A Design for Life

If you believe that much of the world around us is the product of chance, think again. LWC’s Head of Design and Technology, Lara Swan suggests it’s time to look at life through a different lens. 

   

Design is in everything we touch.

 

When you wake up in the morning, what’s the first thing you interact with? Maybe it’s your alarm or the familiar grip of your phone. For me, it’s the coffee machine – definitely a key part of my day. But if you stop and think about it for a moment, that first interaction is with a designed object; one that was carefully thought through to meet a purpose. A toothbrush, a towel, a chair, even the handle on a door – everything you touch and use has been meticulously designed.

 

As we head into spring, I’m reminded of how design extends far beyond man-made objects.

 

Nature itself is a masterclass in design. LWC welcomed 35,000 bees to the campus last year, providing a perfect example. The hexagonal shape of a honeycomb is not just a quirky geometric pattern, it’s a marvel of efficiency and strength. Nature didn’t just randomly ‘create’ the shape. It’s been done to use space effectively; conserving resources whilst maximizing storage. Bees (through their incredible instinct) create these tessellating patterns that fit together perfectly, demonstrating the power of design principles at play.

     

But nature’s design flair doesn’t end there. Flowers have evolved to attract bees. Every petal, every colour and every scent is carefully crafted to encourage pollination. This ongoing dance between flowers and bees has shaped ecosystems; demonstrating that design isn’t just a human pursuit – it’s a fundamental force in nature.

 

At LWC, we set out to teach students this very idea – that design is everywhere; shaping both our natural world and the objects that we use every day. We encourage them to look beyond the surface and ask deeper questions: Why is something designed the way it is? What problem does it solve? By engaging with everyday objects – analysing the stitching of a backpack or the ergonomics of a driver’s seat in a car – students begin to recognise that design is about so much more than aesthetics. It’s about function, usability and intent. Through hands-on projects like redesigning a common household object or creating sustainable solutions for a wide range of user needs, they learn first-hand how design can influence the way we interact with the world.

 

This is why I’m so passionate about design. It’s about solving problems, making life easier, more efficient and more enjoyable. It’s about fitting human needs, preferences and environments into one harmonious whole.

 

As you go about your day, take a moment to appreciate the objects around you. From the smallest of items to the grandest of structures; everything has been designed with intent and that design is constantly evolving to meet our needs in ways that often go unnoticed but are always felt.