More than 70 Year 10 students took a deep-dive into innovation at the third annual ‘Powered By Design: Innovation in Industry Symposium’ hosted by Matthew Flinders Anglican College on Thursday, 25 July.
See the highlights here, in this short video.
Students connected with inspiring industry leaders and entrepreneurs from across Australia who visited to share insights about their successful business enterprises and the diverse industries, careers and opportunities on offer beyond graduation.
The innovative businesses who featured were Go For Zero, Luxey Cup, Peekapoo, Knobby Underwear, Kokopod Chocolates, STEM Punks, the Manufacturing Excellence Forum and The Ed Institute.
The Powered By Design has become a signature event in the College’s calendar as part of the Design and Technologies curriculum.
Flinders Head of Technologies, Mrs Natalle Sutton said the Symposium highlighted the positive outcomes that businesses are eager to implement to create a better world.
“This year’s Powered By Design also featured a real-world design thinking challenge for our students to learn first-hand the thrill of developing a prototype for a client and pitching it to a judging panel,” Mrs Sutton said.
“The students had to gain an understanding of their client and stakeholder needs, ideate solutions, develop a prototype and discuss solutions with their client to then formulate a pitch.
“It was amazing to see our students’ innovative ideas and creative thinking in action, and the enthusiasm between our mentors and students in developing solutions.
“The judging panel were overwhelmed by the divergent thinking, quality of the prototyped solutions and the professionalism of each pitch.”
Students collaborated on a range of projects at Powered By Design, including:
- eradicating energy poverty in developing countries;
- rebranding and logo development;
- creating a social media campaign for business;
- developing a motor thrust test for the eVTOL (electronic vertical and take-off landing) helicopter taxi project on the Sunshine Coast;
- app development to foster global citizenship;
- simple and effective sustainability education for communities;
- product development and graphic design solutions for underwear; and
- eVTOL mission patches.
The 2024 Powered By Design guest speakers included:
- Ash Rand, co-founder of Knobby Underwear, a trailblazing company revolutionising the underwear industry
- Ellie Degraeve, founder and owner of Go For Zero, an education platform and online one-stop-shop for toxin-free products
- Sandra-Lea Murray, owner and creative director of Luxey Cup, a brand of stylish, reusable coffee and smoothie cups, and Peekapoo, an elevated toilet brand
- Brigid Woolnough, owner of premium chocolate company, Kokopod Chocolates
- Tim Kelly, director of the Manufacturing Excellence Forum
- Chris Buswell, Head of Education, STEM Punks, and
- Dr Ian Thomson, Chief of Curriculum and Ben Hall, Chief of Strategy at The Ed Institute.
Flinders a Leader in Innovation in Curriculum Design
College Principal Michelle Carroll said Flinders was determined to be a leader in providing innovative curriculum programs with real-world learning opportunities.
“Innovative thinking is fundamental to ensuring Australia’s economy is both sustainable and competitive, and that drive for innovation is certainly reflected across much of what we do at Flinders,” Ms Carroll said.
“Innovation is embedded in the 6Cs that drive our curriculum, as well as in significant investments, including the new, purpose-built Infinity Centre.
“Flinders is thrilled to host this event and welcome industry guests from Australia. It is rewarding to provide opportunities for students to research, engage with and drive innovative thinking.”
Mrs Natalle Sutton, the Flinders Head of Technologies, said the College was focused on helping to build an ‘innovative generation’.
“To equip our students for the future, we need to harness their curiosity and creativity,” Mrs Sutton said.
“Through the curriculum and events such as the Powered By Design Symposium, we strive to inspire students to transform their interests into future careers and passions.
“This requires a mindset that embraces uncertainty, encourages experimentation, fosters close collaboration and promotes initiative.”
The Design and Technologies curriculum at Flinders is key for developing essential 21st-century skills, enabling students to tackle complex problems with innovative solutions.
The design thinking process starts with empathy and other crucial social-emotional skills. By viewing the world through different perspectives, students can empathise and design with greater awareness.
Collaborating and sharing ideas are essential steps in transforming a concept into a prototype. Testing these prototypes determines their success. Continuous feedback leads to further iterations, highlighting the fluid nature of the process.
See the short video of the 2024 Powered By Design Symposium here: https://vimeo.com/995697974
