A selection of the best creative design projects from the 2018 HSC will be displayed at Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum as part of the Shape 2018 showcase.
Presented by the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (MAAS) at the Powerhouse Museum in association with the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA), Shape 2018 runs from 23 February until 5 May 2019 and features works drawn from three HSC subjects: Design and Technology, Industrial Technology and Textiles and Design. There are a total of 37 projects on show from students across the state.
According to NESA Executive Director of Curriculum, Lyndall Foster, being selected for Shape is a great achievement. “Shape is about turning clever design ideas into reality. The students’ projects demonstrate their creativity, ingenuity and excellent technical and practical skills,” she said.
“For the students, being part of Shape elevates their works to worthy of museum display. Being exhibited at the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (MAAS) at the Powerhouse Museum represents a big step in their journey from school to industry.”
This year, projects included everything from a wearable UV ray exposure monitor to a dress made from kombucha and an app to help prevent the new medical condition ‘text neck’ afflicting mobile phone users. Students were selected for the showcase based on their innovative approaches to design along with their considered exploration of and solutions to the issues facing their generation.
Ella Lehmann from Mount St Benedict College developed and built a digital device worn on the wrist that monitors UV rays and warns the wearer when they’ve had too much sun. She was inspired to develop this clever product after witnessing her dad’s battle with skin cancer.
Oliver Bowman from St Luke’s Grammar saw a need to prevent the modern medical condition known as ‘text neck’ caused by hunching over smart phones. His app forces users to adopt better posture while using their phone.
And Asha Martin from Moruya High was moved by the need for environmental sustainability in the textiles industry, which she addressed by creating a pinafore made from dried kombucha scoby – a culture of bacteria and yeast. The material it forms looks and feels like leather, while the whole process is sustainable and the garment completely biodegradable.
MAAS Chief Executive Lisa Havilah added that the exhibition provides industry with an indicator of future design trends.
“Across a broad range of design disciplines the exemplary students in Shape 2018 embody the innovation that will be the hallmark of the next generation of designers in Australia. MAAS is proud to partner with NESA to showcase these works as part of the Sydney Design Festival.”
