Designed for Life
Designed forn Life - Live at Newstead Wood School
How do you build a successful design technology department from the ground up with an entirely new staff? What curriculum changes should you make at KS3, KS4 and KS5 to ensure you stretch and challenge what are undoubtedly very bright students? What physical changes can you make to the department's look, feel and function when the budget is tight but you want to improve how students and parents view the subject? What role can external visitors and competitions play in building a success...
21 Mar 2025 - 01 hr 16 min 51 sec
Designed for Life - In conversation with Marisa Kurimbokus IET Young Woman Engineer of the Year 2024
In this episode, we are delighted to welcome Marisa Kurimbokus, who was announced as the IET Young Woman Engineer of the Year 2024 at the end of last year. In the podcast, we follow Marisa's journey from primary school, where a teacher dropped what I can only assume was a casual comment, but it is one that sticks with her to this day. Through secondary school, where Marisa describes her journey through a range of subjects, including A Level design and technology. And chauffeuring her fr...
14 Mar 2025 - 59 min 58 sec
Designed for Life - Live at Arts University Bournemouth
In this episode, we take the podcast on the road to Arts University Bournemouth (AUB) and talk with YouTube stalwarts Brothers Make, Louise Dennis, Curator at MoDiP (Museum of Design in Plastics) and Will Strange, Senior Lecturer and Course Leader (Sustainable Design) at AUB. The podcast was recorded on February 5th in the main lecture theatre at the university with an audience comprising AUB students and lecturers and students and their D T teacher from a local school. In this epis...
19 Feb 2025 - 01 hr 33 sec
Designed for Life - In conversation with Titi Oliyide
Growing up with a love of mathematics, Titi thought a career as a maths teacher was beckoning until a conversation with one of her sister's friends opened up the possibility of becoming an engineer. A comment that stood out for me in this conversation was her sister's friend's statement, "You don't have to love chemistry or be brilliant at it to become a chemical engineer." It's not exactly the career advice we might all expect, but it's accurate nonetheless. Titi is a chartered engin...
13 Jan 2025 - 55 min 55 sec
Designed for Life - 2024 Wrapped Compilation
Somehow, another year has passed, and it's time to look back on Designed for Life across 2024. Over the year, we released sixteen new episodes, reached over 31,000 streams, reached new audiences in Asia and America and, most importantly, got to speak with some amazing and inspiring guests. In this end-of-year episode, we look back and have selected clips from a range of conversations, including fashion and textile expert Amanda Riley, AUB lecturer and modelmaker Claire Holman, D...
30 Dec 2024 - 01 hr 05 min 54 sec
Designed for Life - In conversation with Hepzi Rattray
Imagine accidentally being put off from a career in engineering by your brilliant grandfather who, without realising, made a career in the sector sound unreachable. Hepzi Rattray is a structural engineer with the global engineering company Ramboll, but for many years, she attempted to avoid following this career trajectory. In this penultimate podcast of 2024, we follow Hepzi's journey from school, where she turned down the offer of a top private school to attend Lady Margaret's, a church-st...
29 Dec 2024 - 51 min 31 sec
Designed for Life - In conversation with Barnabas Shelbourne
Barnabas is the CEO of The Greenpower Education Trust. This charity works with young people nationally to introduce them to using their STEM education in a very practical way to create battery-driven vehicles that then compete in regional and national heats. Having experienced 'Greenpower' as a teacher, headteacher, and now as CEO of the Design Technology Association, I was desperate to get behind the scenes with its new CEO and explore the people and passion that make Greenpower...
13 Dec 2024 - 58 min 28 sec
Designed for Life - In conversation with Maria Dunbar (Leith's Education)
In this episode, we turn to Food and Nutrition in the school curriculum and look at the challenges facing this aspect of National Curriculum education. Over the last few weeks, I have been fortunate to be introduced to Leith's Education and walked through their curriculum resources from KS1 to Post 16 (and extracurricular). These come at a cost (see below), but having seen them, I believe these are resources that every school should at least consider. See https://leiths.com/ We also discuss ...
8 Nov 2024 - 59 min 16 sec
Designed for Life - In conversation with Dr. Hilary Leevers
In this week’s episode of Designed for Life, we are fortunate to speak with Dr Hilary Leevers, the Chief Executive of Engineering UK. We break from the usual show format to explore some of the data surrounding entry to engineering as a profession and discuss Tomorrow’s Engineers Week, which this year runs from November 11th to 15th. EngineeringUK drives change so that more young people choose engineering and technology careers. You can join us by getting involved in Tomorrow’s Engineers W...
28 Oct 2024 - 55 min 25 sec