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Thursday, 8 August 2024
Course: Product Design and Technology.
Supervisor: Leonard O'Sullivan, working closely with Siobhan Meany from the Rapid Innovation Unit
Name of Research Project/Activity: Improving the experiences of emergency trolley users
Why did you decide to study Product Design at UL?
My name is Maria Kazimierczak, and I'm from Poland. I decided to study here because it seemed like a nice place to be and I also have some family friends in the city, so I knew if I was moving abroad, I wanted to have some type of support—someone I knew around at least for the first time that I’m moving abroad. I was also sure that this was the right decision since I'm Christian, so I prayed about it, and it seemed like the right thing to do and moving here has been paying off so far.
What motivated you to apply for the Summer Bursary Programme?
I did the summer bursary last year, which was a bit different, but I was familiar with the program, and I wanted to do something more creative during the summer, so I decided to try and apply with my supervisor. Additionally, the fact that my supervisor works with the Rapid Innovation Unit that seemed like a good thing to walk into and with product design as well health is a big part of it.
What are you doing as part of your research here at UL?
I'm doing all types of stuff. I'm meeting with hospital staff, doing a lot of sketching and designing since I'm in product design, working on some animation and I'm learning some new software as well. I'm also conducting product research on what's already on the market because sometimes you might not need to design something new if there's something you can help find for people to buy and I’m reading some articles related to the projects as well.
What skills have you developed over the summer?
I feel like I'm still developing all of them for sure, like storyboarding, planning, and that kind of thing. I'm doing a lot of sketching and communicating with clients and potential clients. I feel like a lot of the things I'm going to be doing further into the summer will include 3D printing and maybe some sewing, so a bit of handy work as well.
What has this experience taught you and what would you recommend it to others?
Oh yes, absolutely. I would 100% recommend it to other people who are interested in a bit of research and design. It's taught me a lot, especially valuable work experience and I've learned what type of design I enjoy and how to communicate with the people I'm working for, which is so important in design itself, but also in a business context, it also helps that it's a safe, university-based environment.
What are your future career plans, would you consider a career in research?
Yeah, I wouldn't mind having a career in research. I'm not sure yet where exactly I'm going to go, but developing skills and doing more research would always be great. It's also a dream of mine to have my own design studio practice but we'll see.