News

IT Carlow Students Work with Alabama University to Develop Innovative Products

21/04/2011

First and second-year students on IT Carlow’s degree course in Industrial Design recently had the opportunity to collaborate with students from Auburn University Alabama in a project to develop innovative new product designs.

The visiting students, also studying Industrial Design in Alabama, worked with the students at Institute of Technology Carlow on a User Centred Research Project over three days.  By the end of the collaboration, the students had come up with some exciting and innovative ideas and prototypes, including a diode shower head that turns water blue to red depending on the temperature, a collapsible tetra pack for conserving refrigeration space and mTunes, a digital media application that allows the user to choose music to suit their mood.

Working at the Institute’s industrial design centre, designCORE, the students had access to state-of-the-art facilities and research.  designCORE is IT Carlow’s Centre of Research and Enterprise in Industrial Design and Product Innovation.  Its key research themes are Sustainable Product Design & Innovation, 3D Visualisation and Rapid Prototyping in Design and User Interface and User Centred Design

The visit also coincided with the first of a series of talks by designCORE at the Institute.  Shea Tillman of Auburn University, Alabama spoke about 'Teaching Creative Problem-Solving: Design Foundations at Auburn University.'  Adam de Eyto of IT Carlow discussed “Durable Design – Design for a Changing Planet”.

Industrial Design has been taught at the Institute of Technology Carlow for over thirty years and today it is the largest educator of industrial designers in the country.  As well as providing students with ‘live projects’ to give students insight into real life work practices, the course also provides ample opportunity to study abroad through links with international institutions.