Product Design Personal Statement

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

Building and creating is what sparked my interest in buildings and creating new things, so when it came to school, I favoured DT and followed this path through my academic school life up to A-levels. The aspect I most enjoy is the problem-solving side of it. Being given a basic problem and having to create a solution, the idea of creating something new that has never been done is exciting. Furthermore, you are also helping people by making a product ergonomically usable for them or simply a better way of doing it for existing users. It is good to know what you are doing is making a difference. After looking around Universities on open days and the videos of all the fascinating projects you get to do, Product design was clearly the course I want to take. The way it is set out works well with my working style. It is a subject I thoroughly enjoy, and I look forward to carrying on my product design interest at a higher level as an undergraduate at your university so I can get my degree and carry on a career in Product design.

How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?

I am currently studying Product design, Geography, and Business. I have been able to demonstrate my interest in Product design over my academic years due to me working well through the course and meeting deadlines. I believe I am capable to be on the course but admit I have had to work hard on my perspective drawing and computer prototypes designs to get them up to a standard where I can portray my design ideas across. I taught myself how to use Google SketchUp and was taught to use Spaceclaim and 2D design. If there are new programmes to learn on the course, I will want to learn them because it will aid me in my future of Product design. Also, this year I was awarded a certificate for outstanding achievement in AS design & technology: 3D product design due to me getting one of the highest results in my year.

What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful?

I have always been practical and creative, so I took my ideas outside of the classroom. As a hobby, I BMX, so after my first project in DT where I worked with wood in year 10, I was lucky enough to get timber and build myself a half pipe which has lasted many years. This helped me learn how to work with different tools and understand how structures work. This was a good learning curve to broaden my understanding and skills because of this small project I completed it has inspired me to keep on creating. Due to my development of skills and ideas, I aim to create more complex projects than the ramp. At the moment, I have been inspired by a programme (George Clarke's Amazing Spaces). Since there is a lack of space for a quiet undisturbed work area and an area to relax during the summer, I have drawn out a few designs for a shed and began to build up a project. It will be built at the back of my garden to be a studio/summer house, with only recycled pallets and other waste materials I can acquire. With all my projects, I prefer to incorporate waste or recycled material because of the decline of resources over the years and the high price of premium timber. However, to make sure the structure is sound, I will have to use new nails and screws, etc. Otherwise, rusty ones would compromise the structure, which would be unsafe. Personally, I am an outgoing, friendly, and honest individual. I believe keeping active is important, and I do this with my hobbies such as skiing and going to my local gym. I do this often due to realising that it helps to keep stress levels down so I can work efficiently without distractions. From playing team sports throughout my life, I have learnt how to be effective in a team, which helped me during my school life and will in the future to fit well into a team work environment. Therefore, due to my experiences, this will help me fit into the course well and University life itself.