Inspiring Design
’Inspiring Design’ with our host Rashan Senanayake, is the intersection of design, technology and education. Our featured guests are the best of the best, sharing their knowledge in design, global technologies, design thinking, industry standards and most importantly how it connects back to education. This is the way to transform new realities, enabling preferred futures.
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Episodes
Monday Jan 27, 2020
Monday Jan 27, 2020
In this episode we get international! Victor, a Vietnamese International Student of Architecture shares his incredible journey into design. We deep-drive into the mindset and point of view of an international student, finding insights and answers to questions such as – What is the journey of an international student going to study design? What are the obstacles and challenges as an international student? What was the effect of the language barrier as an ESL (English As a Second Language) student? Were personal qualities aided in the success – Resilience? Grit? Motivation? Determination? Self-awareness? Self-learning? How is work-life balance affected studying as an International student? How was it managed and overcome? What was the impact on the studies? Following an extensive conversation, Victor humbly shares valuable insights and advice to universities and schools on how to help students succeed as well as advice for other international students. These are just some of invaluable gems found within this episode.
Sunday Jan 12, 2020
Sunday Jan 12, 2020
In this episode we kick off 2020 with a unique individual who has self-taught himself to now be an expert in a long list of design tools, while engaged in full time studies and work. These tools range from: Adobe - Photoshop, Lightroom, Premier Pro, After Effects, Illustrator; Autodesk – Revit, AutoCAD, Inventor, 3DS Max; Cinema4D, Lumoin and many more. Elvin humbly shares his journey and experience, the do’s and don’ts the pitfalls, the learnings and answers to questions such as: What was the techniques used to learn these tools? Was it the same method for all applications? How long did it take to master each tool? How was this managed while studying full time? Did it affect your grades/other commitments and work-life balance? Was this supplemented and supported through your secondary and tertiary education? Elvin then continues to share his incredibly achievements by passionately sharing some valuable advice for universities and school as well as students who are traveling on his same path. These are just some of the gems presented within this episode. If you are wanting to learn how to be intrinsically motivated to self-teach through ‘play’ – this is the episode for you!
Monday Dec 16, 2019
Monday Dec 16, 2019
This is a unique episode with Kaitlin Sells – one of my past students and the very person who was essential to the main purpose behind Inspired Education Australia. Today we unpack some amazing insights into how Kaitlin was able to apply design thinking principles to business development and leadership through her own journey. This is a transferable skill across every industry and useful key towards industry 4 and 21st century career development. We were able to find answers to questions such how did business development manifest itself in your architectural career? Did the learnings in creative problem solving (design thinking) play a role in your success within the BD role? If so, how? Do you think this can be applied in other industries? How is this relevant in the 21st century? What about advice for universities/schools? Is it important to make this thinking approach apparent for student success and career flexibility? These are just some of the gems presented within this episode. If you are wanting to learn how to be successful in the 21st century, this episode is designed for you.
Monday Dec 02, 2019
Monday Dec 02, 2019
In this episode I had the privilege to speak to the young aviation & aerospace prodigy – Megha Wijewardane. Megha shares his incredible story in becoming NASA’s one and only ambassador for Australia at the age of 9, alongside his journey from his humble beginnings. We unpack insightful information, about his involvement with NASA as well as how he learned (almost self-taught himself) about aviation, aerospace and physics (just to name a few topics!). Megha and I follow on to speak about how to build knowledge from as early as year 4 and the tips and tricks that have led to Megha’s success. Megha humbly shares his career aspirations for his future and how he plans to contribute towards the aviation and aerospace industries, alongside NASA. This inspiring episode was capped off with some valuable advice and wise words from Megha’s experience towards teachers and parents, as well as his own friends, peers and students. Highly engaging and simply awe-striking. This episode is a once in a lifetime, in inspiring design.
Monday Nov 18, 2019
Monday Nov 18, 2019
In this episode I am able to understand the student’s mindset, experience and insights into their own journey in entering the industry. We unpack insightful information, the tips and tricks, the do’s and don’ts of what to do, when looking to transition from tertiary into the practicing industry. How to overcome the various challenges and obstacles as well as sharing the learnings along the way. Is it different to male graduates vs. female graduates? What about cultural prejudice – does it exist? What does ‘networking’ really mean? What about if your personality type is an introvert – how do you ‘put yourself out there’? Does sending out mass applications work? Are there better ways to engage companies? These are just some of the useful goodies hidden in this episode! If you are a tertiary student and looking to enter the industry, this episode should not be missed! If you are an educator – these are the challenges of your students, tune into the being able to empathise and learn how to guide and develop the future leaders of tomorrow.
Monday Nov 04, 2019
Monday Nov 04, 2019
In this episode – things get interesting! While the design thinking research continues, I spoke with Alma Yulianisa who has achieved something incredible by being able to design and construct (D&C) a residential project and a villa project (in Bali Indonesia), while working in Brisbane as a student! This episode is full of useful insights into the importance of real-world applications during your early career stage as a designer but also being mindful of the pitfalls challenges and learnings. We unpack answers to questions such as how to manage your time to engage real world projects while studying/working. What are the do’s and don’t’s? Should students jump into real world projects during their studies? As well as the mindset to succeed when such opportunities present themselves. Tune-in for an insightful conversation, useful for any secondary or tertiary design student, educator or design professional.
Monday Oct 21, 2019
Monday Oct 21, 2019
In this episode I continue the design thinking research approach by digging more into the minds of our future leaders! This episode is jam packed full of useful insights into the importance of traveling during studies and how it plays a crucial role in shaping a designer’s mind. Natasha (having travelled to over 34 countries!) detail her own journey, experiences and shared her valuable insights in the importance of exchange programs (to Oxford), how it has shaped her design abilities to be more aware and design through a holistic viewpoint for more socially and environmentally sustainable designs. How it has given her an edge and to stand-out in entering the industry as well as the tips and tricks on how to ‘make it happen’ and committing to traveling to learn, grown and develop. This was an eye-opening conversation for any secondary or tertiary student, educator or design professional.
Monday Oct 07, 2019
Monday Oct 07, 2019
In this episode I kick off Season 2 and the Design Thinking research process with 2 x amazing Creative Industries students of QUT – Cameron Topping and Shannen Roe. This is a unique conversation uncovering the student’s mindset detailing their own journey, experiences and answers to questions such as their career aspirations, career progression choices – how this was formed, influenced and guided, What was their transition into tertiary education like, from a secondary system – what worked well, what didn’t? How they felt about the tertiary education system aligning and preparing them for the industry and making them future-ready. Not to mention understanding the student’s point of view on how the current education system can be improved and what educators of today need to pay attention to. If you are an educator of today, this is exactly the conversation for you to tune into.
Monday Sep 23, 2019
Monday Sep 23, 2019
In this episode, Selena Griffith (Senior Lecturer in Design Thinking, Entrepreneurship and Innovation) - and I passionately speak about ‘Skills Currency’ and how this forms the foundation of 21st century career success. We discussed and unpacked detailed answers on questions such as what is Design Thinking? What is the impact of this in any given industry? How does this facilitate innovation? How does it create and manifest itself with entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship? How and why this is important for the next generation of future leaders as well as how the education system should align to facilitate the design thinking approach and mindset? Tune into this episode for one of the most eye-opening topics from a social impact point of view from one of the leading design thinking experts and educators in Australia.
Monday Sep 09, 2019
Monday Sep 09, 2019
In this episode, Leanne Kemp – The Chief Entrepreneur of QLD - and I passionately speak about ‘Skills Currency’ and how this forms the foundation of 21st century career success. We discussed and unpacked detailed answers on defining exactly what ‘Skills Currency’ is alongside answers to other transformative and challenging questions such as – How does skills currency play a role in education today? What do educators need to do to facilitate the development of skills currency for the future leaders of tomorrow? What should the students of this current generation (whether in secondary or tertiary) to do expand and establish their skills portfolio and increase the value of their skills currency? What about the mindset required for this? Tune into one of the most engaging conversations of the 21st century from one of the leading entrepreneurs of Australia.