Designed for Life

This is the official podcast of the Design and Technology Association. 'Designed for life' aims to entertain, inform and inspire, bringing the worlds of business and industry together. Design and Technology is a wide-ranging curriculum subject that, along with qualifications in other facilitating subjects, can open doors to students across an ever-increasing breadth of career. England was the first country in the world to introduce this subject to its mainstream curriculum offer in 1988. Where we led others, have followed and in various guises, it is now taught in countries around the world including India, Australia, China, USA, France and Finland. This podcast consists of a series of short, informal conversations with people from across the worlds of education, industry and design. The intention is to help to link business, industry and education, as the solutions to tomorrows problems are being educated today!

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Designed for Life

Designed for Life - New Blades 2025

July 25, 2025 • Tony Ryan CEO Design & Technology Association

New Blades is an annual model-making exhibition and recruitment fair held in London each year, showcasing the work of graduating students from various UK universities and colleges. It's a key event for connecting emerging talent in the model-making industry with employers and professionals. The event is organized by 4D Modelshop, a major supplier to British model makers.

This is the first time the Design & Technology Association has attended this exhibition but it certainly won’t be the last. In this podcast we talk with students, university lecturers and industry professionals as we seek to follow each student interviewed on their journey from inspiration, through school and university, to a career in architecture, film and other exciting related industries.

This podcast was recorded in a crowded exhibition on mobile recording equipment, I believe it successfully captures the excitement and bustle of a crowded centre, but the sound may not be on a par with our usual standard; I hope you can appreciate why.

We reference many of the student models on show in our conversations, these can be seen in their full glory through this link:

https://www.designtechnology.org.uk/news/new-blades-2025-celebrates-the-next-generation-of-modelmakers/

Huge thanks to Arachne.digital your cyber threat intelligence platform for their support that makes these podcasts possible. Contact them for a free appraisal of your school’s cyber security.

This is a very different venture for Designed for Life. It’s one we are keen to replicate should you, the listener feel it appropriate. We would really appreciate your feedback, positive or otherwise to designedforlife@designtechnology.org.uk