Students with designs on the future

Ahead of the annual Sydney Design Festival next month, a showcase of the best design projects from 2017 HSC graduates will be on display at Shape 2017, opening at the Powerhouse Museum on 23 February.

Shape 2017showcases the innovative projects of 39 students from across NSW. Works on display are drawn from three HSC design subjects, and include a smart watch designed for coping with anxiety, a medical aid for hand tremors, swimwear designed for women who have undergone mastectomies, a portable beach anchor and a smart mirror with display functionality.

Director of the Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences, Dolla Merrillees said “One of the key responsibilities of the Museum is inspiring and equipping young people to be the next generation of innovators in the critical disciplines of science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics, which we champion through our Centre for STEAM. Shape is an annual exhibition that epitomizes this commitment. In addition to seeing their creations on display in the Museum the students have their works shared with their peers across NSW, from school visits to the Museum to video conference seminars offered to regional schools across the state. It is exciting to witness the next generation of designers pushing Australian ingenuity in new directions and to celebrate these future innovators.”

NSW Education Standards Authority CEO, David de Carvalho said “Now in its third year, Shape is about turning great ideas into reality. The students demonstrate ingenuity and excellent technical and practical skills. As future innovators these HSC students have succeeded both in the process of designing the project and their final created projects. For the students, displaying their projects in the Powerhouse Museum elevates them to works worthy of museum display. This partnership represents an important step in the students’ journey from school to industry.”

Students were selected for inclusion in the showcase based on their innovative approaches as well as their exploration of issues facing their generation.

In the Textiles and Design category Bowraville Central School student Megan Johnstone designed a 1920s ‘flapper’ dress inspired by pioneering Australian fashion label Zimmerman and using a surprising natural dying technique. “I handmade and dyed the tassels with avocado skins, which are a natural, colour fast dye source. This experimentation was innovative and environmentally friendly as well as being interesting and exciting,’ said Ms Johnstone.

For his project ‘The Tree,’ Design and Technology student Nicholas Mooney combined 2D and 3D animation, modelling, sound techniques and virtual reality to design an educational infographic about the impact the human race is having on trees.

Shape 2017 is enhanced by a seminar program for students in year 11 and 12. The seminar program, available onsite at the Powerhouse Museum and across Australia via video conference, takes learners on a deep dive into the factors driving project excellence and include engagement with industry professionals through talks, reflections from HSC examiners, and a skill-sharing expo. 

Shape 2017
23 February – 6 May 2017
Powerhouse Museum, 500 Harris Street, Ultimo
Admission: Free with general admission: $15 adult, $8 concession, kids under 16 years free
Bookings: (02) 9217 0111 www.maas.museum

BACKGROUND ON SHAPE

Shape 2017 has been developed by NSW Education Standards Authority in association with the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (MAAS). Shape is one of NESA’s eight HSC showcases that celebrate excellence across Creative Arts and Technology subjects in the HSC. The other showcases are: ARTEXPRESS, Texstyle, InTECH, OnStage, Callback, Encore and WordeXpress. For NESA’s eight showcases, including Shape, 441 students were selected from more than 2000 students who met the guidelines and were nominated having received the highest marks possible for their project or performance.

Shape 2017 seminars
Year 12 seminars: Monday, 26 February to Friday, 2 March 2018
Year 11 seminars: Monday, 12 March to Friday, 16 March 2018
Powerhouse Museum, 500 Harris Street, Ultimo
Admission: $34 per learner. Bookings through NESA

Regional schools can now join in the Shape seminars remotely via MAAS Video Conference Technology. 
Tuesday, 6 March 2018: Fashion Design 
Wednesday, 7 March 2018: Designing Out Crime
Thursday, 8 March 2018: Game Design

Admission: Video Conferences $180 per class. Bookings: book@maas.museum (02) 9217 0222

About the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences

The Powerhouse Museum, alongside Sydney Observatory and the Museums Discovery Centre, is part of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (MAAS), Australia’s contemporary museum for excellence and innovation in applied arts and sciences. The Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences has a vast and diverse collection of over 500,000 objects.

About the MAAS Centre for STEAM

In a rapidly changing world, science and arts literacy can empower society by providing the skills needed to excel in the 21st Century, to make informed decisions and to meet the demands of tomorrow’s world. In collaboration with industry leaders, educators, researchers, students and the public, the MAAS Centre for STEAM presents exhibitions, engaging learning programs, dynamic public events and scholarly inquiry.

About The Centre for Fashion

The MAAS Centre for Fashion is Australia's first public centre for fashion excellence, giving unrivalled access to arguably the largest public fashion collection in Australia. Working closely with local, national and international designers, and industry and tertiary partners the initiative will foster creative excellence, scholarly inquiry and public curiosity through exhibitions, interactive events, fellowships, designer residences, publications, acquisitions, programs and research.

Shape 2017 case studies

Design and Technology

Matilda Trebilcock’s ‘Nesting Box’ project addresses the conservation of bird nesting environments through safe at-home installation design. The installation of a bird nesting box typically involves climbing an unstable ladder carrying the large, heavy box in one hand and tools in the other. Using engineering principles, Matilda designed a system where no climbing is necessary. Telescopic poles and a pulley system lift the nesting box, and a clamp operated from the ground attaches it to the tree. Boxes can be installed up to seven metres high, exceeding current standards of three metres. Matilda said “There were no existing ideas to base my prototype on so I had to rely solely on my imagination.”

Textiles and Design

Megan Kennett’s costume design ‘Why Risk It?’ expresses her love for the countryside, and her fears for damage to the Liverpool Plains through mining. The back straps in earthy colours of red and brown convey possible damage to the land, the V-neck represents the expanse of the open cut pits, while the swimmer print conjures up the threatened aquifer. The raincoat back, curved like the food bowl, shows canola and wheat, and the contrasting strips of vinyl, reflective tape and binding directly refer to the safety jackets of miners. Megan said “I had to balance my inspiration with the constraints of designing and making a wearable garment.”

Industrial Technology

Sarah Hassett’s invention ‘Industria – the Solar Bag’ solves the common problem of mobile devices running out of battery in an environmentally responsible way. The wireless, solar-powered charging feature has efficient conversion rates and low charging times. An application monitors the phone’s battery and records energy use and energy creation over time. This constant flow of information educates the user and promotes sustainability. Sarah said “Due to my love of physics, the most enjoyable component was the wiring as I could apply my theoretical knowledge to a practical application.”