Punkt. @Royal College of Art: bringing academy and industry together

On May 2 2012 Jasper Morrison ltd. and the Royal College of Art, initiated a new design programme in collaboration with Punkt., the aim of which is to challenge and broaden the company’s direction and strategy by connecting with education.

During the five week programme, 15 students at the RCA (Royal College of Art) tutored by André Klauser and Ben Wilson and supervised by John Tree, manager at Jasper Morrison’s design studio UK, will be involved in developing a feasible design proposal that reflects Punkt.’s core values -“function, design and simplicity” - and identifies new product directions.

To mark the occasion Petter Neby, the founder of Punkt. delivered a lecture at the Royal College of Art to present the company’s philosophy and the framework of the design programme. On June 6 2012 the 15 students will consign their design proposals to Punkt., Jasper Morrison ltd for evaluation.

Tutor André Klauser explained to Punkt. how integrating business-oriented activities into the curriculum helps students think outside of the ‘academic bubble’. He believes that collaborations with companies like Punkt. bring a valuable industry perspective to academia, helping students develop skills which will be crucial should they choose to work with industry in their future careers. According to Klauser entrepreneurship also plays an important role in design education, due to its ability to translate opportunities into reality.

Punkt. believes design schools are a major source of creative talent, and this initiative seeks to bring academy and industry together, combining creativity, opportunity and know-how to develop  design proposals with a fresh outlook and a strong sense of purpose. We look forward to viewing and sharing the outcome on June 6th, stay with us.

Read related news entries: Punkt. @Politecnico di Milano

Pictures by Nicola Tree