Doris van Rooijen
Project title: Egg and Soldiers
Can you tell us a little more about your project?
Egg and soldiers is the product of our brief ‘pockets and compartments’, we were tasked to design an object which could hold multiples of an item. Within the ceramic workshop I was given a bowl shape as my starting point and worked from there. I knew pretty early on that the product I wanted to store was egg and soldiers, I felt this would be fun and functional, as currently you need multiple pieces of tableware to enjoy this breakfast treat. I tried multiple designs and this was the final one I developed. I liked the clean design and ease of use, it really fulfils its function.
How important is being able to exhibit externally?
Exhibiting externally is important because it brings a different audience. It allows you to network with contacts outside the university and can bring many new opportunities. Exhibiting in general is very important as it gets you used to talking about your work with people you don’t know which is such an important skill when it comes to working in the industry.
What has your highlight of the course been so far?
So far, a definite highlight for me has been working in the workshops. Seeing your designs come to life is so fun and doing this yourself is such an important skill. The staff are great, making this process so interesting and learning new things along the way.
Could you tell us a little more about your design interests?
One of my biggest design interests is sustainability. I think as designers we can make a huge difference to climate change as it is our products that are harming the world. I also try to follow a clean functional approach when designing. In the future a large dream of mine is to design for children. There is so much room in children’s design for more sustainable options so I believe this would be a great way for me to combine two of my passions.
What advice would you give to someone considering studying Product and Furniture Design at BCU?
Come to an Open Day, look at the facilities and meet the lecturers, they should wow you. If you decide BCU is for you start the course with an open mind, take in everything the lecturers tell you and make the most of all the facilities available to you. This way you will progress the most and have the best experience. Saying yes to everything really means you get your money’s worth here.
Follow Doris here @dvr_designs
