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Exploring enterprise within design

31/05/2011

Designplus is a design-based initiative within Westfocus, developing collaborative projects and partnerships with businesses. Funded by HEEG (Higher Education Entrepreneurship Group) and in collaboration with Brunel and Kingston Universities; Designplus has led a year-long project exploring enterprise within major design projects, of which there are 18,000 each year, with a view to equipping graduates with a greater understanding of enterprise.

Designplus is a design-based initiative within Westfocus, developing collaborative projects and partnerships with businesses. Westfocus is a network of seven west London universities, of which Brunel and Kingston have significant design interests. Designplus capitalises on the exciting opportunity to use these design assets for collaborations in business-related areas of research expertise.

The year's activity has included the involvement of over 400 people and 40 businesses including representatives from M&S, P&G, Bosch, Nokia, Inter-Continental Hotels and leading design consultancies amongst others. Our overall goal has been to:

Enhance current and future final year undergraduate design students' skills knowledge and understanding of enterprise factors within their major projects.

An important outcome is our report which, as well as summarizing the activities, provides information on the development of a number of new teaching and communication tools which can continue to enhance design education.

Stephen Green, Programme Director – Integrated Product Design at Brunel University is also Designplus Leader and principal investigator on this project.
Kingston's featured recent graduates:

  • Ben Atkinson-Willes – www.active-minds.co.uk
  • Richard Brendon – www.richardbrendon.com
  • Michele Camerlengo
  • Leila Chouikh – www.leilachouikh.com
  • Arran Evans – www.arranevans.com
  • Helena Karelson – www.helenakarelson.com
  • Jung Hee Kim
  • Jamie Shaw – www.jamesmichaelshaw.co.uk

If you would like to know more about this project and any others by Designplus, visit www.designplus.org.