TEDI-London ‘Engineered In-vestments’ Design Challenge
In November 2023, it was a thrill to learn that I had won first prize in the International TEDI (The Engineering & Design Institute) London ‘Engineered In-vestments’ Design Challenge. The competition was open to students from TEDI-London, UNSW Art & Design, Kings College London and Arizona State University. The prize was a return flight to London and accommodation to attend the inaugural graduation in July, 2024.
TEDI-London is an engineering college with a difference. Sensing the need for a more creative approach to teaching engineering, the college targets students that are highly creative but more diverse in gender, cultural background and neurodiversity, some of whom that may have been deterred by a more conventional approach to engineering. Briefs are developed to creatively address real world problems through applying concepts of sustainable production such as the circular economy.
The design process
Although dragonflies are relatively abundant in the UK, I learnt that the Black Darter, Sympatrum danae, a small species that was formerly common around London marshland, is now critically endangered. It was the perfect insect to feature, and what’s more its body featured the TEDI-London colours of black and yellow.
ROUND ONE
The brief required a design to be printed onto vestments (designed by fashion and textiles academic Val Horridge) for the graduation of the first cohort of engineering students. After some research I chose to highlight innovation, inclusiveness, and in particular transformation. Backgrounded by my interest in insects, this led me to base the design on a dragonfly’s wing. The dragonfly symbolises transformation across many cultures. I saw the work being done at TEDI-London as transformative in the deepening of knowledge and skills towards graduation, and in the big-picture problems being tackled. The dragonfly’s wing is beautiful in design but its structure is a feat of engineering: light, strong and functional. Two versions were submitted based on this motif.
ROUND TWO
The second (final) round was narrowed down to three finalists. We each made a 3-minute film in the style of a pitch so that students and academics of TEDI-London could vote on their preferred design. My film was made on location at Manly Dam near where I live. This large reservoir features a stunning marshland humming with many species of dragonfly. I trusted that a few of these might be visible flitting behind me as I spoke.
THE FINAL DESIGN
A few weeks later, I was thrilled to learn that my design had won. The production process began quickly, working with a small team based in London via email and Zoom. A number of iterations were made over the year until a final design was agreed upon. The vestment itself (the shape as it would fall over the body) was designed by Val Horridge whose paper-based pattern was translated into Illustrator to plan where different parts of the dragonfly wing would fall on the body. I was assisted by colleague and textiles expert Nicole Crouch who created a repeat pattern from my design while saving fabric waste. Fifteen vestments were produced for the first cohort of Engineering graduands in July 2024. The ceremony was small but very moving. Thank you TEDI-London for this incredible opportunity.
