TU Dublin Student Wins Product Design Award
Congratulations to Christopher Kenny, a TU Dublin student who has won this year’s Design Innovation in Plastics (DIP) competition with an ingenious bathroom item. Design in Plastics (DIP) is the longest-running plastics design competition of its kind for university undergraduates in the UK and Ireland. This year’s contestants were asked to design a product for the kitchen or bathroom.
A third-year Product Design student, Chris takes away the first prize of £1,000, plus a placement or course with a DIP sponsor, a year’s membership to the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3), and an invitation to the Lord Mayor’s Banquet as a guest of the Worshipful Company of Horners.
Chris’s winning product is ‘Flossie’, a teeth cleaning device that allows people with hand dexterity conditions to floss their teeth more easily by using flossing sticks and a specially designed gripping handle. Chris said the inspiration for his product came from wanting to help his brother, who has cerebral palsy in his right hand, and said he was very proud that other people also liked his idea. “It is a real honour to be recognised in this competition,” he said. “I definitely want to work with materials and mechanisms in the future, as designing for usability really excites me.”
Chairman of the judging panel, Richard Brown, said: “This is a great product which is inspired by a real-life challenge. We were impressed not just by the clever design, but by the user testing carried out by Chris, to show how it can help people with lifelong conditions that affect movement and co-ordination. He also gave us a detailed analysis of the product manufacturing costs, as well as considering its marketing.”
Congratulations to Chris for his well-deserved win! #WeareTUDublin #InfinitePossibilities