Twin brothers’ car designs, a luxury yacht, and a personal relaxation pod - just a taste of the best of student design

Once again this year’s Coventry University Design Show will feature the best of student design talent from Automotive Engineering Design; Consumer Product Design; Graphic Design; Industrial Product Design; Technical Communication; and Transport Design, incorporating a range of exciting and innovative projects.

Taking place in Coventry City Football Club’s East Stand exhibition space, the show is being opened by Andrew Summers, Chief Executive of the Design Council.

Among the many exciting projects on display are:

• Lee Walton and, his twin brother Mark, both Transport Design students from Rushden, Northants, who will be competing for the limelight with their respective designs for a Saab Super Coupe and an ultralight car drawing upon the ethos of the classic Bristol marque.

• Tammy Southgate's range of high tech ‘toys’ for teenagers on the move includes a mobile phone, digital camera and CD player. The ‘Unity’ range is inspired by Nike’s design philosophy.

• Maite Lopez has designed a device in which people can avoid the stress of the airport waiting lounge. ‘ESCAPE’ is a personal relaxation pod, providing music and entertainment to make the wait that little more bearable.

• James Claydon will be unveiling a model of a magnificent 40 metre yacht design which, unusually, takes inspiration from Japanese architecture and interior design. He has called it ‘Tsunami’.

• Carl Gotham's design is also takes its inspiration from Japan, but this time from the postmodern ‘Manga’ cartoon culture. Carl’s design explores the possibilities of ‘Manga’ style within lightweight sportscar construction.

• RSA award winner Evan Jones will display a design for a car for Australia. He has incorporated survival requirements for the Australian Outback.

• Tony Berry's design for a Parisienne taxi, which is both striking and functional.

• Leighanne Earley’s design for a radically improved car seat design, which she will be showing as a full size model and through the use of Alias computer-based animation. The seat enables its occupant to move comfortably and safely within the vehicle.

• Steve Platt's design for a practical luxury convertable Mercedes.

Commenting on the exhibition, which opens to the public on Saturday, 12 June, Jenny Hann, Head of Industrial Design said:

"These concepts are just a few examples of the innovative designs that can be found among over 100 exhibitors in our biggest and most exciting display of creative talent yet.

"As ever with Coventry’s show, the talent scouts from leading design companies from Britain and overseas are sure to be there, so make sure you don't miss out", concludes Jenny.

Coventry University’s Design Show 1999 - Don’t miss the boat!

A selection of stunning boat designs feature in this year’s Coventry University Design Show - the largest exhibition yet of creative talent from the University’s students.

Transport Design student James Claydon, exhibits a scale model of his magnificent 40 metre luxury yacht, christened ‘Tsunami’. Inspired by Japanese architecture and interior design, Tsunami would accommodate up to ten guests and a crew of seven. Twin engines would power the yacht at up to 40 knots. A jacuzzi, bar, conference room and dining room, complete the picture.

Fellow Transport Design student Daniel Grimm, is also exhibiting his take on a luxury yacht - which can be customised to meet the needs and desires of a specific client - anything from a helicopter pad to a squash court.

Industrial Product Design students, Jonathon Woodhead, Stuart Platt and David Plummer are also exhibiting their water-borne concepts.

Jonathon has designed the ‘Water Skimmer Surf Rescue Vehicle’ for use by lifeguards. This design incorporates wheels for ease of launch from the beach and a window in the hull facilitating the underwater viewing of casualties.

Stuart Platt exhibits ‘Crest Rider’ a novel sit-in jetski, while David Plummer has designed a Catermaran for leisure use which has outboard canoes. These canoes have surprising characteristic - they convert to tents which can be used onshore. Ideal for island hopping holidays in the Med.

All of these projects feature at ‘unlocked, unforgettable’, the Coventry University Design Show, taking place in the exhibition area of Coventry City Football Club’s East Stand - so don’t miss the boat!