Pilot sees schoolkids design and prototype new products for major brands
Hundreds of pupils from Glasgow schools have been among the first to ditch the classroom for a day and step into the high-stakes world of product design, in what is planned to be a national programme to inspire the next generation of tech entrepreneurs.
A series of ‘hackathons’ are taking place for students from across the city – including Govan High School, St Mungo’s Academy, St Thomas Aquinas Secondary School, and Kelvinside Academy – giving them a full day of fun teaming up with industry professionals to design new product and prototype ideas for major brands.
The programme is being delivered by Glasgow-based product design agency Filament, in partnership with the product design engineering department at Glasgow School of Art and STAC, Scotland’s smart and deep tech accelerator, with support from 3D software company Autodesk. Funding has been provided by the Scottish Government’s Ecosystem Fund, which supports organisations strengthening Scotland’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Over the course of the programme, hosted at thebeyond, STAC’s coworking space in Finnieston’s Skypark, students are generating and sketching out their product ideas, developing them into real concepts. They work side-by-side with the Filament team to build prototypes using cutting-edge 3D printers and AI tools and, with advice from industry experts, then pitch their final product to a Dragons’ Den-style room of judges and peers.
Pupils also have the opportunity to hear from experts who have been there and done it before. Glasgow School of Art is providing talks on studying product design engineering at university, Filament co-founder Gregor Aikman is sharing his experience of being a founding director of Filament, and founders from the STAC community talk about creating tech-based products.
Commenting on her experience of the day Ava Macari, pupil at Smithycroft High School said: “I enjoyed working in groups and teams, and I liked how everyone had the chance to contribute. It was great to create, design, and present our products. Overall, the day was really enjoyable.”
The programme, which has been rolled out to eight schools across Glasgow, is expected to be the first stage of a process that will see it opened up nationally to inspire budding entrepreneurs and future founders from all over Scotland.
Gregor Aikman, co-founder of Filament, said: “The hackathons are a great way to give young people a glimpse into the world of work, being an entrepreneur, and getting a feel for product design. There are so many career choices available once you leave school, and the rapid pace of change means there are new opportunities all of the time.
“Product design is at the forefront of all of that and we hope these sessions inspire young minds to think about ideas for the future, and how they can build their own businesses around those. Part of Filament’s mission has always been to build a globally competitive tech community here in Scotland and this pilot aims to support the next generation who can take that forward in the years ahead.”
Eilidh Price, head of studio at Filament, added: “For me, this is a great opportunity to encourage more young women into engineering and tech. Women currently make up just 17% of the workforce in these sectors, and in specific areas like product and industrial design that figure has been as low as 5%.
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“We’ve made a lot of progress in recent years, but there is still much further to go. With 70% of attendees being young girls, it’s amazing to provide a platform to inspire and inform young women to consider some of the amazing career opportunities available in the world of product design engineering.”
Jade Cochran from Smithycroft High School, which took part in the programme, said: “This experience was incredibly important for our young people as it gave them the opportunity to step outside of the traditional classroom and apply their skills in a real-world, creative environment. For many of our students, it helped build confidence, encouraged teamwork, and allowed them to see their own potential in a different light.
“An extended or ongoing programme of hackathons would be hugely beneficial across Scotland. It would provide more young people with access to meaningful, skills-based experiences that develop creativity, problem-solving, and communication. These are essential skills not only for future employment but for helping young people feel more confident and prepared for the world beyond school.”
