FROME College celebrated the young creative talents of Y10 Product Designers who were entered into a lighting competition organised by the Rotary Club of Frome and in partnership with Fiat Lux Lighting of Bath Street on Friday 25th October.
Subject leader Brin Newton worked closely with Fiat Lux owner Nick Cook to set up the design brief for the competition. The aim was to enable students to work within commercial constraints for a real client and meeting the requirements of a target market.
Y10 students were invited to submit a mini portfolio of research and a range of design development ideas to communicate how they arrived at their chosen lighting prototype. Students were encouraged to use the latest manufacturing techniques to produce their lighting products.
The competition winner, Alex Osborne, used CAD and a laser cutter to produce a wall light aimed at the children’s market. Nick said, “I was impressed with the quality of the finished product and the use of modern mini LED strip lighting. It created a mood light that would appeal to his chosen market.
“Oliver Takhar’s simple light shade design is the most commercial product; a design that would fit easily into Fiat Lux range of products and was worthy of second place.”
Each student presented their ideas at Fiat Lux showroom in front of the president of Rotary Club of Frome Dot Cretney and Rotarian Michael Cole. All three winners received a certificate, first and second place also were presented with an engraved glass plaque, and Alex Osborne also received a classic Anglepoise Lamp from Nick Cook for winning the competition, courtesy of Fiat Lux Lighting. Daniel O’Conner’s Acrylic multi coloured desk light made third place and was highly commended by the judges.
Fiat Lux has agreed to continue the partnership with Frome College and is looking forward to seeing next year’s entries. The design students’ motivation to be more creative and impress the judges has been infectious with all the Product Design students at Frome College.
Above: Dot Cretney president of Rotary Club, Daniel O’Conner 3rd place, Michael Cole, Nick Cook, Alex Osborne 1st place, Oliver Takhar 2nd place
