Jake
Inglis

First year BSc (Hons) Product Design student, Jake Inglis was awarded the overall sponsor prize at the 2022 Starpack Students Competition in the category of ‘Personal Daily Care Product & Brand’. Here we find out more about his experience at NTU so far.

Congratulations on winning the Sponsors and Gold Award at the 2022 Starpack Students Competition. Can you tell us about your experience and how you got involved with the project?

As soon as we were given the list of briefs from IOM3, I was keen to get started and chose to go with Brief A – the category of ‘Personal Daily Care Product & Brand’. It was the category that interested me most and I knew it would present an opportunity to learn. The idea of the stackable aluminium skin care containers was inspired by 1x1 round Lego blocks. This influence can be found in the research stages of my design.

The award ceremony was a pleasure, and it was a joy to meet fellow designers from other universities to hear about their designs and interests. Winning the Gold and the Sponsors Award was a dream come true and it was incredibly rewarding after how much time and effort I’d put into the project. It was additionally gratifying to see NTU win the Eric Dickens Memorial Award – due to 22 NTU students winning other awards or being ‘highly commended’.

Why did you choose NTU and your course?

I felt NTU had the perfect combination of excelling at sports and fascinating courses. I fell in love with the Product Design course and felt it offered me exactly what I was looking for.

What do you think about the course staff? How do they support your learning and university experience?

The staff on my course have been exceptional and have been there to help and give advice every step of the way. I have improved all areas of my design from sketching all the way through to 3D printed prototypes. During studio, the staff are always there to aid and constructively criticise projects, allowing me to get the most out of every project.

Does the “real” NTU match what you’d imagined? How does it compare with your friends’ experience at other universities?

The ‘real’ NTU goes above and beyond what I expected and has formed my base as a designer. I have had countless opportunities to step forward and try something new or build on a base I already had to become a stronger designer.

After speaking to fellow designers at the award ceremony, they were amazed at the many opportunities I have had in the past year, as well as the amount of face-to-face contact time in studio classes.

How would you promote NTU to potential students in 10 words or fewer?

NTU opens the doors to your future.