What it means to be a Designer – Designing furniture for your old university

New teaching space furniture that is enhancing the learning experience for students has now been installed in some classrooms at the Holloway campus.

Date: 24 November 2017

Sheelagh Heugh, Head of Student Experience and Academic Outcomes in the School of Human Sciences attended a seminar for education space planners organised by Steelcase and Insightful Environments, and won this furniture in a prize draw.

In a twist to this happy event, the ‘classroom of the future’ range of furniture was designed by London Met Alumna, Daniella Bird, who is employed by Steelcase.

Daniella graduated from MA Interior Design in 2010 and now works for this leading manufacturer of furniture for offices, hospitals and classrooms, helping her clients to enhance their staff and student experience through creative space.

Daniella says:  “My work involves talking to clients about space to enhance their work and learning.  This requires a lot of research and an understanding of the client’s needs.  At Steelcase we use the insights we have and translate them into special solutions to enhance pedagogy and support the way students learn”.

Daniella also reflected on her time at London Met:

“Being at London Met felt very inclusive.  I joined the University as a mature student and even though many of the students were younger than me, the teaching staff always made me feel really comfortable and welcome.  I met great people who all came from different backgrounds and had different experiences.  London Met is such a diverse institution and that’s what I loved about it.

“What came out of my course was a better understanding and appreciation of the impact of technology on design.  I wasn’t as confident in exploring the relationship between the two until I studied at London Met.  The course really helped me understand what it means to be a designer”.