GDES3003 DAY RESEARCH VISIT TO THE CENTRE FOR ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGY (CAT)

We undertook our annual research visit to the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) for this semester's Gdes3003 Green Design group in Oct 2022. Always a fascinating visit students were able to explore the site and listen to CAT lecturer Paul Allen talk about Zero Carbon Britain and it's linkages to their assessed brief for the Worcester Wildlife Trust too.

Students were clearly quite affected by the experience and passed back (this below) feedback on the bus back to the university:

"(CAT) was really interesting and I learned a lot from there, the site was amazing with all the natural materials and the architecture."

(CAT) "Was a great experience, I was able to explore and learn throughout the day. Will definitely benefit from the visit for the future (design project).

"Very interesting day, eye opening to see the direction the planet is heading in. Enjoyed it a lot!"

"I really liked seeing all the different ways the found out how to save energy.."

"It was a very different and unusual experience, the architecture was so inspiring.."

"All staff and volunteers at the site are clearly genuinely passionate and want to show their knowledge".

"CAT is a very interesting place and (it was) an enriching experience. I'm glad organisations like this one exist".

"Very interesting renewable energies and a magical environment!"

"The trip to CAT was a very unique experience: from the views, the inspiring architecture to all the economical resources and crafts. I believe that a carbon free (world) is something I'm gonna consider more in the future. The seminar was really helpful for the (University) brief, eye and (mind) opening. I'm really grateful for today."

"In my opinion the trip to CAT was really essential. Findng out differet ways for saving energy and living carbon free was definitely something to consider for our future. I've taken important and key notes with photographs which were really helpful for the (university) brief".

In pictures

GDES3003 Worcestershire Wildlife Trust: Student Output Samples

Students have been working on a 'live' design brief for Worcestershire Wildlife Trust this year. The trust asked students to develop a set of new designed elements ranging from informative posters and flyers to social media and posters. These new designs would be used in situ in their woodlands to help inform the public and visitors of their working practices.

Students had a choice of which elements they outputted from a list of different potential options and decisions from their research.

"We feel that the students have a created some great materials, and it has got us thinking about how we can use infographics more in our future design projects. We feel the students have really thought about the purpose of the materials they were creating and how and why it might be used.

Each of them has created something different visually that has us thinking what we could be doing differently. We are thinking we might use some of the designs, if we do, we would like to credit the student that designed them...

It has been great teaming up with the students for this project... Thanks for all the hard work your students put into the work."

Joe Gillard, Worcester Wildlife Trust

Here's some student feedback at the end of the module:

“This project has given me the opportunity to design with a wider goal in mind, one that is not limited to the product and that puts emphasis on the consequences of my decisions as a designer. I feel like many of the lessons learned working on the brief and during the development of the module can be applied not solely in design work, but also in other disciplines and even in everyday life. This new knowledge is pushing me to make decisions while being aware of the state of the planet and has helped me realize how I fit in the system and what my choices entail.”

Student 02 (from written report)

“ ... this module has been insightful, and very interesting. I have noticed already that it has been useful to learn about all of green designs aspects as they feed into other modules. It is also relevant to today’s industry especially when becoming a Graphic Designer. I also spoke to my sister regularly about this module as she is currently studying a PhD in Geography, looking at the Earth’s carbon levels. We have discussed global issues the planet is currently facing. The trips to ‘CAT’ and Monkwood have been useful when creating my outputs. Also, showing my work in context, where my outputs would be situated this is to show what they would look like in the real world. Overall, I have thoroughly enjoyed the Green Design Module, working with a client and designing my outputs!”

Student 03 (from written report)

Here's a sample of some of the designs submitted (click to enlarge each image).

Laia Armengol

Megan Bailey

Torsten Carlisle

Demi Epstein