Hartman UK, based in Telford, is collaborating with Birmingham
City University to find the next generation of product designers to
give a new twist to outdoor living.
The leading outdoor furniture manufacturer is hoping to develop
future talent, while bringing fresh ideas and a new approach to the
market by launching a competition with students at Birmingham City
University to design a range of garden furniture for 2013.
Students in their third year on the Textile Design BA (Hons)
course have been tasked with creating a range of outdoor furniture,
which should include a table and chairs, lounge set, lounger and
bench. Hartman is also looking for a new textile design which can
be applied to cushions and parasols. The two overall winners will
have their designs manufactured and included in the Hartman 2013
collection.
Students were invited to Hartman UK's head office to understand
more about the market and what the competition entails. Paul Facey,
the company's sales director says: "The graduate labour market is
hugely competitive, but if students can develop their employability
skills while they are studying it will help them to stand out and
get a clearer idea about their career path when they leave.
"Nurturing young designers who not only creatively stand out but
who are also commercially savvy is hugely important to the future
of our industry. We hope that by launching this competition and
strengthening our relationship with Birmingham City University we
will be able to help develop the skills and knowledge of the next
generation of furniture designers, building a talent pool for our
sector."
Charmaine Stint, enterprise development manager at Birmingham
City University adds:
"The student community is an untapped resource in helping
businesses innovate and come up with new ideas. This project is a
great way to not only offer support and encouragement to young new
talent, but also offer an opportunity for companies to embrace new
ideas and help develop the business in a very fast changing
market.
"Working with Hartman UK is a great experience for our students
and provides an insight into how businesses can engage with higher
education to drive innovation, highlighting the benefits of
industry and university collaboration in which the students,
academics and businesses all benefit from each other's skills and
abilities."
As part of the design development, students must consider
commerciality and trends as well as material and production
restraints such as shipping container sizes and durability. The
product range should be suitable for manufacture in extruded, cast
or pressed aluminium, or resin weave.
The winning designs will be showcased as part of the Hartman
2013 collection at the outdoor living exhibition, Solex in July
2012.