Image supplied by Good Citizens Eyewear
VCE Product Design and Technologies students are design makers who find solutions that are innovative, ethical and ultimately make the user feel good.
Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, Design and Technologies Manager, Leanne Compton says the subject allows students to focus on creativity while considering a variety of factors that impact the form, function and aesthetics of products.
“This subject offers students a unique focus on creativity through the development and production of innovative and ethical products,” Leanne said.
It teaches students how to improve welfare and a product’s quality of life by designing innovative and ethical solutions while they learn about sustainability in school based assessments.
Ahead of exam time, real products if chosen by an exam development panel often display sustainability and ethical considerations that are accessible and most students are familiar with.
“The product will usually be one that students can apply their learnings on ethical considerations and sustainability in their discussions,” Leanne said.
“We want students to feel comfortable with the questions asked in the exam which helps formulate their thinking and apply their understanding.”
Leanne explains that visuals on a page rather than text helps students form ideas, especially those where English may be a second language.
The 2023 Product Design and Technologies examination used a sustainable product example from small business sunglasses brand,
Good Citizens Eyewear.
Good Citizens Eyewear abides by the ethos of making products that last from using only recycled materials.
Nik Robinson, co-founder of Good Citizens Eyewear says sustainable design goes a step further in the development stage.
“Sustainable design considers what the product is made of, how it’s made, how it can be designed to last longer and what happens to the product at end of life,” Nik said.
Students are taking their understanding of sustainability out of the classroom and adapting it to their lifestyle – something that has come quite naturally for the next generation.
“They’re so switched on and tuned into climate change - I actually think the younger generations are educating older generations about reducing waste,” Nik said.
“Students see things differently and we need to encourage them to share their views and solutions.”
Following the exams and assessments in their final years of schooling, students have found career success in various design industries including textiles, fashion and transport amongst many others.
“There’s a range of students who have entered in
Top Designs (an exhibition at Melbourne Museum, showcasing a selection of Victoria's brightest emerging designers) and move onto amazing careers who later come back to talk to current students,” Leanne said.
Safe to say, the next generation is creating change and driving sustainability, one design at a time.