Made in Brunel since 2006
Every year since 2006 Made in Brunel has been giving itself a fresh rebrand to reflect its current design students and their values. The annual rebrand is done by the new MiB teams, who create new merchandise, event programs, and produce the new book to catalogue the years work, as well as running our renowned end-of-year Graduate Showcase in Central London.
And every year we get better, taking the reins from our predecessors and building on their successes.
2021
Above the Fold
A front page story
Printing a new chapter in the Made in Brunel story, Above the Fold was created. It could not have been done without the grit and resilience of this year's team. Following on from the years before us, the team have faced many challenges, adapting to host the first online launch, merchandise shop, sketch off and 24hour design challenge. We were also proud to debut the Made in Brunel Podcast, and the Bake Off. Through all the hard work we have gained an understanding of the collaborative community at Brunel. As a cohort we have a drive and passion to succeed together by encouraging success, but also supporting each other through adversity by building relationships in a tough time and offering a shoulder in an otherwise isolated year.
An Award Winning Brand
Made in Brunel: Above The Fold has won the 2021 C2A, Creative Communication Award, for Brand Identity / Branding. The team worked incredibly hard on the brand and their work has paid off by winning the award.
Visit the C2A Website
Livestreaming The Final Showcase
Introducing MiB TV: A way for everyone to be able to take a look at the students work, for those who couldn't attend the in-person final showcase.
Watch the Broadcasts
10 Years At The Bargehouse
The Bargehouse has been the home of our final showcase for the last 10 years. Each year's brand has brought their identity and the students' work to showcase what they've been working on to the public.
2020
We Are
We Are Made in Brunel
2020 has been a very different year. The COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown it caused in March meant that, for the first time in the history of Brunel Design, the final year students were not able to complete their major project prototypes in the departmental workshops and, as a first since Made in Brunel was launched in 2006, the exhibition could not be held in the physical world. It was under these circumstances that our strong culture of collaboration made all the difference. This year we became ‘We Are Made in Brunel’, bringing the focus back to us, the students that empower it.
2019
Futures
It is our designers who can dictate what lies ahead. Alternative, progressive, responsible.
In one respect, we can understand ‘Futures’ as the multiple futures we can create. However, ‘Futures’ also has a profound link to our environment. We are in a generation teetering on the edge of environmental tipping points. We are in the position to influence which path of causality humanity will go down. We have a drive to fix the problems of the past that have been created by bad design.And finally, it is ‘Futures’ because we design with foresight. We must predict problems and offer alternative solutions even before the cracks have begun to show.
MiB's All-New Reports
A Made in Brunel first; the Web Managers entered into the world of design journalism to bring you the latest trends, reports on special events, exhibitions, and industry talks and interviews.
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Pop-up at the Arches
Made in Brunel gave you a little teaser before our big end-of-year showcase. Members of the public were invited to come along to the Hoxton Arches on March 19th – 30th 2019 to see some of the projects our designers had been working on, in our temporary exhibition of “Responsible Futures”.
4000 followers, and counting
We had great success with social media outreach in 2019. On instagram we hit the 4000 mark, and before the end of the year it was already teetering on 4500! There was awesome coverage of everything from the 24hr design challenge, the Dezeen Design Awards, showcases, and updates from Made in Brunel's first ever trip to Milan Design Week!
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2018
Emerging
The next generation of design innovation
Our identity encapsulates how we as a year group have grown, developing into an eclectic group of designers who are ready to help shape the design industry.
Ideas Factory
On 24th March 2018 we hosted ‘IDEAS Factory’, our annual pop up event at the Oxo tower! People came down to be inspired and create new ideas, and fun designs with our Brunel students. There were lots of refreshments and things to do.
Democratisation of Production
Within the last decade, there has been a drastic shift in the world of production, pushing towards a democratisation of knowledge and tools for production and design for manufacture. (Wolf, 2012)
24hr Design Challenge
24 Briefs in 24 Hours. Students participated in a number of industry design challenges, spreading across six 4-hour time slots. Cadburys, Orange, Chanel and L’Oreal made up just a few of the companies that provided some of the briefs for the event.
2017
Redefining [ ]
We are Redefining [Made in Brunel]
As designers, we aim to redefine every project we undertake. We constantly question everything, make new definitions, and look at everything we do with a fresh outlook. Just like us, the blank space in our tagline represents the opportunity to challenge the norm, and produce some unique and innovative things.
The First Sketch-Off
On the 18th January, Made In Brunel hosted our first ever ‘Sketch Off’ competition. A group of students from the design course competed in 4 quick fire sketching challenges, competing to win the title of best sketcher at Brunel. A group of guest judges from the industry attended the event, including two product developers from Disney, the design director at Geometry Global, and Brunel Alumni, the founder of tone design consultancy.
Redefining [ A Private View ]
Made in Brunel curated an exhibition at London's Design Museum shortly after it had opened, making Brunel the first university to have an exhibition there. The event explore how we can redefine materials, the future, and an average day. The theme was explored with interactive displays and artefacts for the invitees to get involved with.
Great success at New Designers
Sophie Copley was awarded a number of prizes for Little Heroes, including the Mars Chocolate Design Thinking Award and the New Designers Gleeds Associate Prize for the designer best demonstrating lateral thinking, during the 2017 New Designers festival. Children wanted an exciting gown that they could relate to; staff wanted improved access to key parts of patient’s bodies; and everyone wanted improved patient dignity and comfort. “Giving young children the opportunity to become a superhero encourages them to feel empowered, strong and able to fight their fears during their pre-op experience, and play is encouraged as a form of treatment.”
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2016
Breaking Ground
To initiate a new venture; advance beyond previous achievements.
We have been fortunate enough to embark upon this opportunity to learn and communicate to the world what Made in Brunel means to us and that we can change the world through the power of good design. A collection of ground breaking ideas and innovative solutions.
Craft Cafe
London is growing at a rapid rate, with an expected population of 9 million by 2020. Growing with it are technology, culture and the economy, but Made in Brunel ask the question: is anything getting left behind? With the public's help, creativity and compassion, the Made in Brunel team physically mapped out an improved London, targeting five key areas such as social interaction in a connected age and lack of space in an increasingly populated city. The workshop helped visitors envision their own ideas of a better future London through meeting the students, sparking conversation and modelling ideas three dimensionally.
Thoughts From AI on Replacing Humans
Humans are prone to making mistakes. The imperfect non-machines even believe that mistakes improve their lives. We machines are superior to humans in almost every way.
When Designers Take Sides: Are We Creating Infographics or Propaganda?
We have never lived in an age where information has been more accessible. The Internet, in particular, has imbued us with a sense of total omniscience – the answers to all of our questions are always just a few clicks away. But is all as it seems?
2015
Fresh Perspectives
Authentic, empathetic, insightful, driven, energetic
We are Made in Brunel. We change things. We are authentic, excited about what we do. We are serious when we need to be, but don't be fooled. We are energetic, inspiring new ways of thinking. We are driven towards solving real problems. We are insightful dreamers, creating the conceptual, observing the invisible, and researching the impossible. We don't do this alone, we do this with people. Because the world needs designers who can be empathetic, constantly refining, constantly improving, but always with Fresh Perspectives.
Cara O'Sullivan Evolvable Walking Aid Kit
The evolvable walking aid aims to provide a long-term and affordable solution to mobility rehabilitation across developing regions of the world in the form of a modular walking aid kit which can be tailored to suit the needs of a user as their condition changes. The design can be assembled to create walking sticks, walking frames or crutches. It utilizes the global availability of timber pallets. The initial prototype of this design cost less than 60 pence in materials and used only hand-tools which was a major breakthrough in making it accessible to people in developing regions.
Repurposing Domestic Kitchen Waste by James Seers
The aim of this project was to develop a solution to the problem of the incorrect disposal of FOG in a domestic setting, through a product or system that fits seamlessly into the current kitchen set up and allows for collected waste to be repurposed once collected.
Algae Cultivating Facade by Ray Wilkes
The aim of this project was to design a new building façade that will cultivate micro algae and produce biodiesel. This was a collaborative project with Astudio architects and Sustainable Now Technologies. The core principle is to absorb CO2 from the atmosphere and produce biomass. The biomass is then processed to yield biodiesel which can fuel the buildings mechanical plant. This project investigated the growth characteristics of UK native algae strains and designed an appropriate architectural element to optimise algal productivity. Each algae unit has the potential to sequester 156Kg of CO2per year –the equivalent carbon sequestration of 76 trees.
2014
Only the Beginning
We are Made in Brunel, and this is Only the Beginning
This is our chance for us to exhibit ourselves as professional problem solvers; to show we are not afraid to ask questions, to challenge existing solutions and change the way people think. We constantly push ourselves to learn and improve, we want to have an impact, we want to be different, and we want to bring change.
Bump Mark gets James Dyson Award
Solveiga Pakstaite won the UK National award in the James Dyson Award competition for her food expiry sticker design. Using gelatine to model the decay process of food, Bump Mark is able to tell you exactly the condition your food is in, simply by running your finger over the label. If it’s smooth, then you’re good to go, but if you start to feels bumps as the gelatine breaks down, be cautious. The product is a revolutionary step in inclusive design; reactive and adaptive communication for the visually impaired.
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Our first 24hr design challenge
157 design, engineering and media students came together for a day of intense creative development. Without a break, eight briefs were tackled for 7 well known brands with each team having only three hours to develop a solution. Lego, Rolls-Royce and Tesla provided commercially relevant briefs with strong brand requirements; whilst IDEO, Therefore, Seymourpowell and Cambridge Industrial Design tested the students' creative thinking and idea generation. More than 2000 people watched as the event was live-streamed. Due to the popularity of this event with companies and designers, its tradition carries on today.
James the Giraffe by Benjamin Alport
James the Giraffe is an interactive ball popping toy, equipped with lights, sounds and textures, designed for children 6 months and older. The brief, set by Mothercare / Early Learning Centre UK was to design a floor toy to expand their 6months plus product range. Product features were developed to aid in the key stages of child development such as hand-eye co-ordination, fine motor skills and cause and effect. The product later went into production with the ELC.
2013
Out of the Blue
Nothing short of exciting, refreshing, infuriating, unexpected, and completely out of the blue.
This year our aim was to really show the individuality and personality of each student, introduce the world to the people behind the work. Made in Brunel enables us to tell our story, express ourselves and convey ourselves and convey our passion for what we do, it is for that reason we felt that this year, we'd mix things up.
At the V&A
To celebrate the opening of The Dr Susan Weber Gallery of furniture and ceramics on the 6th floor, the V&A put on a Friday late event to explore 'The Secret Life of Furniture'. Made in Brunel held our very first 'Pop-up House' for the evening, in an effort to highlight the reparability of furniture.
James May's Toy Stories
Brunel's aerospace engineers helped design, build, and fly an unmanned glider across the Bristol Channel for a BBC TV special hosted by Top Gear star James May at Christmas. The special episode of of James May's Toy Stories, entitled 'Flight Club', saw the 14-strong student team play an instrumental role in re-designing May's original glider to ensure successful completion of its planned flight.
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Renewable Wave Power by Samuel Etherington
Samuel won a James Dyson award and achieved global news coverage for his semi-submersible multi-axis wave energy converter, specifically designed to run in the Orkneys, Scotland. The design has the unique ability to absorb forces from the peaks and troughs of North Atlantic waves, in any given direction. The multi-axis structure's test results highlighted the increased potential and efficiency to convert external movements into hydraulic pressure, compared to conventional linear devices.
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2012
Journeys
Fuelled by Ideas
This year was filled with so many journeys of discovery, journeys of intellectual depth, journeys of technical ingenuity, journeys of creative elegance and journeys of visionary thinking. New ideas evolve along journeys made by creative thinkers. It is not just about the destination, but the progression of both people and projects.
Made in Brunel
Where it all started
2006 marks the 200th anniversary of Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s birthday and the 40th anniversary of the award of Brunel University’s Royal Charter. This double anniversary gave us the chance to celebrate the values of innovation and entrepreneurship embodied in the name of Brunel and to launch our new brand. Sixty students from the School of Engineering and Design have balanced the academic commitments of their final year to ensure that Made in Brunel is professionally executed. This determined core of students had the enthusiasm and passion to promote the talents of Brunel.
