Latest news from Loughborough University

6 Jul 2015

Loughborough Design School student wins top award at New Designers exhibition

Image: Winner of Virgin Atlantic design award Henry Buckley

Loughborough University Design School student Henry Buckley has won a top award at this year's New Designers exhibition in London thanks to his clever and innovative design project. 

Henry, who is a Product Design and Technology student, won the Virgin Atlantic design award for his ‘MONO’ design, a modular domestic appliance range for urban micro apartments.

After learning that 54 million tonnes of electronic waste are produced worldwide each year, Henry was inspired to create a brief and develop a prototype to lower electronic waste by reducing the number of components and amount of materials used across certain products.

The clever design allows a range of products to be used with one single plug-in and play power module. Appliances are automatically recognised by the power module and can deliver speed control as appropriate, reducing the amount of electronic waste produced.

So far, three products have been developed as part of the range including an air purifier, electric fan and hand vacuum cleaner.

Judges described Henry’s design as ‘beautifully executed’ and said it challenged an everyday problem.

As part of Henry’s award, he will also receive two weeks work experience in the Virgin Atlantic Customer Experience Design Department. He commented: "As a student embarking on a design course at Loughborough University, a key aspiration is to exhibit at New Designers. Along with many others, I have worked really hard throughout my final year project. Being selected for New Designers, and ultimately winning an award, is absolutely amazing, making all the effort that I have put in worthwhile."

Notes for editors

Article reference number: 15/131

Loughborough is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.

It has been awarded five stars in the independent QS Stars university rating scheme, putting it among the best universities in the world, and was named University of the Year in the What Uni Student Choice Awards 2015. Loughborough is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in the Times Higher Education’s ‘table of tables’ and is in the top 10 in England for research intensity. It was 2nd in the 2015 THE Student Experience Survey and was named Sports University of the Year 2013-14 by The Times and Sunday Times. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, Loughborough has been awarded seven Queen's Anniversary Prizes.

In 2015 the University will open an additional academic campus in London’s new innovation quarter. Loughborough University London, based on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, will offer postgraduate and executive-level education, as well as research and enterprise opportunities.

Contact for all media enquiries

Kiran Beri 

Communications and Public Engagement Officer 
Loughborough University
T: 01509 222442
E: K.Beri@lboro.ac.uk