Design students see ideas take flight

Alicia Barnes and Edward O'Daly

30 March 2009: First-year design students got off to a flying start with their first project, which saw the sky over Canberra's Parliamentary Triangle filled with more than 100 kites.

Despite an uncharacteristically windless Canberra afternoon, the event got off the ground successfully, with students sprinting across Commonwealth Place to compensate for the lack of wind power.

Jared Phillips, Jacinta Hayter and Melanie Schonfeld saw their creation take flight for about five seconds Photo: Bob Miller

More than 300 students from across the University's design disciplines worked together to design, build and fly the kites all of which had a wingspan of at least a metre and incorporated recycled materials.

Faculty of Arts and Design interdisciplinary studies convenor Gowrie Waterhouse said the project was designed to encourage in architecture, landscape architecture, industrial design and graphic design to work together. By requiring students to balance structural and aesthetic considerations, the project introduced basic design concepts.

"The project introduces students to the world of design in a fun and challenging way, and requires them to work as teams across the design disciplines. It is this focus on teamwork that enables students to establish bonds which will enable academic and professional success," he added.

Landscape architecture student Jared Phillips said the project had definitely enhanced his teamwork skills.

"We've been ringing each other and texting and working late at night to each other's apartments," he said.

"We collected plastic bags and ironed them together to make the kite - I thought our first assignment would be writing an essay."

In addition to learning about sustainable design and getting practical experience of making something that works, architecture student Melanie Schonfield said the group had learned another important lesson:

"Don't use spray paint inside," she said.