Orla Hennessy

BA (Hons) Product Design

Going through the third year of university in a pandemic has had its challenges but for me this year has been the most rewarding of my design career, allowing me to grow into the designer I aspire to be. I have used my final year to explore issues that I’m passionate about, to design solutions that will help educate and involve people in coming together to combat them. I have explored how we can combine education and play to prepare children for a sustainable life, as well as how we can encourage first year students to recycle in a way to make it a habit and not a hassle, providing an incentive to help boost their interest. Alongside my studies, I have taken on the role as a Product Design course rep and have enjoyed the experience, and also completed the Cardiff Met Award which was rewarding to complete after persevering through the pandemic. Product Design at Cardiff Metropolitan University has provided me with many different opportunities and challenges over the last year, and I am proud of the work I have produced. I’d like to introduce you to Aim2Sustain, a board game helping to educate children on a sustainable life and Change It a system to introduce first year students to recycling at their accommodation, as well as a bonus to help with student life. I hope my designs are able to influence the need for sustainable education globally.


Roedd heriau ynghlwm wrth fynd trwy drydedd flwyddyn prifysgol yn ystod pandemig, ond i mi y flwyddyn hon oedd yr un mwyaf boddhaus fy ngyrfa dylunio, gan adael i mi dyfu i fod y dylunydd rwy’n ymgyrraedd ati. Rwyf wedi defnyddio fy mlwyddyn olaf i edrych ar faterion rwy’n angerddol amdanynt, i ddylunio atebion a fydd yn helpu i addysgu a chynnwys pobl mewn dod at ei gilydd i’w trechu. Rwyf wedi archwilio sut allwn i gyfuno addysg a chwarae i baratoi plant am fywyd cynaliadwy, yn ogystal â sut mae annog myfyrwyr blwyddyn gyntaf i ailgylchu mewn ffordd sy’n ei wneud yn arfer ac nid yn drafferth, gan gynnig cymhelliant i helpu i hybu eu diddordeb. Ochr yn ochr â’m hastudiaethau, rwy wedi ysgwyddo rôl cynrychiolydd cwrs Dylunio Cynnyrch ac wedi mwynhau’r profiad, yn ogystal â chwblhau Gwobr Met Caerdydd a oedd yn foddhaus i’w gwblhau ar ôl dyfalbarhau dwy’r pandemig. Mae Dylunio Cynnyrch ym Mhrifysgol Metropolitan Caerdydd wedi rhoi llawer o gyfleoedd a heriau gwahanol i mi yn ystod y flwyddyn ddiwethaf, ac rwy’n falch o’r gwaith rwy wedi’i gynhyrchu. Hoffwn eich cyflwyno i Aim2Sustain, gêm fwrdd sy’n helpu i addysgu plant am fywyd cynaliadwy a Change It, system i gyflwyno myfyrwyr blwyddyn gyntaf i ailgylchu yn eu llety, yn ogystal â bonws i helpu gyda bywyd fel myfyriwr. Gobeithio bod fy nyluniadau yn gallu dylanwadu ar yr angen am addysg gynaliadwy yn fyd-eang.

Aim 2 Sustain is a board game to help educate children around the ideals of a sustainable life, designed to ensure that the future generations of this planet are prepared for life to come. A four player game, it will be an add on to the existing environmental education in schools. The game, its accessories and packaging all tie into the same colour theme making the product child friendly and aesthetically pleasing.

The game will involve them in a fun and exciting way to help gain further insight in to how they can help save the environment. The use of different coloured spaces around the game link into the different cards that are utilised in the game, using different ecological actions so the children can begin to make links between the game and life outside of the classroom.

Many students move to different towns and cities for university each year, one difference that can be overlooked is the recycling scheme at their new home. Change It is an incentive scheme developed to help involve students within recycling at university providing them a reward for their rubbish.

The Change It system would involve an app for students to use, as well as a tag to attach to their bin bags so there is a collection of data regarding how many bin bags are disposed using the system. Posters would advertise the scheme around campus to make the students aware. In six simple steps, the student is on their way to gaining rewards to help benefit their life at university.

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