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 legend and academic Val Horridge) for the graduation of the first cohort of engineering students. After researching how the values of TEDI-London were reflected in their student projects, I chose to highlight innovation, inclusiveness, and in particular transformation. This – backgrounded by my love of insects – led me to base the design on a dragonfly’s wing. The dragonfly symbolises transformation across many cultures, and the work being done at TEDI-London is transformative in the deepening of student knowledge and skills towards graduation, and also 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 were asked to make 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 opened my email to discover my design was the winner! Now the production process could begin, working with a small team based in London via email and Zoom. A number of design 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 brilliant fashion designer and academic, Val Horridge. I took her paper-based pattern into Illustrator to assist with visualising where different parts of the dragonfly wing would fall on the body. I was also assisted by my clever colleague and textiles expert Nicole Crouch, who knew exactly how to best save fabric waste to create a seamless repeat pattern from my design.
15 vestments were produced for the very special first cohort of Engineering graduands in July 2024. The graduation ceremony was small but incredibly moving. Subsequent graduations of Global Engineering Design students are predicted to grow incrementally as the Institute’s reputation for innovative solutions to the world’s wicked problems also grows. Thank you TEDI-London for this incredible opportunity to be involved with such a milestone.
