Product Design student gains valuable opportunities with leading software company

Product Design and Technology student, Gregoire Saul, has spent recent months gaining valuable work experience and opportunities with leading software company, Autodesk, who are industry leaders in creating 3D design, engineering and entertainment software.

a screen shot of the software window

Following on from completing their Generative Design Course, after seeing it advertised by Loughborough Design Lecturer, Patrick Pradel, Greg was then selected by Autodesk to be entered in to their student ambassador scheme.

This presented Greg with opportunities to work with Autodesk for a variety of events, including providing live demonstrations of their Fusion 360 software at the MACH 2020 exhibition in Birmingham, which unfortunately was cancelled due to Covid-19, and also freelance work involving data crunching.

In May he was then asked to apply for their Digital Catalyst Scheme, and having been successful in his application he was then placed in to a playground manufacturing company in Cumbria, Playdale Playgrounds, for a 2-week period to help overcome some of their technical issues. This involved assisting in developing a new digital workflow to make better use of their newly purchased equipment and provide recommendations on new engineering software to use within their design process. Greg has since continued working for Playdale on an extended contract as a Design Engineer.

In this video Greg explains more about his experiences of the Digital Catalyst Scheme, and Playdale Playgrounds discuss the benefits of taking on Greg through the scheme to support one of their digital transformation projects.

More recently, Greg has been asked to participate in the Autodesk Beta program. Autodesk offer examinations which people can pay to take, and upon successful completion a certificate is awarded by Autodesk which can be added to a person’s CV, proving that a user is certified by Autodesk in using a particular software. The Beta program involves testing these exams to test their suitability and difficulty. By supporting with the Beta programe and completing a test exam, Greg will receive a certification for the exam which he can add to his own CV.

Speaking of his experiences, Gregoire says that:

“The opportunities I have been given by Autodesk have proved to be valuable experiences. Mainly the digital catalyst scheme which has seen me working alongside an internationally recognised business, providing my own recommendations on how they can improve their design process. This is something which also looks excellent on my CV and will hopefully help with future employment.

Also, the fact that I have worked with such a well-known company such as Autodesk looks great to future employers, and I now have several industry contacts which may be useful to me in the future.”