3M: bpma Design Innovation Awards
First Year Brunel Design students worked together with 3M in the bpma Design Innovation Awards. The project challenged the students to come up with exciting and original new product ideas for promotional merchandise. The experience allowed the students to experience working with live briefs from industry for the first time and, hopefully, prepared them for future collaborations with leading industry names. Andrea Pisa, whose winning Zip Secure lock highlighted the importance of reducing the risk of pick pockets in busy areas, commented that “winning the 3M BPMA competition was definitely an honouring experience. It was a great opportunity for my course mates and me to gain insight in working life and what future awaits us. Overall, the experience of cooperating with 3M and BPMA was a challenge but yet truly inspiring and enriching for all of us.”
Tajinder Cheema and Marcus Agunloye, who were both highly commended on their designs, emphasised the ‘privilege’ and unique opportunity to work with 3M. The students found the experience of working on a live brief focussed them on ‘looking towards designing a product that had a real use, whilst staying within the requirements’.
The bpma Design Innovation Awards highlight the importance of exposing design students to company led briefs, training students to manage their individual collaborations with other companies successfully in the future.
3M is a diversified technology company serving customers and communities with innovative products and services.
The bpma (British Promotional Merchandise Association Ltd) is the official voice of over 700 accredited members within the promotional merchandise industry.