three design-specific categories supported by British Design Innovation (BDI): consumer product design, industrial product design and the young designer award. Online submissions can be made by visiting www.plasticsawards.com. Entry deadline is Friday 15 June.

Europe needs to bridge the gap between university researchers and innovative industries if high-end technologies are to help solve major challenges. That was the message entrepreneurs had for the European Parliament as MEPs prepare to reshape the EU’s seven-year research funding landscape which begins in 2014, in response to the European Commission’s €80bn Horizon 2020 R&D programme.

Nominations by design, technology and service providers for the third annual BritWeek UKTI Business Innovation Awards are due by Friday 16 March. Companies based anywhere in California or the United Kingdom may apply, provided they have operations in both places. Five prestigious awards recognise business innovations in design, technology, service provision, marketing and communications, and philanthropy.

A new programme will invest over £10 million in new research and development to help demonstrate that wave and tidal energy can be generated at scale, and with lower energy production costs. The Marine Energy – supporting array technologies competition opened on 5 March and a briefing event will be held in London on 14 March. The deadline for registration is 10 April and expressions of interest must be submitted by 17 April.

Hard on the heels of Sir Terence Conran’s £7.5m donation to develop a new home for the Design Museum by 2014, and the government’s creation of a network of Catapult technology and innovation centres, the French government has announced its intention of launching a set of similar initiatives.

Designers only have until 12 March to visit France’s Observeur du Design exhibition at the Cité des sciences et de l'industrie in Paris. Inaugurated in 1999 by the APCI (Agency for the Promotion of Industrial Design), the annual exhibition aims to highlight and reward a selection of the best collaborative creations between companies and designers. The show attracts over 200,000 visitors.

Rail technology manufacturer Bombardier Transportation has launched its online YouCity innovation competition, which invites Industrial Design, engineering and technology professionals, students and other visionaries to help shape the future of mobility in cities around the world. The registration deadline for teams of up to five members is 13 May. Winners will be invited to Berlin to develop a joint proposal for the future of urban mobility to be presented at InnoTrans 2012 in September.

Opposition leader Ed Miliband has urged for more “patriotism” in government policy to boost manufacturing industry in the UK, and backed calls for an official Business Investment Bank and Made In Britain logo. In a speech to the Engineering Employers’ Federation (EEF) in London, he said, “There are three words we don’t hear enough, or see enough. Those three words are ‘Made in Britain’. We can’t recognise or celebrate our strength in manufacturing unless we know what is designed, invented and made here.

Businesses, charities, schools, social enterprises and individuals are urged to enter the UK Technology4Good Awards, a national competition hosted by AbilityNet and BT to encourage digital inclusion in the community. Free to enter, the awards are promoted by creative industries minister Ed Vaizey. Entry deadline is 18 May.

Ryan Jacoby of IDEO gave a talk at NYU/Poly last year called Leading Innovation: Process Is No Substitute. It points to the tensions found in companies between “right-brainers” espousing design, design thinking and user-centered approaches to innovation, and “left-brainers” – the more spreadsheet-minded among us, who pay good money to Industrial Design consultancies to implement concepts and processes into their organisations.

Arm Holdings of Cambridge has unveiled what it describes as the “world’s most energy-efficient microprocessor” design. The firm says that microcontrollers based on its Flycatcher architecture will pave the way for the “internet of things” – the spread of the net to a wider range of devices. Arm says it went back to the drawing board to create the new processor cores, which measure just 1mm x 1mm in size and potentially enable all devices to remain permanently connected.

The China Red Star Design Award is organised by the Beijing Industrial Design Center (BIDC) to introduce good design into China and internationalise Chinese design. Over 5,000 products from 16 countries and 24 domestic provinces were entered for last year’s award. The call for submissions is open from 15 March until 30 June.

The Devolve Me app launched by BDI's University Design Industry Partnership (UDIP) member The Open University hit 1m uploads this month. The multi-award winning app was created in order to attract students to science courses. Devolve Me enables users to upload portraits that “devolves” to display a more primitive version of their features. A Google Images search shows how many users are posting pictures of their devolved selves.

Genius Crowds, the rapidly growing consumer-focused ideas development, collaboration and co-creation portal has teamed up with Creative Barcode – the UK concept protection and safe-disclosure system used by innovators and creators worldwide.

Every year since 1953 the globally-recognised iF seal of quality has been awarded to the very best practitioners of product, communication and packaging design. All three categories in the iF design awards 2013 follow exactly the same schedule, with the same registration deadline, the same jury date and the same grand awards ceremony. Successful companies use the iF design awards as a seal of quality and, most importantly, as a marketing tool for their products.

The Industrial Design profession’s national representative organisation in the UK has appealed for designers to band together a share a new ‘common interest’ platform. British Design Innovation (BDI) is concerned that product, service and interaction designers will lose ground to other countries and rival sectors if they don’t all work together much more closely in future.

Entries for the second Quality in Care (QiC) Diabetes awards are invited from industry, the NHS and patient organisations. The 15 award categories for initiatives and programmes launched since January 2008 recognise outstanding innovations that deliver high and improved standards of care for people with diabetes in the UK. The entry deadline is Friday 25 May.

The government has confirmed last year's budget announcement that nine university-based Centres for Innovative Manufacturing are to be created. Although Industrial Design is the only profession whose commercial expertise embraces manufacturing, innovation, technology, engineering, strategic planning, IP and commercialisation, it still remains unclear how closely these universities and associated stakeholders will consult with British Design Innovation (BDI) about implementation, advice and assistance.