The Design Museum announces the 2021-22 Design Ventura shortlist for its design and enterprise competition

Over 110 secondary schools entered from across the UK and beyond, with 10 state schools shortlisted

Shortlisted teams will present their designs during a pitching event to a panel of judges including this year’s brief setter and award-winning artist and Pentagram Partner Yuri Suzuki

The final winning design will be developed for manufacture and sale in the Design Museum Shop with all the profits going to a charity of the students’ choice.

Design Ventura is the Design Museum and Deutsche Bank’s award-winning, free design and enterprise competition for school students aged 13-16

Over 110 schools from across the UK and internationally took part in the 12th edition of Design Ventura, the Design Museum and Deutsche Bank’s design and enterprise competition for students aged 13-16. Students responded to a brief set by award-winning sound artist, designer and Partner at Pentagram, Yuri Suzuki to design a new product for the Design Museum Shop.
Later this month the 10 shortlisted teams will have the opportunity to pitch
1

their design concepts to a panel of design and business professionals at Deutsche Bank’s head office in London. The winning team will then be announced at a celebration event at the Design Museum in April, with their winning idea going on sale in the Design Museum Shop later in the year.
A flagship partnership within Deutsche Bank’s global Corporate Social Responsibility Born to Be youth engagement programme, Design Ventura offers students an opportunity to build vital design skills, and hands-on experience developing a product and taking it to market. The shortlisted teams have all designed products which respond to the brief to improve everyday life by addressing a social, educational or environmental issue and retails for around £15. The shortlisted entries in alphabetical order include:
● County Upper School, Suffolk, Sunny London – a fun children’s craft kit to create stained glass windows featuring great British design icons
● Cambourne Village College, Cambridge, Eco Seed – a product which allows users to grow seeds and watch them germinate.
● Ferndown Upper School, Dorset, The Flippy Book – a flip-book that mixes and matches iconic designs letting the user explore their creativity
● Liverpool Blue Coat School, Liverpool, Designosaur – a dinosaur shaped buildable and customisable plant pot to grow herbs
● Orleans Park School, London, The Sturdy Stabiliser – portable and reusable pads to fix wobbly chairs and tables legs
● Prendergast Ladywell School, London, Grow Your Story – a biodegradable fairytale storybook and plant kit
● Salford City Academy, Manchester, Tongue Twister Game – a card game with alliterative phrases challenging the players to pronounce individual words
● South Wilts Grammar School, Wiltshire, Gender Jigsaw – jigsaw pieces with preferred pronouns to be worn on your clothing (pictured above right)
● The Piggott School, Berkshire, Corky – a quirky pineapple soft toy made of cork, bamboo and felt
● Tiffin School, London, Drummable – a DIY cardboard drum-kit creating a wide range of textures and sounds (pictured right)
Shortlist for Independent and International School Category:
2

● American Community School, Soaprise – a soap with a surprise toy hidden inside to encourage children to wash their hands
● St. Andrew International School, Dino Plant – a recycled seed paper-based origami set which grows plants once completed
● Merchant Taylors’ Girls’ School, RMP: Recycled Music Products – stylish and chic jewellery made of old vinyl records
The shortlisted teams were chosen by a panel of leading professionals from the world of business and design. The teams will now be invited to attend a pitching event to test their entrepreneurial skills in front of a panel of judges including Yuri Suzuki, Sound Artist and Designer and Design Ventura 2021-22 brief setter; Rosa Bertoli, Design Editor at Wallpaper; Sebastian Conran, Designer and Trustee at the Design Museum; Preena Patel, Merchandising Manager at the Design Museum; and Christoph Woermann, Global Head of Corporate Bank Marketing at Deutsche Bank.
“I loved seeing the work that has been produced — the research, ideas and level of presentation were impressive and inspiring. There are some very promising concepts.” Sam Griffiths, designer and founder of Griffics, Shortlisting Judge, Design Ventura 2021-22