S&E Summer Bursary: Student Experience - Product Design & Technology

UL Student: Ihsan Kamil

Course: Product Design & Technology; School of Design

Supervisor: Dr Muireann McMahon

Project title: Revolutionising menstrual products - researching unique design solutions for non-insertable menstrual products

'This summer I was awarded the Science & Engineering Summer Bursary for the second time. During my first award, I completed a design research project titled; ‘The Use of Menstrual Products’. As part of this, I followed a participatory design research approach to identify attitudes towards menstrual products and identify unmet needs. This research was subsequently presented at the Design Research Society Conference 2022 (DRS2022) and published in the conference proceedings.

This year, I decided to use my previous research findings and work on conceptualising a design solution that meets some of these unmet needs in a project titled; ‘Revolutionising Menstrual Products – Researching unique design solutions for non-insertable menstrual products’.  As part of this, I am researching existing products/solutions and following principles outlined in the Design Council’s Framework for Innovation. This is more commonly known as the ‘Double Diamond’ methodology.

My first project focused more on the ‘Discover’ phase (the first stage in the framework). This is when problem areas are explored, and needs are identified. This summer, my project focusses on the ‘Define’ and ‘Develop’ stages where design solutions are explored and conceptualised. As part of this I developed a design guide and am using it to influence my ideation and subsequently my concept development. 

I have had an interest in design for women’s health for quite some time and have worked on a few projects within this highly underrepresented research area.

Receiving the S&E Summer Bursary gave me an opportunity to complete research projects on topics I have an interest in and gain invaluable experience in the design research field. I’d highly recommend this bursary to any students who are considering pursuing a career in research'.